Comparison
Nicotinamide Riboside vs Noopept
Side-by-side of Nicotinamide Riboside and Noopept. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Nicotinamide Riboside
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is the most-studied NAD+ precursor in humans. Sold as Niagen by Chromadex; raises plasma NAD+ 30-60% at 250-1,000 mg/day.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Effects at a glance
Nicotinamide Riboside
- •Most-studied NAD+ precursor in human trials; the original Niagen formulation by Chromadex
- •Plasma NAD+ rises 30-60% at 250-1,000 mg/day across multiple human PK trials
- •Martens 2018 reported reduced BP and arterial stiffness at 500 mg/day for 6 weeks
- •Dollerup 2018 found no insulin sensitivity change despite plasma NAD+ rise
- •Tissue NAD+ rise inconsistent; hard clinical endpoints not yet measured
- •Larger human safety database than NMN; comparable mechanistic effects
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Nicotinamide Riboside | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | nootropic |
| Also known as | NR, Niagen, nicotinamide riboside chloride | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 8 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, typically morning | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | oral | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 4 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 255.25 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C11H15N2O5 | C17H22N2O4 |
| Mechanism | NAD+ precursor via salvage pathway. Phosphorylated to NMN by nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK), then converted to NAD+. Substrate for sirtuins, PARPs, and CD38. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | OTC dietary supplement | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data at supplement doses | Not recommended |
| CAS | 1341-23-7 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 439924 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q3343054 | Q4321022 |
Safety profile
Nicotinamide Riboside
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy / lactation (insufficient data)
- active cancer (theoretical, no contraindicating data)
Interactions
- pterostilbene: complementary sirtuin pathway (Basis combination)(minor)
- TMG (trimethylglycine): methylation support during high NAD+ precursor dosing(minor)
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Nicotinamide Riboside comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Nicotinamide Riboside.
- → If your priority is energy and stamina, pick Nicotinamide Riboside.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
Edge case: If you want to avoid controlled substance, Nicotinamide Riboside is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Nicotinamide Riboside. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Nicotinamide Riboside and Noopept?
Nicotinamide Riboside and Noopept differ in category (supplement vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Nicotinamide Riboside or Noopept?
Nicotinamide Riboside half-life is 8 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack Nicotinamide Riboside with Noopept?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper