Disclosure: Nathan & Sons manufactures and sells Uprising Energy Gum. The cited research did not test Uprising or establish that the finished product increases cellular energy, ATP production, stamina, focus or cognitive performance.
It's 2:47 on a Tuesday afternoon. Your inbox has 43 unread emails, your eyelids weigh about nine pounds each, and you're eyeing the office coffee pot like it owes you money.
What you're probably not thinking about is NAD and B vitamins, the quiet crew that helps your cells make energy all day long.
Coffee, energy drinks and pre-workout can absolutely wake you up.
But that jolt is stimulation.
Cellular energy is a different thing, and it's happening quietly inside you every second, whether you've had your latte or not.
That behind-the-scenes work depends heavily on this duo.
Together, they help your cells turn the food on your plate into energy your body can actually use.
At Nathan & Sons, we think that difference is worth understanding.
If you're into functional wellness, it helps to know what's going on under the hood before you reach for another quick pick-me-up.
What Does "Cellular Energy" Actually Mean?
Your body runs on a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements calls ATP "the cell's primary energy currency." So think of it as cash.
Every time a muscle contracts or a nerve fires, your cells spend a little.
The catch? You can't eat ATP.
That turkey sandwich you had for lunch doesn't show up in your cells as ready-to-spend energy.
Your body has to break down its carbohydrates, fats and proteins, pull out the stored energy, and use it to make fresh ATP.
A lot of that work happens in your mitochondria.
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, these tiny structures "generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell's biochemical reactions," and that energy gets stored as ATP.
They're basically your cells' power plants. And every power plant needs a crew.
That's where NAD and B vitamins come in.
NAD Is Part of the Energy-Conversion Process
A common question people have is, "Okay, but what actually is NAD?" It's short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Yes, it's a mouthful. Its job is a lot simpler than its name.
NAD is a coenzyme, which is a helper molecule that enzymes need to do their work.
Its main gig is energy, but according to the NIH it also has side jobs, like helping maintain your DNA, controlling which genes are switched on, and helping cells communicate.
So how does it actually help make energy?
NAD comes in two forms. NAD+ is the "empty" version, and NADH is the "loaded" version. When your cells break down food, NAD+ picks up electrons and becomes NADH.
NADH then hands those electrons to the electron transport chainin your mitochondria, which uses them to help make ATP.
Once it drops off its load, NADH turns back into NAD+ and goes to grab another one.
Picture a delivery van running the same route all day. Pick up, drop off, repeat.
Without enough NAD to keep those vans moving, normal metabolism can't run the way it should.
The NIH niacin fact sheet notes that more than 400 enzymes need NAD to do their jobs, which is more than any other coenzyme made from a vitamin.
It also says NAD is mainly involved in the reactions that move energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins into ATP.
So NAD isn't a stimulant. You won't feel it kick in the way you feel an espresso.
That's true for NAD and B vitamins in general.
It's part of the machinery your cells already use every minute of the day.
Where Does NAD Come From? Meet the B Vitamins
Once people learn what NAD does, they usually want to know where it comes from, and what vitamin B3 has to do with it.
This is where B vitamins enter the story.
Vitamin B3, also called niacin, is the raw material your body uses to build NAD.
According to the NIH, every tissue in your body converts absorbed niacin into NAD.
Your body can also make some NAD from tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein foods.
The NIH even uses turkey as its example, a 3-ounce serving of turkey breast has about 180 mg of tryptophan, plus about 10 mg of niacin on its own.
So your Thanksgiving plate is quietly doing double duty.
Does that mean loading up on niacin gives you unlimited energy?
Sadly, no. More raw material doesn't automatically mean more output.
And high doses come with downsides.
The NIH notes that 30 to 50 mg or more of nicotinic acid (one form of niacin) typically causes flushing, which means red, burning, tingly, itchy skin.
How NAD and B Vitamins Work as a Team
We often hear from readers who want to know which B vitamins matter most for energy.
The honest answer?
Several B vitamins play direct or supporting roles, although their jobs differ quite a bit.
Niacin gets a lot of attention because of its direct link to NAD, but energy metabolism is a team sport.
A review in Chemico-Biological Interactions looks at the role the whole B vitamin family plays in mitochondrial energy metabolism.
A 2020 review in Nutrients gets specific. It explains that thiamine helps form acetyl-CoA, the fuel that enters the citric acid cycle.
NAD is required at several steps of that cycle. And coenzyme A, made from vitamin B5, sits "at the crossroads of cellular metabolism."
Think of NAD and B vitamins as a relay team.
Each B vitamin runs its own leg, and if one runner doesn't show up, the baton doesn't get very far.
The starting lineup, according to the NIH:
- B1 (thiamine): helps five enzymes process glucose, amino acids and fats.
- B2 (riboflavin): builds FAD and FMN, two coenzymes with major roles in energy production.
- B3 (niacin): becomes NAD and NADP.
- B5 (pantothenic acid): forms coenzyme A, which your body needs to build and break down fatty acids, among many other jobs.
- B6 (pyridoxine): takes part in more than 100 enzyme reactions, mostly related to protein metabolism.
- B7 (biotin): helps five enzymes that process fatty acids, glucose and amino acids.
- B9 (folate): helps make DNA and RNA and process amino acids.
- B12 (cobalamin): supports healthy red blood cells, DNA synthesis and the nervous system.
Notice there's no single "energy vitamin" on that list. The system works because all the pieces work together.
Riboflavin Shows How Connected the System Really Is
Vitamin B2 is a great example of how tangled (in a good way) this system is.
Riboflavin is used to make two coenzymes.
Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN).
The NIH riboflavin fact sheet says these coenzymes play major roles in energy production and in the metabolism of fats, drugs and steroids.
It also says your body needs FAD to turn tryptophan into niacin.
On top of that, the niacin fact sheet points out that people who don't get enough riboflavin, B6 or iron convert less tryptophan into niacin.
So the road to NAD runs partly through other nutrients, which is one more reason NAD and B vitamins are best understood together.
Cellular energy works less like a light switch and more like an old string of holiday lights.
When one bulb goes out, the whole strand can dim.
NAD and B Vitamins vs. Caffeine, Two Different Kinds of Energy
Picture this. You slept five hours, skipped breakfast, and it's 2 p.m.
You down a large cold brew, and before long you feel wide awake.
The coffee did its job.
Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in your brain, and blocking one type in particular is largely what keeps you awake.
What caffeine didn't do is hand your cells the nutrients they need to make ATP, or make up for the sleep and breakfast you missed.
Feeling alert and making energy at the cellular level are related, but they're two different things.
This is also why so many people ask whether B vitamins give you energy the way caffeine does.
They don't. B vitamins help run the everyday chemistry that turns food into fuel, so you won't feel a "buzz" or a sudden kick from them.
Caffeine is the one that makes you feel wired.
If you're curious how different caffeine sources stack up, we compared them in Caffeinated Gum vs. Coffee vs. Energy Drinks.
We keep that difference front and center when we formulate our own products.
Caffeine can promote alertness, and vitamins do their normal jobs in the body, but neither one replaces good sleep, real food, water, movement or medical care.
Why B-Vitamin Deficiency Can Affect Energy
Your body makes NAD, but B vitamins are essential nutrients, which means you need to get them from food.
When intake runs low for long enough, energy metabolism can suffer.
The NIH lists fatigue among the symptoms of pellagra, the disease caused by severe niacin deficiency.
It also lists megaloblastic anemia and fatigue as signs of low B12.
The 2020 Nutrients review sums it up nicely. When you get enough vitamins and minerals, your body functions normally. When you fall short, deficiencies can show up.
Naturally, the next question is whether taking more B vitamins means more stamina. Not necessarily.
That's the goal. Enough, not endless.
Fixing a shortfall and piling on more than you need are two very different things, and some forms, like high-dose niacin, come with side effects of their own.
What "Real Stamina" Should Mean
Supplement marketing loves to sell stamina like it comes in a single ingredient. Your body didn't get that memo.
How you feel and perform from morning to night depends on a long list of things ... sleep, fitness, what you eat, how much water you drink, stress and your overall health.
Meanwhile, your cells keep making ATP around the clock, because that's how they pay for everything they do.
That's exactly why NAD and B vitamins are worth understanding.
They explain the biology behind everyday energy without turning ordinary nutrients into miracle cures.
Can Food Cover Your B Vitamins and the Building Blocks for NAD?
People also want to know whether food alone can supply NAD and B vitamins.
What matters most is getting enough niacin and the other B vitamins, since your body builds its own NAD from them.
For a lot of people, food does the job.
The NIH also notes that the niacin in animal foods like poultry, beef and fish is mostly in the form of NAD and NADP.
B vitamins show up across a lot of everyday foods.
- Niacin: poultry, beef, fish, brown rice, peanuts and fortified cereals.
- Thiamine: bread, cereals and pork.
- Riboflavin: eggs, lean meats, milk and fortified grains.
- Folate: dark leafy greens, beans, peas, asparagus and Brussels sprouts.
- B12: fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy.
For niacin, the NIH says most people in the U.S. already get more than the recommended amount from food.
B12 deserves a special shout-out for plant-based eaters, since it's found naturally in animal foods.
The NIH vitamin B12 fact sheet lists vegans and vegetarians among the groups at higher risk of running low.
It points to fortified breakfast cereals and fortified nutritional yeast as good plant-based sources.
Older adults with atrophic gastritis and people with certain digestive conditions are on that higher-risk list too.
If you went vegan last year and never gave B12 a second thought, consider this your friendly nudge to bring it up with your doctor.
They can help you decide whether testing or a supplement makes sense for you.
Still, food is only part of the picture.
How energetic you feel day to day also depends on sleep, exercise, hydration and whether you're eating enough overall.
Where Functional Cellular Supplement Products Fit
Products built around NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) and B vitamins, or any functional ingredient, make sense when they add to the basics, not when they pretend to replace them.
Keep that in mind the next time a label promises "limitless energy."
At Nathan & Sons, we like to ask what an everyday habit like chewing gum could become when the formula is taken seriously.
That thinking led to Uprising Energy Gum.
A two-piece serving of Uprising contains 60 mg of caffeine, 30 mg per piece; along with L-theanine, NAD, vitamin B12 and folate.
The established biological roles of these ingredients informed the formulation, but the cited research did not test Uprising or establish that the finished product increases cellular energy, ATP production, stamina, focus or cognitive performance.
Consider caffeine from all foods, beverages, medications and supplements, follow the product’s serving directions and do not exceed the labeled maximum.
For comparison, the FDA puts a 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee at about 113 to 247 mg.
Uprising is made for adults, and we don't recommend it for kids, teens, pregnant people or anyone sensitive to caffeine.
Curious why L-theanine made the cut? We explain it in What Is L-Theanine Gum.
You can also read Does Chewing Gum Give You Energy? the bigger picture on caffeine, focus and energy-gum products.
Uprising gives adults a convenient, portable way to get caffeine when they choose to.
It's not a substitute for sleep, water or a balanced lunch, and we'd never pretend otherwise.
If fresher breath and a satisfying chew are more your speed, Underbrush Gum offers a sugar-free, xylitol-sweetened everyday gum.
Not sure what to look for in a gum? Start with What Is the Healthiest Chewing Gum?
NAD, B Vitamins, and Sustainable Energy
NAD and B vitamins won't give you superpowers.
What they do is quieter and pretty impressive, they're part of the basic chemistry that keeps you going every single day, from your first yawn to your last episode of the night.
In short, NAD shuttles energy through your metabolism.
B vitamins supply the building blocks and helpers your cells need to turn breakfast into ATP.
That steady, behind-the-scenes work is what cellular energy really looks like, long after the coffee buzz fades.
Nathan & Sons is built on the idea that everyday products can be smarter about what goes in them.
Learn more about us, check out our FAQs, or learn more about Uprising Energy Gum, including its ingredients, caffeine content and suggested serving.
This article is for educational purposes only and isn't medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet, taking supplements or using products that contain caffeine, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, taking medication or sensitive to caffeine. Nathan & Sons manufactures and sells Uprising Energy Gum. The cited research did not test Uprising or establish that the finished product increases cellular energy, ATP production, stamina, focus or cognitive performance.
References
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Niacin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated November 18, 2022.
- National Human Genome Research Institute. Mitochondria. Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms.
- Ahmad M, Wolberg A, Kahwaji CI. Biochemistry, Electron Transport Chain. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated September 4, 2023.
- Depeint F, Bruce WR, Shangari N, Mehta R, O'Brien PJ. Mitochondrial function and toxicity: Role of the B vitamin family on mitochondrial energy metabolism. Chemico-Biological Interactions. 2006;163:94-112.
- Tardy AL, Pouteau E, Marquez D, Yilmaz C, Scholey A. Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence. Nutrients. 2020;12(1):228. doi:10.3390/nu12010228.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Thiamin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Riboflavin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Pantothenic Acid: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B6: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Biotin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
- Evans J, Richards JR, Battisti AS. Caffeine. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Updated May 29, 2024.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
