With age, vision problems may arise. For these scenarios, a functional medicine practitioner would target the root cause of eye health concerns – and this may involve prescribing NAD IV therapy from our Toronto practice.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and typical eye fatigue are linked to inflammation and declines in mitochondrial functioning and cellular repair. In fact, “Glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide with significant health and societal burdens,” confirms a Nutrients report.
But scientists have proposed that supplementing with NAD⁺ can be helpful for sustaining eye health and vision protection. This article from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre unwraps:
- The vital role nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) plays in your vision;
- The various ways to increase this coenzyme intake;
- And how to access Toronto NAD IV therapy treatments from our IV Lounge.
Quick Recap: What is NAD+?
NAD+ is a coenzyme found in every cell and it helps convert food into energy. It also has key roles in regulating cellular processes, which means it can impact your body’s metabolic processes and DNA repair. NAD levels decline with age; for som people, these dwindling amounts can cause weight gain, premature aging, chronic inflammation.
Why NAD+ Matters for Your Eyes
Your eyes are one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body. Retinal cells, photoreceptors, and optic nerve fibres actually need an endless supply of energy and are highly sensitive to oxidative damage. However, scientists postulate that NAD+ may be valuable for eye health in these ways:
- May promote DNA repair: The tissues in your eyes are constantly exposed to UV lights and environmental toxins, which can hinder retinal cells and impair vision. NAD+ is needed for constructing enzymes for eye DNA repair, so upping your intake may help with repairing cellular damage and supporting long-term vision.
- Potentially protects against oxidative stress: Oxidative stress – which is the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants – can drive the formation of age-related eye conditions, including glaucoma. NAD+ happens to participate in activating sirtuins, which are the enzymes involved in cell repair. Upping NAD+ can support sirtuins to help protect your retinal cells from oxidative stress.
- May strengthen mitochondrial functioning and retinal energy production: The cells in your eyes heavily depend on your cells’ mitochondria for generating an energy source called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Declining NAD levels can impair mitochondrial functioning, contributing to retinal issues; there’s a possibility that upping your NAD intake may be beneficial for cellular survival in the retinal tissue.
What’s Next? How to Boost NAD Levels
Interested in NAD+ for eye support? Here are some ways to increase your amounts:
- Eat a nutrient-dense diet: Vitamin B3 (niacin) is a NAD precursor, meaning the body uses niacin to produce NAD+. Foods rich in niacin, like fish, poultry, mushrooms, and green vegetables, may be beneficial.
- Schedule in regular workouts: “In older adults, exercise training appears to be associated with higher muscle NAD+ content,” confirms an Experimental Gerontology article. “While regular physical activity of about 10,000 daily steps was not effective, structured training with at least 12,500 daily steps successfully prevented the aging-associated decline in muscle NAD+.”
- Consider NAD oral supplements: Tablets and capsules are available that contain the precursors nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). In lab studies, NR and NMN have been shown to be safe and tolerable, and can elevate NAD serum levels after ingestion.
- Get a NAD IV therapy prescription: Some people may experience inconsistent absorption rates with oral supplements, as the original dose you swallow can diminish from digestive enzymes. To guarantee that you fully absorb NAD, intravenous drips can be prescribed, and our clinic personalizes theses doses to match your biology. NAD IV drips involve administering the coenzyme directly into the bloodstream, bypassing digestion to allow for higher bioavailability.
It’s important to recognize that NAD+ supplementation, especially IV therapy, is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it may not be suitable for all patients. A qualified functional medicine provider can assess if NAD+ therapies are appropriate for your body while exploring for underlying issues. At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, our clinicians are adept at tailoring NAD-based treatments for personalized protocols. So, if you want to take novel, adjunctive approaches to combat brain fog, free radical damage, and muscle weakness, stop by our location to meet our health team!
Wellness Begins at the Molecular Level – Check Out our IV Lounge Today
The aging process is unique for each individual – that said, personalized therapies can help with promoting healthy longevity. The functional medicine approach scrutinizes your cell health, microbiome, energy production, and more, which helps functional practitioners understand how to optimize your needs. This may be suitable for managing cognitive function, muscle and bone health, weight gain, neurodegenerative disorders, and other chronic concerns.
Along with blending NAD+ IV drips, we can customize intravenous drips in our IV Lounge with fresh vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants. Intramuscular vitamin injections can be prescribed with tailored doses of vitamin D, glutathione, and vitamin B12. And rest assured, our health team of naturopathic doctors, nurse practitioners and registered nurses are always on-site to supervise IV sessions! Please keep in mind, though, that IV and intramuscular treatments are not substitutes for healthy living; when nutrient injections and IV drips are combined with nourishing habits and added functional medicine interventions, then they may support optimal function.
The Toronto Functional Medicine Centre shares their space with Supernatural Yorkville. Patients can combine services from both practices to further target general wellness issues. Depending on your health circumstances and lab findings, your treatment plan may integrate conventional medicine with naturopathic and Chinese medicine, intravenous therapy, herbal remedies, lymph drainage, cryotherapy, NAD+ IV treatments, and more.
Discover your path towards rejuvenating cells, improving brain function, and naturally energizing your body! Discover NAD IV therapy from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre today – book your initial consult with us by clicking here.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media.
References
Chubanava, Sabina, and Jonas T. Treebak. “Regular Exercise Effectively Protects against the Aging-associated Decline in Skeletal Muscle NAD Content.” Experimental Gerontology, vol. 173, 2023, p. 112109, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2023.112109. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Cimaglia, Gloria, et al. “Potential Therapeutic Benefit of NAD+ Supplementation for Glaucoma and Age-Related Macular Degeneration.” Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 9, 2020, p. 2871, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092871. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Ito, Takashi K., et al. “A Single Oral Supplementation of Nicotinamide within the Daily Tolerable Upper Level Increases Blood NAD+ Levels in Healthy Subjects.” Translational Medicine of Aging, vol. 5, 2021, pp. 43-51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tma.2021.09.001. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Lin JB, Apte RS. NAD+ and sirtuins in retinal degenerative diseases: A look at future therapies. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2018 Nov;67:118-129. doi: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.06.002. Epub 2018 Jun 12. PMID: 29906612; PMCID: PMC6235699.
Mahabadi N, Al Khalili Y. Neuroanatomy, Retina. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545310/
Okabe, Keisuke, et al. “Oral Administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Is Safe and Efficiently Increases Blood Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Levels in Healthy Subjects.” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 9, 2022, p. 868640, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.868640. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Petriti, Bledi, et al. “Neuroprotection in Glaucoma: NAD+/NADH Redox State As a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target.” Cells, vol. 10, no. 6, 2021, p. 1402, https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10061402. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Poljsak, Borut, et al. “Healthy Lifestyle Recommendations: Do the Beneficial Effects Originate from NAD+ Amount at the Cellular Level?” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2020, 2020, p. 8819627, https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8819627. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Saccà SC, Cutolo CA, Ferrari D, Corazza P, Traverso CE. The Eye, Oxidative Damage and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. Nutrients. 2018 May 24;10(6):668. doi: 10.3390/nu10060668. PMID: 29795004; PMCID: PMC6024720.
Tribble, James R., et al. “Nicotinamide Provides Neuroprotection in Glaucoma by Protecting against Mitochondrial and Metabolic Dysfunction.” Redox Biology, vol. 43, 2021, p. 101988, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2021.101988. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Williams, Pete A., et al. “Glaucoma As a Metabolic Optic Neuropathy: Making the Case for Nicotinamide Treatment in Glaucoma.” Journal of Glaucoma, vol. 26, no. 12, 2017, p. 1161, https://doi.org/10.1097/IJG.0000000000000767. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Original article "Toronto Functional Medicine Centre – (416) 968-6961" first appeared in the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website.
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