Inside the 'NAD+ and prosecco' parties in the Cotswolds where women gather for celeb-loved anti-ageing IV drip treatments

One of Hollywood's hottest wellness trends has trickled down to the Cotswolds, where women are hosting 'IV drip parties' to reap the supposed anti-ageing benefits of a supplement called NAD+.

Made glamorous by Gwyneth Paltrow , the Kardashians, Hailey Bieber and even Joe Rogan , the treatment is hailed as the 'fountain of youth' that is said to boost energy, sharpen the brain, strengthen immunity and even help slow ageing.

Despite limited scientific evidence for these benefits, NAD+ is already all the rage on TikTok, and Stacey Dooley discovers mothers in the Cotswolds are also hooked on NAD+ in a new episode of Clickbait Clinic.

The 39-year-old BBC presenter finds herself at a 'NAD+ and prosecco party' hosted by divorce coach Claire, 52, after tracking down the region's 'go-to GP for at-home drips', Dr Randeep Bhella.

Explaining why she started taking NAD+, Claire tells Stacey: 'I'm at that age where I just want to preserve everything for as long as possible.'

She recalls feeling 'bright as a button' the day after her first appointment with Dr Bhella, who arrives at Claire's house to set up individual IVs costing between £150 and £350 for each of her guests.

But Dr Bhella himself admits longevity studies for NAD+ are 'going on' and it's impossible to make a 'bold' claim about its benefits in the absence of scientific data.

Experts in the UK have also raised concerns around taking the compound intravenously, a theoretical 'risk of cancer' and 'dangerous' underground clinics in a very 'grey market'.

Divorce coach Claire, 52, invited Stacey Dooley to one of her NAD+ parties in the latest episode of the BBC series Clickbait Clinic

NAD+, short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a molecule found in every living cell. It plays a crucial role in helping the body convert food into energy and is also involved in DNA repair and other vital cellular processes.

As we age, NAD+ levels decline, and supporters suggest supplements can help tackle tiredness, banish brain fog and signs of ageing by improving how cells function and repair themselves.

Celebrity advocates include beauty mogul Hailey Bieber, who was filmed receiving an NAD drip on an episode of The Kardashians, joking: 'I'm going to NAD for the rest of my life, and I'm never going to age.'

Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow has spoken publicly about her enthusiasm for IV wellness treatments, while Friends star Jennifer Aniston has been reported to use NAD+ IV drips.

It means NAD+ has become one of the hottest buzzwords in wellness, sold in forms ranging from injection kits to pills, powders, stick-on patches and, of course, IV drips administered at home.

These drips can cost hundreds of pounds a session, with some clinics charging up to around £400 for an hour-long treatment and more for longer courses.

At-home injection kits can cost about £350 for a month-long course, while pills, powders and patches are sold for anything from £20 to £80 or more.

On Clickbait Clinic, Stacey follows the connector tubes of NAD+ drips from the UK's bigger cities like London and Manchester to the quieter environs of the Cotswolds.

Stacey Dooley (right) asks whether there's any merit to injecting the compound after the treatment was made glamorous by celebrities such as the Kardashians and Hailey Bieber

The 39-year-old BBC presenter finds herself at an 'NAD+ and prosecco party' hosted by divorce coach Claire, 52, after tracking down the region's 'go-to GP for at-home drips', Dr Randeep Bhella

This quest leads her to the home of Claire, a 52-year-old divorce coach from the Cotswolds, who treated a group of friends to a dose of NAD+ with a side of brunch.

As mimosas are passed around, Dr Bhella arrives and begins hooking Claire up to an IV 'nice and slowly', adding: 'We don't want to rush things.'

She describes receiving the NAD+ as an 'out-of-body experience' and tells one of her guests to tell Dr Bhella to 'turn it down' if she starts to feel a bit 'woozy'.

Medical experts have said NAD+ drips can cause headaches and dizziness, as Dr Bhella concedes the treatment can be 'uncomfortable'.

However, he says unpleasant sensations during the drip are usually triggered by too large a dose or the dose being administered too quickly, and can be regulated.

When Stacey asks him why he believes these parties have taken off, Dr Bhella tells her that, 'anecdotally', people report NAD+ leaves them feeling 'really well'.

'It's not the nicest thing to have done; it's a bit uncomfortable having it, but people feel really well. Hence people want it again and again.'

Despite its popularity, NAD+ remains a divisive topic among health experts. Dr Michael Sagner, a clinical adviser at King's College London, argues the evidence in healthy humans remains limited.

Any claims that NAD+ products can extend life or reverse ageing are largely unproven and are based mainly on animal studies.

'It's extremely difficult to do these trials because you'd have to have thousands of patients, and make sure they take it every day,' he said. 'And what will we actually measure?

'In animal models where you have a life expectancy of a year, two years, three years, it's a lot easier to measure these things. In humans it's basically impossible. It hasn't been done for any substance that increases NAD levels.'

He said there are some 'promising' disease-specific studies, including in Parkinson's and cardiovascular disease, but added that this is very different from proving that NAD+ can keep healthy people young.

'It's very difficult to measure ageing,' he said. 'It's more about being disease-free for as long as possible as you get older.'

His biggest concern is the popularity of NAD+ IV drips, which deliver the compound directly into the bloodstream.

Dr Sagner described parts of the NAD+ drip industry as 'murky' and a 'very grey market'.

He said: 'A lot of stuff that happens in these underground drip clinics in London and elsewhere is very hush-hush.

'Some of them have apparently removed the NAD+, and just tell the patients it's NAD+ and charge them for it. They infuse a little bit of vitamin C or something else because they are afraid of the side effects, but they still want to make money.'

Explaining why she started taking NAD+, short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, Claire tells Stacey: 'I'm at that age where I just want to preserve everything for as long as possible'

He added: 'You can't really take NAD+, or you shouldn't, especially intravenously. Those drip clinics that offer it are very dangerous.

'We have seen a lot of adverse side-effects such as inflammation, allergic reactions, and so on. After the drip, people can have headaches and dizziness.'

Dr Sagner said he had heard reports of serious complications following NAD+ infusions, although such cases can be difficult to verify publicly.