Unlike other supplements derived from plants or natural resources, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) isn't readily available in large amounts from fruits or veggies — even though you can find them in your diet.
NMN is a small molecule, technically classified as a nucleotide. It’s made up of a nicotinamide group connected to ribose sugar and phosphate, creating a stable structure that allows it to assist in maintaining healthy NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) levels in the body.
As we age, NAD+ levels naturally drop, which can lead to a decrease in cellular energy. By taking NMN supplementation, we’re essentially charging up that battery, helping cells continue doing their very important work.
Since you can't really harvest natural sources for NMN, it's synthesized through several advanced lab methods to get consistent quality and concentrated doses of NMN.
Ways of Producing NMN Supplements
There are several ways NMN supplements are made: Chemical synthesis, enzymatic processes, microbial fermentation, and biological pathways.
Chemical Synthesis
Making NMN through chemical synthesis requires a controlled lab reaction where scientists combine vitamin B3 derivatives under set conditions to produce NMN.
Organic solvents help the reactions along, but they can also introduce by-products you don't want in your NMN supplementation, which means extra steps are needed to purify the NMN.
This process of producing NMN is expensive and tricky to get right. During chemical synthesis, "chiral compounds" are created, mirror-image molecule versions — kind of like left and right shoes — they look similar but aren’t interchangeable. Not all mirror-image molecules work well in the body, so filtering out the effective ones lowers the final yield.
The other downside to this is that it could be more environmentally friendly. Organic solvents can harm the environment if they're not disposed of correctly. Because of these downsides, chemical synthesis is the least sustainable option for producing NMN.
Enzymatic Synthesis
Enzymatic synthesis for creating nicotinamide mononucleotide uses enzymes and natural proteins acting like tiny “workers.”
In this case, the enzyme NAMPT combines nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and PRPP, creating NMN in a way that mimics the body’s own cellular processes. Since this is how our cells make NMN, enzymatic synthesis is closer to a natural approach.
Enzymes need a very specific environment to work — temperature, pH, and other variables have to be just right. Otherwise, they can break down or become ineffective. This makes enzymatic synthesis delicate and requires precise monitoring — but it's worth it.
Since enzymatic synthesis aligns closely with the body’s natural processes, it’s highly efficient. The final NMN product is very similar to naturally occurring NMN.
Microbial Fermentation
Microbial fermentation relies on genetically engineered bacteria or yeast that are “programmed” to make NMN. These microorganisms are fed sugars and other simple nutrients. These bacteria produce NMN as a byproduct through their metabolic processes— similar to how yeast ferments sugar into alcohol but doesn't require harsh chemicals.
The downside to this NMN production method is that scaling is incredibly challenging. The microbes need very controlled growing conditions, so it's less common in the supplement industry.
Biological Pathway
The biological pathway for NMN synthesis is known as the “salvage pathway.” In living cells, NAMPT combines nicotinamide with PRPP to create NMN.
This is the same pathway our bodies use to recycle NAD+ molecules. This method is not used in commercial NMN production but helps us understand how NMN naturally forms in the body.
While this is how our cells naturally make NMN, replicating this process outside the body requires advanced biotechnology. It’s mainly used as a research model rather than a commercial NMN production method.
How Are NMN Products Made?
After NMN is synthesized, it goes through several stages that meet industry standards to become the supplement sold on our website.
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Filtration: At Neurogan Health, our NMN is made through an enzymatic synthesis process and then undergoes filtration to isolate the NMN with centrifugation (spinning to separate particles).
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Crystallization: The NMN is then crystallized to enhance the purity and ensure the compound remains stable. This step is also important for handling in later stages of supplement production.
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Formulation: NMN powder can be blended with other ingredients based on the supplement.
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Capsules or tablets: NMN is mixed with binding agents or fillers to help form a cohesive tablet or encapsulated for capsules. These ingredients also ensure the even distribution of NMN so that each dose contains the correct amount and holds its shape. Our capsules encapsulate pure NMN powder in vegan-friendly vegetable cellulose casings.
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Tinctures: For liquid NMN products, the powder is dissolved in an oil base or purified water that preserves the NMN’s stability.
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Gummies: Our NMN powder is added to the gummy mixture, which is pectin-based rather than gelatin, to keep our product vegan-friendly. This mixture is cooked, and the NMN is added at a precise stage to avoid any loss of potency.
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Packaging and Labeling: After formulation, the product is sealed in amber-colored containers designed to maintain freshness and prevent exposure to light and humidity.
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Final Quality Testing and Distribution: Third-party labs inspect the final products for consistency and quality. This includes testing samples from each batch to confirm that they meet purity and potency standards. Once all cleared, the NMN products are boxed and shipped directly to customers from our warehouse.
Why NMN Isn’t Extracted Directly from Foods
You can find small amounts of NMN in foods like avocados, edamame, and broccoli, but it's in extremely trace amounts that are too low for efficient extraction for producing NMN supplementation.
To give you a better idea, you'd need to eat upwards of 450 whole avocados to get one dosage of the Neurogan Health NMN capsules.
Who Manufactures NMN?
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Neurogan Health (United States): We produce high-quality, pure NMN products with a focus on sustainability and precision in our GMP-certified facility in San Diego. We can keep the costs down because we handle a lot of the production, formulation, packaging, and distribution from our facility.
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GeneHarbor (Hong Kong): GeneHarbor specializes in biotech and NMN production, producing high-purity NMN using advanced techniques.
Effepharm (China): Known for its expertise in fermentation and enzymatic synthesis, Effepharm produces NMN with an eco-friendly approach.
