What Is NMN?

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) is a vitamin B3 derivative that has recently been of great interest for its potential as an anti-aging compound.

Many consumers are turning to NMN powdered supplements to optimize their health and nutrition. Many cell and animal studies point to NMN's potential as an anti-aging molecule through its cellular repair mechanisms [1].

Supplementing your diet with NMN can help support metabolism, energy levels, and cognitive function, improve aging-related issues such as inflammation and skin health, support fertility, and boost immunity.

What does NMN Stand For?

NMN stands for nicotinamide mononucleotide, an essential component of energy metabolism and a natural precursor to NAD+, which acts as an antioxidant in the body and helps maintain healthy biological functions.

What Does NMN Do In The Body?

NMN is involved with maintaining healthy cellular age and function.

It helps to promote energy production by supporting the mitochondria within our cells, ultimately facilitating many essential metabolic processes in our body, such as converting glucose and fatty acids into ATP, building proteins, and cellular repair [2].

It may also help with general health maintenance due to its role in stimulating NAD+ activity. Age-related decline has been linked with decreased NAD+ levels, as they're not produced at the same rate as when we were younger, which is why some say it might help you look younger.

NAD+ is important for keeping the critical cellular environment conducive to the physical and chemical processes that maintain optimum well-being [2].

NMN is a precursor for NAD+ production to help compensate for lower levels of NAD+. In animal models, NMN supplementation has been shown to offer protection against aging-related illnesses and has also been known to improve pathways associated with metabolic health and obesity [3, 4].

Potential NMN Benefits

Taking NMN supplements may sound like a recent trend, but NMN supplements have been backed by decades of research.

Every day, scientists and researchers uncover new ways that NMN might enhance overall well-being. As mentioned, NMN is naturally found in small amounts in certain foods we consume. Still, experts believe it's difficult to get enough NMN from food alone to derive potential health benefits. 

Some of the reported supplemented NMN benefits may include the following:

• Energy metabolism

• Cellular stress resposne

• Insulin sensitivity (related to age-associated weight gain)

• Focus and mental clarity (combat cognitive decline)

• Exercise training

• DNA repair & gene expression

• Sleep quality

Although many findings appear promising, generations of research point to a need for more testing before any concrete conclusions can be drawn about the long-term NMN side effects on human health.

Energy Metabolism

Energy metabolism is how our bodies convert the foods we eat into energy for our cells. We need key vitamins and minerals and sufficient caloric intake to keep that metabolic process going.

As we age, this process can start to slow down, leading to fatigue, lack of energy, muscle weakness, and a higher risk of infection.

Metabolic disorders, usually identified by their difficulty breaking down certain nutrients or minerals, are fairly common and can be disabling — but they are far more common in older people.

One possible explanation is that as we age, the human body becomes less efficient at metabolizing compounds, and its ability to react to these changes decreases.

NMN is an essential molecule (coenzyme) that participates in various energy metabolism pathways, including converting food into energy [5].

Metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity, can significantly impact physical and mental wellness. Fortunately, emerging research suggests that NMN supplementation may benefit treating metabolic disorders for a healthier aging process.

DNA Repair & Gene Expression

Our bodies can remarkably use DNA repair systems to maintain genetic stability and ensure good health, but these processes become increasingly difficult to sustain as we age. As the number of errors in our DNA increases with age, so does our risk for diseases like cancer.

But this isn't all that changes as we age — our gene expression also adapts due to changes in hormones and metabolism which can affect our life span.

Ultimately, aging is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors — while genes may predispose us to certain conditions that eventually lead to aging, lifestyle habits such as smoking or not exercising can also accelerate the aging process.

Supplements formulated with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) may benefit those looking for a natural way to support DNA repair and protect healthy gene expression.

As the precursor to NAD+, supplementing NMN can activate a group of proteins called sirtuins, which help repair your DNA and keep it functioning optimally.

And the really cool thing is that the activity of these sirtuins seems to be linked to human longevity — higher levels of NAD+ correlate to longer lifespans [6].

Neurodegenerative Diseases

One of the primary causes of cognitive decline in aging is a decrease in neurotransmitters responsible for communication between neurons. This disruption leads to difficulty memorizing and recalling information and decreased ability to process complex information efficiently.

Over the last few years, scientists have been putting forth interesting theories and conducting research about how increasing NAD+ levels could lead to wholesome long-term benefits for brain health.

It has been suggested that this increase in NAD+ can result in many positive outcomes, from reducing oxidative stress to lowering protein aggregation and anti-inflammatory effects [7].

Clearly, this could be an important protective measure against various neurological disorders providing us with hope for better treatment options. While there's still a long way to go before we find definite answers, these initial findings prove incredibly promising.

Are there any Side Effects from NMN?

So far, no serious side effects have been reported, but initial research suggests there may be some minor nausea, skin irritation, headaches, and upset stomachs when first taking the supplement.

The Science Behind NMN Supplements

The age-associated physiological decline is a fact of life. As we age, the body's ability to regenerate new cells diminishes, so finding ways to strengthen the body's cellular repair process may be the key to a healthy aging process.

Certain fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, and tempeh contain NMN. Mushrooms like shiitake or reishi contain higher than average levels of NNN compared to cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, and tomatoes. However, the concentrations of NMN overall in most diets aren't very high.

Researchers have found that one of the main influencers of aging within our cells is NAD+ or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels. This compound affects the body's ability to use energy from food and defend against outside forces (like the environment and viruses).

NAD+ levels tend to decline with age, impacting our cellular health and leading to cellular senescence and other signs of aging. While this decline is an inevitable part of life, there may be ways to encourage higher levels of NAD+ within the body that could help combat some aging effects.

That's where NMN supplementation may help to optimize health as NMN increases NAD+ levels in the body.

But why not supplement NAD+ instead of NMN?

The challenge with simply supplementing NAD+ is that it doesn't actually have the capabilities to reach our cells, as NAD+ molecules can't cross cell membranes.

If we're looking to increase our NAD+ levels, the only feasible solution is to consume something that can eventually become NAD+, like NMN.

While we can’t stop the natural progression of aging, understanding its effects on our body and taking steps to maintain a youthful state can help us enjoy a healthier life for longer.

How Does NMN Supplementation Work?

Nicotinamide mononucleotide is a nutrient supplement created through the laboratory extraction of B vitamins.

The ingredient primarily comes from natural sources such as yeast and meat, but it can also be produced synthetically in a lab.

Regarding concentration, it can be difficult to find NMN in natural sources as it's usually at lower levels than what's needed for effective supplementation. To overcome this obstacle, scientists extract the B vitamins from these natural sources and concentrate them to help increase the supplement's potency.

Therefore, a broad daily range of 250-500 mg NMN is considered appropriate regarding safety and effectiveness. A pre-dosed NMN capsule is the easiest way to take NMN, as these are conveniently pre-measured. You may find NMN supplements as low as $9 a bottle or as high as $90.

This concentrated form of NMN may provide an abundance of benefits, including increased energy levels, improved cognition, cellular repair, and enhanced overall health and vitality.

NMN supplements stimulate the production of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), an important coenzyme found in all living cells that's been shown to play a vital role in cellular energy and metabolism.

By middle age, NAD+ levels decrease significantly, making supplementation with NMN an effective way to restore its activity and bring back that youthful spark [8]. While research on the exact mechanisms is still ongoing, we now understand how providing exogenous NAD+ precursors—like NMN—can increase the amount of this vital molecule.

You may find NMN supplements as low as $9 a bottle or as high as $90.

NMN is believed to help boost mitochondrial health and subsequently increase the availability of energy-rich NAD+.

Resources:

1. Soma, M., & Lalam, S. K. (2022). The role of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) in anti-aging, longevity, and its potential for treating chronic conditions. Molecular Biology Reports, 1-12.

2. Shade, C. (2020). The science behind NMN–A stable, reliable NAD+ activator and anti-aging molecule. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, 19(1), 12.

3. de Picciotto, N. E., Gano, L. B., Johnson, L. C., Martens, C. R., Sindler, A. L., Mills, K. F., ... & Seals, D. R. (2016). Nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation reverses vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress with aging in mice. Aging cell, 15(3), 522-530.

4. Uddin, G. M., Youngson, N. A., Doyle, B. M., Sinclair, D. A., & Morris, M. J. (2017). Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation ameliorates the impact of maternal obesity in mice: comparison with exercise. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1-11.

5. Okabe, K., Yaku, K., Tobe, K., & Nakagawa, T. (2019). Implications of altered NAD metabolism in metabolic disorders. Journal of biomedical science, 26(1), 1-13.

6. Choi, J. E., & Mostoslavsky, R. (2014). Sirtuins, metabolism, and DNA repair. Current opinion in genetics & development, 26, 24-32.

7. Campbell, J. M. (2022). Supplementation with NAD+ and Its Precursors to Prevent Cognitive Decline across Disease Contexts. Nutrients, 14(15), 3231.

8. Zhu, X. H., Lu, M., Lee, B. Y., Ugurbil, K., & Chen, W. (2015). In vivo NAD assay reveals the intracellular NAD contents and redox state in healthy human brain and their age dependences. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(9), 2876-2881.

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Disclaimer:

The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the statements made regarding these products. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Before using any product, consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or complications.