NMN (Nikotinamid‑mononukleotid)

Detailed overview

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is the direct biosynthetic precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+. NAD+ is an indispensable coenzyme of cellular energy production, DNA repair and sirtuin enzyme function, and its level declines with age. That is the founding idea of the whole NAD+-precursor industry: if the decline can be reversed, perhaps some consequences of ageing can be mitigated. The human evidence, however, is narrower than the marketing suggests, and it is worth knowing exactly what was shown. The strongest study is Yoshino 2021, published in Science: prediabetic overweight women took 250 mg of NMN daily for ten weeks and muscle insulin sensitivity improved measurably. Importantly, other metabolic endpoints such as body composition, blood pressure and liver fat showed no significant change. Yi 2023 in GeroScience demonstrated a dose-dependent rise in blood levels and improved walking distance in healthy middle-aged adults. Liao 2021 found improved aerobic capacity in amateur runners. Song 2023 summarises the safety picture: no serious adverse effects arose within the studied dose range. In summary: NMN has real randomised human data, but the effects are specific and bounded rather than general rejuvenation. What no trial has shown: that it extends human lifespan or reverses ageing. One legal peculiarity is worth knowing: in 2022 the FDA took the position that NMN cannot be marketed as a dietary supplement in the United States because it had previously been investigated as a drug. This is a regulatory classification rather than a safety finding, but it affects availability.