As NMN has received more and more attention, relevant questions have naturally increased. Is NMN safe? Is it effective? How should it be taken? What's the deal with the rumored carcinogenic or cancer-promoting effects? This issue will provide you with a comprehensive answer. 

 

Does NMN Really Have Anti - Aging Effects?

In 2013, the research team led by Professor David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School discovered that NMN could extend the lifespan of mice, which sparked a boom in NMN research. To date, hundreds of NMN research papers have been published in international academic journals. It has been verified that NMN can delay aging and prevent and delay a variety of age - related diseases. It helps to delay the aging of organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs, improves ovarian aging in women and spermatogenic function in men, delays the aging of the brain and nervous system, improves the gut microbiota, hyperglycemia, and cardiovascular problems, helps with weight management, and improves reproductive aging, etc.

Human clinical studies have also confirmed that NMN can effectively improve insulin sensitivity, boost energy, relieve fatigue, improve skin condition, reduce hair loss, enhance muscle function, delay arteriosclerosis, and improve vision and hearing.

 

Is It Safe to Supplement NMN? Are There Any Side Effects?

There are currently more than a dozen published clinical research results on NMN. The participants include both men and women, healthy people and those with underlying diseases (such as pre - diabetes). The age range is from the 20s to the 70s, and the dosage ranges from 100mg to 2000mg per day. No toxicity or side effects have been found.

 

Will There Be Dependence on Taking NMN?

NMN is an endogenous substance in the human body, and trace amounts of NMN are also contained in many foods. Taking NMN does not lead to physiological dependence. At present, no dependence has been found in all clinical studies and animal experiments.

 

What's the Optimal Dosage of NMN? Is More Always Better?

It's not the case that the more NMN you take, the better. Each person's need and adaptability to NMN are different. You can start with a small amount and gradually increase it. Judging from the results of clinical studies, it's safe to take 1000 - 2000mg of NMN per day. However, from the perspective of the effect and cost - effectiveness of taking anti - aging supplements, the recommended daily dosage is 250 - 600mg. On the one hand, the designed dosage in many clinical studies is 250mg per day, and positive effects have been shown. On the other hand, a 2021 clinical study on the exercise capacity of healthy people found that taking 600mg per day showed better results than taking 1200mg.

 

Is It True That Taking NMN Can Cause Cancer?

There is no reproducible and generally recognized research showing that NMN "promotes the growth of cancer cells", and the claim of "carcinogenicity" is a misinformation. No research has found that long - term supplementation of NMN can induce cancer.

The claim that "NMN can cause cancer" originated from a 2019 study. From the perspective of the research method, in this study, senescent cells and tumor cells were cultured together, and the tumor cells grew. NMN was supplemented to pancreatic cancer mice with senescent cells, and the tumor cells grew. In terms of direct causation, it can also be said that senescent cells promoted the growth of cancer cells.

In fact, no similar results have been obtained in similar experiments. On the contrary, in 2021, the research team of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University injected NMN into cancer - stricken mice and found that NMN had no impact on the diseased area. In 2021, a study by Juntendo University in Japan found that NMN enhanced the ability of NK cells to kill tumors, which was helpful in fighting tumors.

 

Among So Many NAD + Supplements, Which One Is More Effective?

The popularity of NMN stems from the fact that it's a safe and efficient NAD + supplement. NR (nicotinamide riboside), NAM (nicotinamide), NA (niacin), and NADH (the reduced form of NAD +) are all considered to be able to supplement NAD +. So, which one is more effective? First of all, in terms of dosage and safety, large - dose NA and NAM can bring certain side effects. Especially, when NA exceeds 30mg, there will be obvious adverse reactions such as skin redness and hot flashes. Long - term high - dose use may have side effects on blood pressure, blood sugar, eye function, liver, etc. Excessive NAM not only fails to activate DNA - repair enzymes and longevity - protein Sirtuins, but also affects their activity and function. Most of the clinical studies on NADH aim to improve nervous system diseases, and the dosage is 10 - 20mg per day, rather than as an NAD + supplement. In fact, the ratio of NAD +/NADH in the human body is also closely related to aging. If there is too much NADH, resulting in an imbalance of the NAD +/NADH ratio, it may accelerate aging. The ones that can really play a role in the field of NAD + supplements are actually NMN and NR. The safety of taking large doses of both has been confirmed, and they are also supported by a lot of research results. The NR molecule is relatively small and can directly enter cells, but it needs to be first converted into NMN and then into NAD +. The NMN molecule is relatively large, but it can be transported into cells through NMN transporters in the small intestine and then converted into NAD +. In terms of research, the relevant research on NR started earlier, while NMN is showing a trend of catching up.

 

Can NMN Be Taken with Other Supplements?

Generally spaking, NMN does not conflict with other dietary supplements. However, there are a wide variety of dietary supplements on the market. If you don't know much about their mechanism of action, you can take them half an hour apart.

In addition, many studies have found that taking NMN together with some specific supplements can have a synergistic effect.

For example, resveratrol, ginsenosides, proanthocyanidins, coenzyme Q10, PQQ, and ergothioneine, when taken with NMN, have been proven to help increase the levels of NMN and NAD +.

NMN combined with methyl donors such as betaine and methylfolate can alleviate the health risks caused by a large amount of methyl consumption (NAM, a metabolite of NAD +, consumes a large amount of methyl).

 

When Is the Best Time to Take NMN for the Best Effect?

A study simulated by circadian clock data believes that the NAD + metabolism level and SIRT1 activity in cells reach a peak at noon every day. Therefore, the utilization rate of NAD + is the highest when taken at noon. However, due to differences in each person's work and rest time and biological clock, the specific situation varies from person to person.

Another clinical study on the elderly showed that taking NMN in the afternoon can more effectively relieve the fatigue and sleepiness of the elderly in the afternoon.

In addition, many NMN clinical studies were carried out with NMN taken in the morning and also showed positive effects.

To sum up, NMN can be taken from morning to afternoon according to your own situation. Since taking NMN can increase the cell energy level and make people energetic, it's not recommended to take it at night.

 

Can NMN Be Obtained Through Diet? Which Foods Are Rich in NMN?

In 2016, the research team led by Professor Shin - ichiro Imai of the University of Washington published research results calculating the NMN content in foods: every 100g of edamame contains 0.47 - 1.88mg of NMN, every 100g of broccoli contains 0.25 - 1.12mg of NMN, and every 100g of cucumber seeds contains 0.56mg of NMN...

Since the NMN content in food is negligible, it seems that it's not feasible to obtain enough NMN through "dietary supplementation" to achieve anti - aging effects.