When it comes to aging, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is considered to be one of the most crucial nucleotides the body has. It performs several key tasks such as maintaining the body’s circadian rhythm and breaking down nutrients, as well as facilitating other key enzymatic reactions.

Unfortunately, while NAD+ is found within every cell of the body, its production decreases as we age. This is compounded by the fact that unlike other nucleotides, NAD+ does not have exogenous sources – there are no foods that a person can consume to instantly increase its levels within the body.

This is where nicotinamide mononucleotide comes into play.

Also known as NMN, nicotinamide mononucleotide exists naturally within most of the fruits and vegetables that we commonly eat. A potent nucleotide, NMN has been recently found to possess properties that benefit the heart and the mind. More importantly, it also functions as a precursor to NAD+.

NMN, the real-life “Fountain of Youth”

NMN is very promising in the field of medicine, with researchers noting that the nucleotide can be used to address several health issues – especially in the elderly. This has since led to NMN being called the real-life “Fountain of Youth.”

Proof of this, according to David Sinclair — a professor at the University of New South Wales and Harvard Medical School in Boston — is their recent success regarding the use of NAD+ and NMN as a way to treat DNA damage.

Sinclair and a team of researchers were able to reverse cell damage in old mice after subjecting the animals to both NAD+ and NMN. They noted that the cells of the older animals were “indistinguishable” from those of the younger specimens after just one week of treatment.

“This is the closest we are to a safe and effective anti-aging drug that’s perhaps only three to five years away from being on the market if trials go well,” Sinclair said.

Sinclair’s study has since followed by another one, which found that dosing with NMN and other NAD+ boosting compounds helped infertile mice develop viable egg cells, causing them to give birth to healthy offspring. According to the research team that handled the experiment, this means that NMN could help older women conceive without the need for multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

“Our findings suggest there is an opportunity to restore egg quality and in turn female reproductive function using oral administration of NAD-boosting agents – which would be far less invasive than IVF,” Hayden Homer, a professor from the University of Queensland and the study’s lead author, said.

With that said, here are some of the health benefits you can get from NMN supplementation:

NMN supplementation can help slow down the aging process

NMN is a NAD+ precursor, meaning that it can help boost the latter’s presence in the body. NAD+ helps slow the aging process down, allowing it to help stave off the onset of age-related diseases in humans, such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and even cancer.

NMN supplementation can help those who are living with diabetes

According to one of the first studies conducted on the metabolite, NMN supplementation on diabetic mice resulted in an increase not just in the rodents’ sensitivity to insulin but also in the hormone’s secretion. This was followed by a separate study conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which found that treating diabetic mice with NMN, effectively reversed high levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, as well as that of triglycerides and free fatty acids.

These studies provide some indication that NMN oral supplementation can be of great help to people suffering from diabetes.

NMN supplementation can support optimal heart health

At least one study has shown that NMN supplementation helped mice achieve optimal heart health by reversing age-related blood vessel and capillary damage, as well as by improving blood flow.

In fact, the researchers were even able to find new blood vessels developing within the elderly mice’s skeletal muscles. In particular, the team noted that the specimens’ vascular systems and endurance were similar to that of young mice after they were subjected to NMN.

These studies, according to the researchers, serve as enough proof that NMN supplementation can also help promote optimal heart health in human beings.

NMN supplementation can help people living with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as help people with head injuries

NMN ability to stimulate the body’s production of NAD+ can lead to improvements in motor control, as well as increased SIRT3 gene activity, improved memory and reductions in neuroinflammation. This means that NMN supplementation is especially beneficial to people who are currently afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

Not only that, but NMN has also been found to help maintain the number of neural stem cells in the brain, as well as to attenuate brain injury after sustaining head trauma and strokes. According to researchers, it does this by suppressing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the brain.

According to the research team, this means that NMN supplementation may have significant therapeutic benefits for people who have suffered concussions and other types of head injuries.

NMN supplementation can help improve kidney function

As noted by medical experts, NMN supplementation can help in improving your kidney function. This stems from its ability to increase the production of NAD+ and SIRT1 in the body, both of which are linked to healthy kidneys.

Other age-related health issues that NMN supplementation can purportedly address include:

• Obesity and metabolic syndrome
• DNA damage
• Dysfunctional mitochondria
• Oxidative stress
• Retinal degeneration

How safe is Nicotinamide Mononucleotide?

Research is still being conducted to figure out the most effective dosage–as well as the frequency of intake–of NMN in humans. Studies conducted on its safety, however, show that a dosage of up to 500 mg per day is safe for men.

How can I increase my NMN intake?

Mainly because of the benefits that you can get from NMN, many have become curious as to how they can increase their intake of this potent compound.

Here are some tips:

Adopt changes in your diet.

Foods such as fresh organic tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, broccoli, edamame and cabbage all contain MNM. However, the amount of the metabolite in them is too low to make actual dents in your NMN concentration. The upside though is that these foods are incredibly rich in vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, all of which promote optimal health.

Find a reputable NMN supplement

According to experts, the best course of action if you were to increase his body’s NMN concentration is to find a supplement from a reputable supplier. This will not only be an easy and practical way to introduce NMN to the body, but it will also guarantee their purity and efficacy.

Aging is a natural and inevitable process. However, it is also one that can be fraught with several issues, should you neglect to maintain his health.

It’s a good thing then that scientists and doctors alike have devoted years of research in order to better understand this process, as well as how its potential negative effects can be staved off with the help of natural supplements.

Sources:

MDPI.com

Newsroom.UNSW.edu

LinkingHub.Elsevier.com

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

Cell.com 1

DecodedScience.org

Cell.com 2

Nature.com

JASN.ASNJournals.org

NMN.com

Lifespan.io