What is NMN and how does NMN work?

NAD-booster-voor-NMN
By the age of 40, only 25% of NAD+ is left in our bodies.

NAD+ appears to be one of the most important coenzymes in your body. It is found both outside and inside your cells and used for hundreds of essential processes. When this declines with age, more and more processes run sub-optimally or even wrong. Cells no longer do what they are supposed to do.

But how does your body get NAD+? And why would you buy NMN? What role does NMN play as a NAD+ booster? And how does NMN work?

But how does your body get NAD+?

And why would you buy NMN? As far as we know now, there are three pathways that lead to NAD+. Precisely because it is so crucial to our bodies, nature has chosen not to depend on just one pathway. These pathways, better known as “pathways,” are extremely complex and closely related. In the “simplified” diagram below, we make an attempt to explain the three pathways.

And how does NMN work? What role does NMN play as a NAD+ booster?

NMN is one of the precursors that is converted to NAD+ through such a pathway. The remarkable thing is that NMN currently seems to be the most efficient precursor to NAD+. By taking NMN, you can effectively increase NAD+ levels in your body again.

A green minimalist silhouette of a person with a raised arm, intricately intertwined with an NMN-like serpentine line that loops around the body. The background is black, creating a stark contrast.

What is NMN? How does NMN work and what can it offer you?

NMN the molecule. How does NMN work?

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a derivative of the B vitamin niacin that dramatically improves health and longevity by serving as a precursor to NAD+. Although NMN is a derivative of vitamin B3, it has its unique properties. For example, NMN can enter cells directly, while niacin cannot. This means that NMN can more effectively increase cellular NAD+ levels in, for example, your blood.

NMN and NAD+

If we imagine our body as a dynamic city, NAD+ is the essential raw material needed for its repair and maintenance. Just as a city depends on a constant supply of materials to maintain its infrastructure, our bodies depend on proper nutrition, vitamins and minerals to maintain youthful vitality. NMN plays this role for NAD+, similar to turning raw steel into towering skyscrapers.

NMN in food products

Although NMN occurs naturally in many foods, including broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, edamame and avocado, the amounts are small: less than 2.5 mg per 100 grams of food. So to get the daily dose of NMN that has been shown to effectively increase NAD+ levels, you would have to eat at least 100 kilograms of edamame….

The three main pathways to NAD+

1. Salvage

This pathway is characterized by its ability to convert both NR and NMN to NAD+. Whereas NMN can enter the cell directly, NR must first be converted to NMN before it becomes NAD+.

2. Preis-Handler

NA, also known as Niacin or vitamin B3, is converted to NAD+ here through a number of steps. Because more steps are required, this pathway seems less effective at increasing NAD+.

3. Kynurenine

Here, Tryptophan is converted to NAMN in about 7 different steps, after which it continues through the Preis-Handler pathway to be converted to NAD+.

A biochemical pathway diagram showing NAD+ synthesis via salvage, Preiss-Handler, and de novo pathways. It includes key molecules like NMN, NAM, tryptophan, and enzymes such as CD38, CD157, CD73. The diagram features depictions of cellular compartments inside and outside the cell with labels in Dutch.

What is the best time to take NMN?

How does NMN work? Although NMN can be taken at any time of day, many doctors and researchers advise taking it on an empty stomach in the morning. This is because NAD+ plays a role in the circadian rhythm: your natural day and night rhythm. Your body also produces more NAD+ in the early morning. For consistency, take it at the same time every day.

Note: If you also consume caffeine, take NMN before your coffee, not at the same time. Caffeine and NMN partly share the same metabolism pathway.

What are the benefits of NMN supplement?

Users and studies cite the following benefits of NMN, among others:

  • More energy in the morning and afternoon

  • Less brain fog, better concentration

  • Faster recovery after mental or physical exertion

  • Improved metabolism and insulin sensitivity

  • Supporting cell rejuvenation and DNA repair

  • Long-term vitality in aging

In human studies, NMN has also been shown to contribute to improved running performance, better blood markers and general well-being in people over 40(source).

NMN for energy, fatigue and vitality

How does NMN work? If you are often tired despite adequate sleep, or if your energy slumps in the afternoon, NMN may offer a solution. Because it increases your NAD+ levels, it literally improves the way your cells make energy.

NMN supports:

  • mitochondrial activity

  • ATP production (the energy unit of your cells)

  • reduction of oxidative stress

Also read: Why am I so tired even when I sleep?

What do all those abbreviations really mean?

How our cells work and the processes involved are extremely complex. The diagram above, believe it or not, is another simplified representation of the various pathways. To help you get started, we have listed the most important terms and abbreviations we use below.

  1. ATP (Adenosine triphosphate): An energy carrier in cells, essential for biological processes. ATP provides energy for cellular activities and is indirectly affected by NAD+ and NMN through metabolic reactions.
  2. cADPR (Cyclic ADP-Ribose): A molecule generated from NAD+, plays a role in calcium signaling.
  3. Calcium signaling: A crucial process in cells involved in numerous functions, including muscle contraction and neurotransmission.
  4. CD38/CD157/CD73: Enzymes that degrade NAD+, which increases the need for NMN as a precursor.
  5. Chromatin Remodeling: a process in which NAD+ dependent enzymes are involved in regulating gene expression.
  6. Coenzyme: A nonprotein chemical compound that serves as a cofactor for enzymes, such as NAD+.
  7. Compartmentalized NAD+ synthesis: The synthesis of NAD+ takes place in different cellular compartments, with NMN playing a role as a precursor. Thus, there are several ways that result in the synthesis of NAD+.
  8. DNA Methylation: An epigenetic process that plays an important role in regulating gene expression and maintaining genome integrity. Several NAD+ dependent enzymes play a role in this (such as Sirtuins and PARP enzymes).
  9. eNAMPT: An enzyme that affects NAD+ levels.
  10. Enzymes: Enzymes are biological molecules, usually proteins, that act as catalysts in the body. A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed itself. Enzymes play a crucial role in the body by facilitating and speeding up biochemical reactions.
  11. Gene expression: This is the process by which the information in a gene is used to produce a functional product, usually a protein. This is a fundamental process in all living organisms, as genes contain the instructions for the functioning of a cell. The process of gene expression can be divided into two main steps: transcription and translation.
  12. Genome Stability: The stability of the genome affected by NAD+-dependent processes.
  13. Kynurenine Pathway: An alternative pathway for NAD+ synthesis, not directly related to NMN.
  14. Metabolic process: A series of chemical reactions in an organism in which NAD+ and NMN play a key role. For example, in energy production by converting nutrients into ATP, the energy carrier for your cells.
  15. MNAM (N1-Methylnicotinamide): A product of NAM methylation, affects the recycling of NAM to NMN and NAD+.
  16. NA (Nicotinic Acid): Also known as niacin or vitamin B3, NA is an essential nutrient that must be absorbed through diet because it cannot be adequately produced by the body itself. NA is one of the precursors of NAD+.
  17. NAAD: NAAD stands for Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide. It is an intermediate in the biosynthesis pathway from NA (Niacin) to NAD+.
  18. NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide): A crucial coenzyme in cells, of which NMN is a direct precursor. NAD+ plays a key role in a variety of cellular processes such as energy production in the form of ATP, Sirtuin activation, Redox reaction, regulation of cellular stress responses, and signaling in cells.
  19. NAD+ Synthetase (NADS): an enzyme in the final step of NAD+ synthesis, not directly related to NMN.
  20. NADH: The reduced form of NAD+ formed during metabolic reactions in which NAD+ accepts electrons and protons (hydrogen ions).
  21. NAM (Nicotinamide): A degradation product of NAD+, can be recycled to NMN and then to NAD+.
  22. NAM Salvage Pathway: A major pathway for recycling NAM back to NAD+ via NMN.
  23. NAMN: NAMN stands for Nicotinic Acid Mononucleotide. It is an intermediate in the biosynthesis pathway of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), specifically in the Preiss-Handler pathway beginning with nicotinic acid (niacin or vitamin B3).
  24. NAMPT: An enzyme that converts NAM to NMN, a key step in NAD+ biosynthesis.
  25. NNMT (Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase): converts NAM to MNAM, which affects the availability of NMN and NAD+.
  26. NR (Nicotinamide Riboside): An NAD+ precursor, similar to NMN.
  27. NRK1 (Nicotinamide Riboside Kinase 1): Converts NR to NMN, a crucial step in NAD+ biosynthesis.
  28. NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide): A body’s own molecule that functions as a direct precursor of NAD+. NMN is essential for maintaining NAD+ levels.
  29. NMNAT (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Adenylyltransferase): converts NMN to NAD+.
  30. PARPs (Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerases): Use NAD+ for DNA repair, and are a family of enzymes that play crucial roles in several cellular processes, mainly in DNA repair and maintaining genetic stability. They are known for their involvement in repairing single-stranded DNA breaks.
  31. Pathways: Also known as reaction pathways, these are sets of molecular and biochemical reactions and processes that take place in cells and organisms. These pathways are essential for maintaining life functions and encompass a wide range of activities, including metabolic pathways, signal transduction pathways, and gene expression processes. Each of these pathways consists of a series of tightly regulated steps, often catalyzed by enzymes, that work together to produce a specific end product or biological effect. For example, there are several pathways to achieve NAD+ with NMN playing a role in a number of them.
  32. Redox reaction: a chemical reaction in which NAD+ accepts and donates electrons. These reactions are essential for many metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
  33. SARM1: SARM1, or Sterile Alpha and TIR Motif Containing 1, is an enzyme involved in the metabolism (utilization) of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) and plays an important role in neuronal degeneration and the immune system.
  34. Sirtuins: A family of proteins involved in important metabolic processes, including DNA repair, gene expression, and response to cellular stress. Sirtuins can enhance mitochondrial activity and are involved in the regulation of metabolism, longevity, and inflammatory processes. NAD+ activates sirtuins.

Read also:
NMN is often mentioned in longevity research, but works best within a broader context of lifestyle and complementary substances.

In this guide, you can read how NMN relates to GlyNAC, methylation, and synergy stacks: Longevity supplements – overview & strategy

References for How does NMN work?