Table of Contents
what does nmn do?
What is NMN? What does it do? NMN or Nicotinamide Mononucleotide is a nucleotide that is derived from nicotinamide and ribose []. NMN is made from B vitamins and as a molecule that naturally occurs in all life forms. NMN is a direct pre-cursor to Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) []. In mice, NMN enters cells via the small intestines and within 10 minutes starts converting to NAD+ through the Slc12a8 NMN transporter [].
what is nad?
NAD+ () is a crucial coenzyme required for all of our cellular functions and therefore for life itself, Doctor David Sinclair has hypothesized that if we suddenly didn’t have NAD, we would be dead within eight seconds.
Enzymes are the catalysts that allow all of our bio-chemical actions and reactions possible. Coenzymes are known as ‘helper’ molecules that enzymes need in order to function appropriately.
nad+ and our mitochondrial function
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide plays an especially active role in many of our metabolic processes, such as glycolysis (glycolysis is the first step in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy for cellular metabolism), the , the electron transport chain etc. which occur in our and allow us to obtain cellular energy; in essence it is how our body turns food into an energy currency that our body can exploit.
nad controls dna damage & repair
As we get older, we gradually amass DNA damage from exposure to environmental factors such as pollution and radiation, as well as self-inflicted damage from consuming processed foods, smoking tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.
According to some aging theories DNA damage is the main cause of aging. That said, all our cells contain the wherewithal to repair this inevitable damage, and in our younger years do so very effectively, but this requires a sizable amount effort on the part of our NAD+, ergo excessive DNA damage over many years from the factors mentioned above drain our valuable cellular repair resources.
One important repair protein, (Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase), relies heavily on NAD+ as a fuel source to repair our damaged DNA. As we age our natural levels of NAD decrease [], some proffer it may also be as a result of an increase in (which I will cover in a future article). The accumulation of natural DNA damage as a result of the normal aging process leads to an ever-increasing need for PARP, which in turn calls for even more NAD from our ever-dwindling supply.
nad+ and the sirtuins
are enzymes that form a dynamic element of our body’s cellular stress response and damage repair mechanisms; NAD+ is also required for the activation of our Sirtuins. NAD+ is the fuel that allows our Sirtuins to conduct DNA repair, in the same way that an engine requires fuel, so our Sirtuins’ require Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide.
Animal studies have shown that raising NAD+ levels activates the Sirtuins and has increased lifespan in yeast, worms and mice, but not yet conclusively in humans.
It is accepted that our NAD+ levels drop as we age, Doctor David Sinclair has stated “the resulting decline in Sirtuin activity, is thought to be a primary reason our bodies develop diseases (the diseases of aging) when we are old but not when we are young.” He and many others now believe that returning our NAD+ level back to that of our younger years, may slow or even reverse the aging process, or at least prevent us from developing ‘gateway diseases’ such as that lower our defenses and allow other, more serious, age-related diseases such as and to take hold.
ways to increase nad+
and calorie restriction has been shown to increase our NAD+ levels and Sirtuin activity. Increased NAD+ and Sirtuin activity from has been shown to slow the aging process in mice. Although NAD+ is present in some foods (), the levels are too low to have any real effect. Taking supplements, such as , has been shown to increase Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide levels.
why not just take nad as a supplement?
Doctor David Sinclair has stated that “Feeding or administering NAD+ directly in to organisms is not a practical option. The NAD+ molecule cannot readily cross cell membranes to enter cells, and therefore would be unavailable to positively affect metabolism. Instead, precursor molecules to NAD+ must be used to increase bio-available levels of NAD+.” So, unfortunately NAD+ cannot be supplemented directly because it is and cannot be absorbed easily. NAD+ precursors on the other hand, such as NMN, are far more easily absorbed and are therefore far more effective at raising our depleted NAD levels.
safety & possible side effects
NMN has been , so much so that human efficacy trials of NMN have now started. Nicotinamide Mononucleotide has been shown to be non-toxic in both mice and in human studies. A long-term study in mice showed no toxic effects [].
The first Clinical Safety Trial in humans was completed and the evidence supports the notion that NMN is not toxic in single doses up to 500mg per day. The study also noted that although subjects had in their blood following administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide [] these increases were still within the normal range. Ongoing and future studies in humans will focus on long-term safety and efficacy.
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conclusion
What is NMN? NMN is a nucleotide that is derived from nicotinamide and ribose. NMN naturally occurs in all life forms. NMN is a direct pre-cursor to Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD), NAD is a crucial coenzyme required for all of our cellular functions; coenzymes are known as ‘helper’ molecules that enzymes need in order to function appropriately.
As we age our DNA is damage by environmental factors such as pollution and radiation, as well as self-inflicted damage from things such as processed foods and . NAD plays a huge roll in repairing our DNA, but as we age our natural levels of NAD decrease, so there is less NAD to repair our DNA, ergo our DNA goes unrepaired.
Fasting and calorie restriction has been shown to increase our NAD+ levels. Although NAD is present in some foods, the levels are too low to have any real effect. Taking supplements, such as NMN has been shown to increase NAD in mice.