Who doesn’t dream of eternal youth? Radiant skin, no wrinkles, functioning joints, an active mind, no age-related diseases – thanks to a new powder, all of this should now be possible: We’re talking about NMN.
In this article you can find out how NMN powder works in our body and what advantages and disadvantages the supposed miracle cure offers.
Nicotinamide mononucleotide, or NMN for short, is a vitamin B3 derivative that is converted in the body into another important molecule, namely nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD).
It is the precursor of NAD. NAD is involved in a number of cellular processes in the body, such as DNA production, cell growth, metabolism, redox reactions and other biological processes.
Young people have high NAD levels. However, this gradually decreases over the course of life. The reason for this is the reduced production of NAD, an important co-enzyme in the body.
NAD activates the genes responsible for the production of sirtuins. Sirtuins are proteins found on vascular endothelial cells that have been implicated in muscle and tissue aging in many studies.
The question of the researchers was therefore: Can you raise your low NAD level again? And if so, can this be done using externally supplied NMN?
Science is currently still researching the effect of the remedy on humans. The study situation to date mainly includes the effectiveness of NMN in mice.
In the study carried out for this purpose, the small animals were fed NMN over a longer period of time. What happened then was hard to believe: the aging process and the associated typical age-related diseases were stopped – diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cardiac insufficiency decreased in many mice.
In addition, physical activity and energy metabolism were boosted and eye function improved. In fact, the older mice responded more strongly to NMN compared to the young mice.
Also interesting: The studies carried out were primarily limited to male mice. After some time, older postmenopausal female mice were also used. They were given water enriched with NMN in this study.
The result: the DNA and chromosomes of the mice’s egg cells had normalized to the level of a younger egg cell, with the result that the mice were able to reproduce again.
Scientists are not yet in agreement as to whether the results can be extrapolated to humans. David Sinclair, one of the most well-known anti-aging scientists at Harvard University in America, sees NMN as a promising remedy against the aging process.
He himself supplements it daily and reports online that his resting heart rate is 57, which corresponds to that of a professional athlete – even though he isn’t one himself. According to his doctors, his lung capacity also corresponds to that of a 20-year-old.
However, this has not been proven in studies to date. Sinclair notes on his LinkedIn profile that he doesn’t offer any advice on this. “At least not in terms of what chemicals you put in your body.” He repeatedly emphasizes that he is not a doctor, just doing research.
In order to carry out a study on this scale, people would have to be observed over a period of years. There are currently ongoing studies on this topic, but not enough to derive all-encompassing effects from them.
In summary, this means: It is still unknown what NMN does in our cells. Although some researchers assume a rejuvenating effect, how this actually works is still a mystery.
Despite the current study situation, can NMN be taken without hesitation?
Overall, NMN was rated as safe in a study carried out for this purpose. So far, according to the package inserts, there are no known side effects. With the exception of NMN, which is stored at temperatures that are too high. Then it can happen that NMN is broken down into nicotinamide poison for the body. Therefore: NMN should always be stored in the refrigerator.
According to the current state of knowledge, consumers of NMN powder have nothing to fear. The worst-case scenario is no effect.
A better effect: some consumers experienced the placebo effect within the study, which also improved the values.
Since the current study situation is not yet mature in this regard, user reports are consulted. These report from:
Important: NMN should only be supplemented in old age. In the beginning, two to four weeks should be scheduled for this, in which you can try out whether you can tolerate the remedy at all. As soon as you feel something strange while taking it, you should stop taking it.
Although NMN is an expensive product compared to other anti-aging products, you should still pay attention to a trustworthy dealer when buying. Be sure to check that the product you choose contains pure powder.
NMN is also found in some foods such as avocados, tomatoes and broccoli. However, the concentration contained in it is so low that an increase in the NAD level cannot be achieved through pure nutrition.
In general, as with many other health issues, more exercise and a healthy, balanced diet can contribute to an increase in the NAD value and keep body and mind young.
Important note: The information in this article only contains general information. To clarify a health problem, we recommend a visit to a trained and recognized doctor.
This article first appeared on fitforfun.de.
