Findings from a preclinical study, as reported in the peer-reviewed journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences by a team of scientists led by Dr. Yue Yang, Assistant Professor of Research in Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York build on a growing body of research demonstrating that Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) cannot cross the cell membrane directly and must first be converted to Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). Because NR can cross the cell membrane directly, this data, along with other science, indicates that NR is a more efficient NAD+ precursor than NMN.
The preclinical study utilized stable isotopes, the gold standard method in research, to assess the metabolic fate of NMN. The results indicate that NMN is primarily converted to nicotinamide and NR before being utilized for NAD+ synthesis, with only a small portion of NMN being directly incorporated into NAD+.
Why NR is a more superior and efficient NAD+ precursor to NMN:
- NMN cannot cross the cell membrane directly must be converted to NR, whereas NR can cross the cell membrane directly
- This is because NMN has an extra phosphate group present within its structure
- Niagen NR is 25% more efficient at boosting NAD+ than NMN
- An individual must consume approximately 15% more NMN (~345mg), compared to 300mg of NR to deliver the same amount of NAD+ precursor molecules
- Further, in November 2022, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration determined that NMN could no longer be sold as a dietary supplement
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