The results of this study are consistent with previous clinical studies demonstrating that NR supplementation does not contribute to methyl donor depletion. Thus, including methyl donors is not necessary for short-term NR supplementation.
| WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Methylation is a chemical process in which a small chemical group called a methyl group is added to DNA, proteins, or other molecules. Methylation acts like a switch that can turn genes on or off, influencing their activity. In published clinical studies to date, NR supplementation has had no effect on liver enzymes or serum homocysteine levels, both of which are markers of methyl donor depletion. This clinical study further confirms that NR does not affect DNA methylation, which should alleviate a common perceived concern among NR users. STUDY LINK & SUMMARY: Gaare, J. J., et al. “Nicotinamide Riboside Supplementation Is Not Associated with Altered Methylation Homeostasis in Parkinson’s Disease.” iScience, 2023; 26(3), 106278. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether DNA methylation homeostasis was affected by NR in blood cells and muscle tissue of PD patients. The blood cells and tissues analyzed were from patients that were part of a previously published study (“NADPARK”) by Brakedal et al., 2022. TAKEAWAYS:NR supplementation did not affect DNA methylation in PD patients.NR resulted in minor changes in the activity of metabolic pathways and patterns of DNA methylation. However, these changes were not deemed harmful and did not disrupt normal DNA methylation. |