It Just Got Harder to Buy NMN
Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has been getting a lot of buzz in recent years as researchers and aging and longevity experts like Harvard University professor David Sinclair have dug into its potential to help you live longer.
So Amazon’s recent decision to stop selling NMN comes as something as a buzzkill. A letter from Amazon’s Restricted Products Team told sellers that NMN products would be banned after March 13, 2023.
The move isn’t a total surprise: In November, 2022, the FDA decided to ban NMN as a supplement and sent published letters to NMN suppliers saying that NMN can no longer be sold in the U.S. as a supplement.
The reason: NMN, a NAD+ precursor, “has been authorized for investigation as a new drug.” That makes some sense, given the potential benefits researchers have sussed out so far.
What Are NMN Supplements?
NMN is a naturally-occurring molecule and a precursor to NAD+, a coenzyme that’s central to various cell functions including metabolism. As you age, your NMN levels decline, which means your body makes less NAD+, which may contribute to age-related health conditions like cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
A growing body of evidence suggests NMN may be a key component in increasing NAD+ levels in humans.
NAD+, produced from NMN, is critical to the functioning of mitochondria—the powerhouses of your cells that convert nutrients from food into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a form of energy that the cell can use—and helps with DNA repair (1).
As such, NMN supplements are being studied to accumulate evidence that they may slow the aging process, delay the progression of age-related diseases, and help you look and feel younger for longer (2).
NMN Benefits
In addition to potential increases in NAD+ production, research has hinted at some possible direct benefits of NMN supplementation. So far, they’ve uncovered that NMN may:
Increase longevity
Some studies have found that NMN supplements increased longevity in mice, so, after more research, there may be the potential for the effects of it on humans as well (3).
Subdue age-related weight gain
In some mice studies, regular intake of NMN supplements resulted in a decreased rate of weight gain, something that many people experience as they age (2). The researchers suggest that this may be due to factors like enhanced metabolism and increased physical activity.
Enhance insulin levels
A study found that when participants—overweight or obese postmenopausal women with prediabetes—took 250 mg of NMN per day for 10 weeks, they displayed greater insulin sensitivity (4).
Improve brain health
It’s thought that NMN supplements can better brain health by improving blood flow to the brain in addition to neurovascular coupling (5). This results in enhanced cognition.
Improve heart health
A study showed increased cardiac function in a group of mice that consumed NMN over a period of time (6). This is promising for the positive effects it could have on humans.
What Does This All Mean for People Who Take NMN?
Beyond not being able to stock up at Amazon, it’s unclear what options exist for NMN users.
Some NMN users on the r/NootropicsDepot subreddit think the move is temporary. They point out that Amazon previously stopped selling a supplement called NAC because the FDA barred its use in natural products. Amazon resumed sales after the FDA ultimately adopted a policy of “enforcement discretion” to permit the sale of NAC supplements.
Other redditors suspect Amazon is just trying to weed out fake NMN. In February, 2022, a third-party investigation uncovered tens of thousands of fake supplements sold on Amazon, including multiple NMN supplements.
It’s also unclear if, or when other outlets will follow Amazon’s lead and stop NMN sales based on the FDA ban.
Of course, there’s another option: Skip the precursor and take NAD+ directly; there’s been no change on its availability.
References
1. Hong W, et al (2020). Nicotinamide Mononucleotide: A Promising Molecule for Therapy of Diverse Diseases by Targeting NAD+ Metabolism.
2. Shade C. (2020). The Science Behind NMN-A Stable, Reliable NAD+Activator and Anti-Aging Molecule.
3. Zhang H, et al (2016). NAD⁺ repletion improves mitochondrial and stem cell function and enhances life span in mice.
4. Yoshino M, et al (2021). Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women.
5. Stefano Tarantini, et al (2019). Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation rescues cerebromicrovascular endothelial function and neurovascular coupling responses and improves cognitive function in aged mice.
6. Martin AS, et al (2017). Nicotinamide mononucleotide requires SIRT3 to improve cardiac function and bioenergetics in a Friedreich’s ataxia cardiomyopathy model.
