The field of anti-aging is advancing rapidly, with various miracle drugs emerging constantly, such as rapamycin, metformin, taurine… When it comes to the fountain of youth, NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) Xi’an Springjia Bio-Technique Co., Ltd ,definitely stands out.
It is well known that the decrease in NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) levels in the body is an important factor contributing to aging. NMN, as a precursor to NAD+, can help boost the levels of NAD+ in the body and has shown excellent anti-aging effects in numerous studies.
Currently, various researches around NMN not only focus on the dosage but also on its delivery systems, exploring how to use NMN more effectively.
Summarizing the various ways to use NMN, let’s take a look together at who truly reigns as the top player in extending longevity with NMN.
To achieve the optimal effects of ingesting NMN, the method of intake is crucial. The right intake method can maximize the bioavailability of NMN, ensuring that more active NMN components reach the bloodstream, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the supplement and providing users with more anti-aging benefits.
Starting with the most common NMN capsules, let’s explore the potential bioavailability of 5 major NMN intake methods to find out which one is the most effective.
In terms of NMN delivery methods, NMN capsules are undoubtedly the most common and widely tested form of NMN supplements on the market. Not only can they mask the unpleasant taste of NMN itself, but they can also prevent oral absorption of the drug, making it convenient and easily accepted by users.
Numerous studies have shown that NMN capsules can effectively increase the levels of NAD+ in the blood with high bioavailability. They are a good and efficient choice for NMN absorption into our bodies.
However, the benefits of NMN capsules for the body seem to be non-linear. A human clinical study indicated that while increasing the dosage of NMN capsules from 300 milligrams to 600 milligrams can elevate NAD+ levels in the blood, capsules of 900 milligrams do not further increase NAD+ levels.
In other words, the increase in NAD+ levels through capsules is limited and only effective within a certain dosage range; exceeding this range does not bring additional benefits.
Apart from the regular capsules, scientists have also attempted a special enteric-coated capsule to enhance the absorption of NMN in the body. This capsule only breaks down in the specific pH of the intestine, helping NMN resist gastric acid destruction and facilitating dissolution and absorption in the intestines.
In general drug experiments, enteric-coated capsules usually increase the bioavailability of drugs. However, further extensive testing is needed to determine whether the bioavailability of NMN can be enhanced through enteric-coated capsules.
NMN powder, simply put, is removing the outer capsule of NMN capsules. When taking it, one simply needs to dissolve the powder in water and drink it down.
In many mouse experiments, researchers have also tried using powders. They dissolved NMN powder in water and fed it to the mice. The results showed that NMN powder did help increase the levels of NAD+ in the blood, indicating some effectiveness of the powder.
Unexpectedly, in simulating the bioavailability of NMN powder, scientists found that gastric acid does not heavily degrade NMN, so NMN does not need special protection when passing through the stomach.
This research result suddenly makes the earlier mentioned enteric-coated capsules redundant, as NMN would not be affected by the stomach even without them.
From this perspective, NMN powder and capsules are not much different. Capsules simply encase NMN powder, preventing the part of NMN powder from being absorbed orally.
If there is any difference, it lies in the user experience. Although NMN powder lacks outer protection, users have to face the true taste of NMN; however, compared to capsules, powder is easier to swallow, which is a blessing for many individuals struggling with swallowing difficulties.
Whether it’s in tablet or powder form, NMN has to take a long route through the body before finally reaching the bloodstream. This prolonged journey can result in drug loss, reducing the absorption of NMN.
To increase the absorption of NMN in the body, the most straightforward method is to reduce the wandering path of NMN in the body, allowing it to enter the bloodstream more quickly.
To achieve this, scientists decided to bypass the route NMN takes to the gastrointestinal tract and instead use oral sprays, allowing the drug to be directly absorbed through the oral mucosa into the bloodstream.
Oral spray requires a higher demand for the type of NMN used. Regular NMN is in microcrystalline form, while liposomal NMN made from natural fats is used in oral sprays.
The characteristic of liposomes is bubble-like structures that can mimic various structures in the body, assisting in the transport of various molecules, thereby evading the body’s regulation. Therefore, liposomal NMN has better bioavailability and absorption compared to microcrystalline NMN.
However, oral sprays also have drawbacks. As the name suggests, when sprayed, the drug dissipates like mist, resulting in a short retention time and generally not high dosage.
To address the issue of retention time, scientists further upgraded this oral absorption method and began to experiment with NMN gel, tablets, powders, etc., which can be taken sublingually.
These forms of NMN drugs are more stable and can stay in the oral cavity for a longer time. Additionally, the oral mucosa under the tongue is easier to help NMN penetrate into the bloodstream compared to other parts of the oral cavity, theoretically aiding in improving drug absorption.
Regardless of whether it’s capsules, tablets, sprays, or injections, the goal is to ingest NMN and have the body absorb it systemically. In addition to these methods, NMN can also be applied locally. Local application of NMN involves dissolving NMN in an oily solution and then applying it to the skin.
Studies have shown that local NMN can reduce inflammation and skin damage in mouse models of eczema. Another study similarly showed that local NMN application can increase NAD+ levels in skin cells grown in laboratory dishes.
However, such NAD+ elevation is limited and does not increase NAD+ levels in the blood. Most of the NMN is absorbed by the skin, making the skin the best site to obtain anti-aging effects.
In contrast to local application, NMN administered systemically through other routes not only increases NAD+ levels in the blood but also in the skin, achieving multiple benefits. This makes the effect of local application somewhat redundant.
All the aforementioned NMN delivery methods ultimately aim to increase NAD+ levels in the blood. So, why not take a more direct approach and inject NMN directly into the bloodstream, bypassing all other intermediaries.
A team of Japanese scientists thought so and conducted experiments on healthy individuals by injecting them with NMN. The results showed that direct injection significantly increased NAD+ levels in the blood by 20%, while also reducing blood lipid levels.
As injection bypasses all possible organ barriers and directly injects NMN into the bloodstream, the drug almost achieves 100% bioavailability, resulting in significant effects.
However, injection is an invasive procedure that requires piercing the skin, raising safety concerns. While conducting experiments on animals might be feasible, large-scale human clinical