NMN health products have become the new favorite of anti-aging in recent years. The star effect and its synonymous with "elixirs", even if the price of a bottle is more than a thousand Hong Kong dollars, it still attracts ladies.
More and more studies have pointed out that NMN is not only an anti-oxidant, but also can delay the degeneration of blood vessels and improve a series of physical problems that appear with age.
Although NMN-related products are becoming more and more popular, the long-term efficacy and safety of NMN are still unknown, and the impact on long-term patients has not yet been grasped. The positioning and efficacy of NMN in the market are still reserved.
Written by: Cui Junming, Medical Consultant of the Medical Fellow and President of the Hong Kong Society of Hospital Pharmacists
Our body has many enzymes that support metabolism, fight inflammation and repair cell damage, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is important for the functioning of these enzymes.
NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is the full name of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide. It plays the role of cofactor in many biological processes, such as energy metabolism, cell signal transmission, gene expression and DNA repair, etc. It can combine to transmit energy in cells of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to form NAD+.
As the human body ages, NAD+ gradually decreases, leading to the deterioration of bodily functions and has been linked to cognitive decline, cancer, metabolic disease, and sarcopenia.
At present, clinical tests related to NMN are still very limited. A Japanese university published the results of the world's first NMN clinical test in 2016, reflecting that a single dose of 100/250/500 mg of NMN is harmless to the human body, but the test has no comfort There were only 10 subjects in the control group.
A randomized double-blind controlled trial in 2021 showed that taking 250 mg of NMN daily in overweight or obese women with prediabetes improved insulin signaling and muscle sensitivity to insulin.
Another study showed that older adults who took 250 mg of NMN daily for 6 or 12 weeks improved muscle strength.
In February this year, a randomized, double-blind controlled trial also showed that taking 250 mg of NMN daily could improve lower extremity function and reduce fatigue in the elderly.
However, the above studies are preliminary, and more research is needed to support the results.
As for whether NMN can be anti-oxidative to achieve the effect of freezing age, according to a mouse experiment, NMN can increase metabolic enzymes and delay oxidative enzymes to achieve antioxidant functions.
However, most of these experimental data are based on animals as experimental subjects, and there is still insufficient data on human efficacy.
In recent years, clinical tests are testing the effects of NMN on cardiometabolic function, hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome, etc., but the effects on diseases are still under investigation, and the medical community has not yet confirmed that NMN is helpful for the elderly's diseases.
Therefore, patients may wish to consult their doctor or pharmacist before taking nutritional supplements.
In fact, many natural foods contain a small amount of NMN, such as milk, beef, mushrooms, edamame, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, avocado, tomato, etc., and NMN will be quickly converted into NAD+ after entering the human body.
However, the NMN content in food is relatively low. Taking broccoli as an example, each kilogram of broccoli contains only 10 mg of NMN, which is much lower than the amount used in many clinical tests (ie, 250 mg).
In general, if there is no nutritional deficiency, there is no need to take additional nutritional supplements.
Examples of common nutritional deficiencies and corresponding supplements include the following:
1) Anemia: Lack of vitamin B12, folic acid or iron may lead to anemia, and appropriate supplements should be selected depending on the cause of anemia.
2) Inflammatory bowel disease: The patient's intestines cannot absorb nutrients effectively, so they may need to take vitamins (such as A, B12, D, E and K), iron, calcium, folic acid and zinc, etc.
3) Osteoporosis: Taking vitamin D and calcium can reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures.
4) Drug-induced vitamin B12 deficiency: Long-term use of hydrogen ion pump blockers or Metformin may reduce the absorption of vitamin B12, and the patient may need to take vitamin B12.
Improper use of nutritional supplements may be harmful to health. Take anemia as an example. If a patient takes folic acid to relieve the symptoms of anemia, it may worsen the condition. Anemia may also be caused by internal bleeding or lack of vitamin B12.
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