Highlights: 

  • NMN and sulforaphene improve aspects of skin aging, including raising levels of hyaluronic acid, a substance that decreases with aging and contributes to wrinkles. 
  • NMN and sulforaphene counteract biological drivers of skin aging: inflammation and oxidative stress. 

Broccoli and other leafy greens are nutrient-rich foods associated with reducing all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. For this reason, scientists have explored how a key compound in leafy greens, sulforaphene, affects aging, specifically, skin aging. For comparison, the researchers also measured how NMN affects skin aging. The results show that NMN may be as effective, if not more potent than sulforaphene in mitigating skin aging. 

NMN and Sulforaphene Combat Skin Aging 

To determine the effects of sulforaphene and NMN on aging, researchers employed D-gal mice — mice that have been injected with a sugar called D-galactose that triggers accelerated aging. The D-gal mice were treated with one of three doses of sulforaphene (10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, or 50 mg/kg) or 100 mg/kg of NMN for eight weeks. 

The authors of the study say that sulforaphene treatment improved symptoms of skin aging, including dryness, dullness, thinning, and loss of elasticity. Moreover, “partial remission of aging symptoms” was observed in the NMN group. Additionally, the researchers measured compounds associated with skin aging, including hyaluronic acid. They found that NMN treatment increased hyaluronic acid levels as much as if not more than the highest dose of sulforaphene. 

A bar graph.
(Zhang et al., 2025) NMN and Sulforaphene (SFE) Elevate Hyaluronic Acid (HA) in Skin. Compared to normal mice (green), aged mice (red) have low levels of HA. However, varying doses of SFE (orange, yellow, and purple) and NMN (pink) counteract age-related HA depletion.

Two underlying drivers of aging are inflammation and oxidative stress — damage caused to cells by molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS). As such, inflammation and oxidative stress also contribute to skin aging. One way of combating oxidative stress is by increasing antioxidant capacity, which the researchers found was increased by sulforaphene treatment and more so by NMN treatment. Similarly, both sulforaphene and NMN reduced a marker for inflammation called IL-6. 

Two bar graphs.
(Zhang et al., 2025) NMN and SFE Counteract Biological Drivers of Aging. Compared to normal mice (green), aged mice (red) have lower antioxidant capacity (Left, T-AOC) and higher inflammation (Right, IL-6). However, varying doses of SFE (orange, yellow, and purple) and NMN (pink) increase antioxidant capacity and decrease inflammation. 

The findings of this study suggest that both sulforaphene and NMN can mitigate skin aging. With some measurements, NMN seems to be just as, if not more potent than sulforaphene. From these results, it is possible that supplementing either sulforaphene or NMN could protect against skin aging, but human studies are needed to confirm such a possibility. 

Is Taking NMN Better Than Eating Broccoli? 

NMN appears to have similar effects to sulforaphene when it comes to counteracting inflammation and oxidative stress in the skin of D-gal mice, a chemically-induced mouse model for aging. Whether the same is true for naturally aged mice remains to be tested. Sulforaphane, which is similar to sulforaphene, treatment has been shown to improve the survival of male mice and NMN has been shown to increase the lifespan of female mice, suggesting that both can be considered longevity compounds. 

However, taking NMN is likely not a better alternative to consuming broccoli, which contains not only sulforaphene but many other nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. There is no single nutrient or compound that can make up for a balanced diet when it comes to promoting health and longevity. However, supplementing with compounds like NMN can help make up for poor diet and lack of exercise, which deplete the NAD+ pools that NMN restores.