Who Takes NMN and Should You?

Highlights

• Those aged 35 and above who take NMN proactively seek NAD+ restoration to promote health, prevent aging, and improve physical function.
• Others above age 65 taking NMN do so to stave off frailty — the loss of physical functioning capacity — and enhance metabolism.

The compound NMN has fallen under aging researchers’ radar in recent years due to its potential health benefits related to aging and cellular function. The molecule is a precursor to NAD+, a molecule playing crucial roles in various biological processes, including energy production and DNA repair. Declining NAD+ levels during aging have been associated with faltering organ function and metabolic problems, however, restoring NAD+ with NMN may alleviate these issues. As such, people taking NMN are trying to capitalize on the prospect of age prevention with increasing NAD+.

People who should take NMN include those with a proactive interest in health and longevity since NMN has been touted as having potential anti-aging properties. Although NMN isn’t a proven anti-aging remedy and more research needs to be done to establish its long-term safety and efficacy, evidence from rodents and recent clinical trials suggest it may benefit a wide swath of people interested in taking it.

Those who take NMN have a broad range of characteristics. The following sections will review their traits to provide a better idea of those most suited to taking the compound as a supplement.

Health, Fitness, Aging, Research, and Wellness Enthusiasts May Be Inclined to Take NMN

People who may want to take NMN are typically health enthusiasts aged 35 years or older — around the age when NAD+ levels start falling and when researchers recommend NMN. Health enthusiasts are typically proactive about their health and wellbeing and may be more inclined to try a supplement like NMN as part of their overall wellness regimen. For these people, taking NMN helps increase blood NAD+ and in doing so, may help maintain organ function against aging.

Another group of people who may want to start taking NMN is people over 65 with aging concerns. This group includes aged adults who are concerned with the effects of aging on their bodies. These people may want to explore using NMN as a way to potentially intervene against aging for health and vitality maintenance. Along those lines, restoring NAD+ with NMN may help this group of people ward off age-related frailty and organ decline.

A third classification of people who may consider NMN are aging fitness buffs. These people may be drawn to taking NMN based on its benefits at improving endurance, muscle function, and muscle recovery. As such, NMN is already included in some supplement regimens taken by aged people who want to improve their physical fitness.

People following the latest aging research trends may choose to supplement with NMN. Renowned aging research scientists like Harvard Professor David Sinclair have given NMN publicity for its capabilities to extend healthspan — the number of years lived without disease. Many people who follow research trends from scientists like Dr. Sinclair may be drawn to trying the compound to increase their blood NAD+ to counteract aging.

Some healthcare practitioners and wellness professionals may recommend NMN to their clients or patients based on their specific health goals and needs. For example, research suggests NMN supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in overweight adults with prediabetes. Along those lines, recommending NMN for aged individuals with specific conditions like being overweight or having prediabetes may improve their metabolic function and overall health.

Anecdotal Evidence Suggesting Others May Benefit from NMN

While the evidence is mostly anecdotal, studies exist showing increasing NAD+ with infusions alleviates cravings from addiction along with anxiety and depression. Along those lines, increasing NAD+ with NMN may confer similar effects. Therefore, those with addiction mood-related complications may also benefit from NMN, even if they’re not aged and/or overweight. However, more studies are needed to confirm this potential benefit from taking NMN.

Celebrities Taking NMN

In 2022, on an episode of the Kardashians, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner had an NAD+ IV drip party where they received intravenous NAD+ infusions. Their names join the growing list of celebrities who use ways to increase NAD+, and whether they take the NAD+ precursor NMN remains an open possibility.

Along the same lines, the famous podcaster Joe Rogan said in one of his shows that he undergoes NAD+ IV drip therapy once a week. On another Joe Rogan podcast, celebrity neuroscientist Andrew Huberman confessed to using NMN after following Harvard Professor David Sinclair‘s NMN research. Below are some of Andrew Huberman’s Twitter comments regarding NMN:

Overall, since falling NAD+ levels with age have been linked to age-related physiological decline, increasing NAD+ with NMN may hold a key to slowing or reversing this effect. Those interested in taking NMN would be more inclined to proactively maintain their health to defy or reverse aging, for their physical fitness, to try popular health-promoting products, or for a clinical recommendation. Others may try NMN to find out what celebrities like Joe Rogan, Andrew Huberman, and David Sinclair have been talking about.