June 24, 2025 • 11 mins
Longevity Supplements: Do NMN and NR Actually Work?
Read on to find out what the research says.
Overview:
In this week's episode, we dive into the popular supplements NMN and NR that are touted to increase longevity and healthspan. We break down what these supplements actually are, what the research says about their effects on muscle and physical function, and whether you should spend your money on them.
Key Takeaways:
0:45 - What are NMN and NR? Precursors to NAD+, which declines with age
2:30 - Animal studies show benefits, but what about humans?
3:45 - Results of a systematic review of RCTs in older adults on muscle strength and physical function
5:00 - Studies sponsored by industry show benefits, but lower quality evidence
6:30 - Are they worth spending your money on?
CTA: Dive into the research and decide for yourself - listen to the full episode now!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Today
we are going to have a look at a couple
of supplements that are touted to increase longevity. And if
you are interested in longevity space and you're on social media,
your social media feed has probably been bombarded with adverts
(00:30):
about these supplements. They are NMN and NR. Now, let's
get the tricky stuff out of the way. First. NMN
stands for nicotinamide monionucleotide and NAR stands for nicotinamide riboside. Now,
they are both precursors to what's called NAD plus nicotinamide
(00:53):
adenanine dye nucleotide, which is a bit of a mouthful,
but NAD plus is basically a molecule that is critical
for cellular energy and lots of different bodily function. Now,
research suggests that some that these two supplements can be
(01:15):
very beneficial in animal models for a range of age
related diseases. And the reason that's purported is that our
NAD levels kind of fall off a cliff in midlife,
and some researchers and particularly social media influencers and think
(01:36):
that taking na D and n R or sorry, NMN
and NR are ways to offset that decline and to
improve our quality of life. Now, NM and supplementation has
been shown to improve metabolic function, increase endurance, and protect
(01:56):
against cognitive decline in animal models and potentially could and
contribute to increase lifespan and health span. And some studies
again animal studies suggest that NMN can improve muscle strength
and exercise capacity. NR has also shown some promise in
(02:17):
animal models, with studies demonstrated and its ability to improve
mitochondrial function, reduce inflammation, and protect against age related diseases.
And it's also been shown NR and again in animal
models to improve blood pressure and benefit skeletal muscle. And
there's been a couple of small studies in humans sing
(02:41):
that NR may improve blood pressure. But I wanted to
focus in today on the idea of muscle strength and
function because a lot of these influencers are saying that
NMN and NR can actually preserve your muscle strength and
your function and can offset syclopenia, which I've talked about
(03:05):
numerous times. That's that loss of bone and muscle that
happens when we age. But what does the research say
in humans? This is critical. Now, there is established research
in animal models, but there has recently been released a
systematic review and meta analysis of ten randomized control trials. Right,
(03:26):
so picking the well designed studies and they look at
supplementation with NMN and NR and looking at muscle strength
and physical function in older adults. Right, So, little bit
of background, and we talked about cyclopedia that loss of
muscle as you age has a multitude of negative consequences
(03:52):
both for lifespan, how long you live, and particularly for
your health span your quality of life. And we know
that low muscle mass and strength, known as scyclopenia, worsens mobility,
worsens quality of life, and increases the risk of our
whole host of chronic diseases. And we know that that
low muscle mass and strength as well as increasing a
(04:16):
risk of falls, which are the fifth and sixth biggest
killer of people in their sixties and seventies, and they
also contribute to things like cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes,
and Alzheimer's disease. So there obviously is a lot of
interest in identifying any factors that can mitigate or offset
(04:36):
aging associated muscle loss. And as I said, some researchers
have proposed that muscle loss during aging can is partly
due to a result of decline in the levels of
NMN or sorry, NAD plus, and that replenishing NAD plus
through NMN and n R because you can't take and
(04:58):
if you take NAD plus, it's just a dried by
your gut. So the theory is NMN and NR are precursors,
they're converted into NAD plus and they do survive your gut,
and so taking these things might help to mitigate and
the muscle loss. So what did the study find. What
they did is they looked, as I said, at a
(05:20):
number of randomized control trials. Three of these trials looked
at skeletal muscle mass index. Three of them looked at
hand grip strength, which is a proxy for your overall
strength and there's actually a very strong predictor of how
long you're going to live. Four of them looked at
gate speed walking speed. That again is a strong predictor
(05:41):
in older adults of how long they're going to live.
They also two of the studies looked at and they
sit to stand at five times performance tests that's a
test of leg strength and older adults. They also one
of the studies looked at thirty seconds sit the stand
performance how often you can do that in thirty seconds?
Another study measured knee extension strength. Another study and did
(06:05):
a short physical performance battery. Another study looks at chess
press one r M, and another one looked at leg press,
and then another study looked at thigh muscle mass. Right,
So this is between the ten studies that obviously quite
a few of them did a number of these different
things and what they found in this systematic review in
(06:26):
NETA analysis, no effect zero had no impact on any
of those different variables that we talked about. And then
there were looking at side that was the studies looking
at NMN and then for n R supplementation looking at
(06:48):
the randomized control studies. Of those, two of them looked
at six minute walking distance. That's a measure of euer
aerobic capacity. Again when you're an older adult, a significant
predictor of how long you're going to live. Two of
the studies had a short physical performance battery, two of
them looked at hand grip strength, and two of them
looked at the five times sit to stand test, and
(07:10):
basically there were very little effects. One of them showed
improved performance in the six minute walking distance. But I've
actually looked at that study that was in an industry
sponsored study, so you always have to be worry of
these things. The other study showed no effect. And this
is what we have to see is consistency across studies
(07:32):
and particularly of positive effects. If you're thinking that things
are going to be beneficial. In the short physical performance battery,
there was no effect in one study and performance actually
worsened in another study. The hand grip strength no impact.
And then the five time sit to stand tests for
NR less improvement than the placebo in one study and
(07:53):
no effect in another study. So basically what this systematic
review and meta analysis of randomized control trials. And that's
critical because there are other bits of research out there
that are typically sponsored by industry that are showing beneficial
effects of NMN and NAR on physical function in adults,
(08:17):
but they're very small studies and they're industry sponsored, and
they're not randomized control trials, so not quality evidence. So
what does this tell us? Well, look for me, I
think it's pretty clear right here that the current evidence
does not support a positive effect of either NMN or
(08:38):
NR supplementation on muscle health or physical function in older adults.
And now having said that, and there is a possibility
that the doses may not have been enough in these studies,
So it can't rule list off out completely, especially because
they've been seen in animal studies, but and not all
(09:00):
animal studies translate over to humans, and there could be
that there are other effects of NMN and NR on
metabolic function and things like that. And however, and for me,
the evidence just is not there at the minute, and
it's certainly not there at the level that you will
(09:21):
see all of these influencers tighting about how brilliant NMN
is in NR is and how it's transformed their lives,
and we just do not have the evidence of that yet.
My take on this, I am keeping an eye on
it because I think this is an interesting space. There's
good theoretical stuff behind both of these supplements. I know
(09:43):
that na D plus when that drops off, does have
significant effects, and we do see benefits in animal studies.
But for me, the research is just not there. And
if you're going to spend your dollars on supplementation, I
would definitely be prioritizing vitamin D supplementation and AMIGA three
(10:04):
fatty acids. And if you want more detail on that,
just listen to the podcast that I did last Saturday.
So the podcast before this with Amelia Phillips were we
dive into the research around those two supplements of randomized
control trials and it is pretty astounding. So for me,
(10:24):
let's get the basics right. Let's get the fundamentals right
of doing your exercise, eating well, sleeping well, then adding
in things that could evidence be of stuff such as
vitamin D and Amiga three fatty acids, and then just
hold the rest of your money in your pocket, particularly
when it comes to NMN and n R until you
(10:46):
see better advice, because it just might be that you're
spending your money on expensive piss one
Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays. Today
we are going to have a look at a couple
of supplements that are touted to increase longevity. And if
you are interested in longevity space and you're on social media,
your social media feed has probably been bombarded with adverts
(00:30):
about these supplements. They are NMN and NR. Now, let's
get the tricky stuff out of the way. First. NMN
stands for nicotinamide monionucleotide and NAR stands for nicotinamide riboside. Now,
they are both precursors to what's called NAD plus nicotinamide
(00:53):
adenanine dye nucleotide, which is a bit of a mouthful,
but NAD plus is basically a molecule that is critical
for cellular energy and lots of different bodily function. Now,
research suggests that some that these two supplements can be
(01:15):
very beneficial in animal models for a range of age
related diseases. And the reason that's purported is that our
NAD levels kind of fall off a cliff in midlife,
and some researchers and particularly social media influencers and think
(01:36):
that taking na D and n R or sorry, NMN
and NR are ways to offset that decline and to
improve our quality of life. Now, NM and supplementation has
been shown to improve metabolic function, increase endurance, and protect
(01:56):
against cognitive decline in animal models and potentially could and
contribute to increase lifespan and health span. And some studies
again animal studies suggest that NMN can improve muscle strength
and exercise capacity. NR has also shown some promise in
(02:17):
animal models, with studies demonstrated and its ability to improve
mitochondrial function, reduce inflammation, and protect against age related diseases.
And it's also been shown NR and again in animal
models to improve blood pressure and benefit skeletal muscle. And
there's been a couple of small studies in humans sing
(02:41):
that NR may improve blood pressure. But I wanted to
focus in today on the idea of muscle strength and
function because a lot of these influencers are saying that
NMN and NR can actually preserve your muscle strength and
your function and can offset syclopenia, which I've talked about
(03:05):
numerous times. That's that loss of bone and muscle that
happens when we age. But what does the research say
in humans? This is critical. Now, there is established research
in animal models, but there has recently been released a
systematic review and meta analysis of ten randomized control trials. Right,
(03:26):
so picking the well designed studies and they look at
supplementation with NMN and NR and looking at muscle strength
and physical function in older adults. Right, So, little bit
of background, and we talked about cyclopedia that loss of
muscle as you age has a multitude of negative consequences
(03:52):
both for lifespan, how long you live, and particularly for
your health span your quality of life. And we know
that low muscle mass and strength, known as scyclopenia, worsens mobility,
worsens quality of life, and increases the risk of our
whole host of chronic diseases. And we know that that
low muscle mass and strength as well as increasing a
(04:16):
risk of falls, which are the fifth and sixth biggest
killer of people in their sixties and seventies, and they
also contribute to things like cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes,
and Alzheimer's disease. So there obviously is a lot of
interest in identifying any factors that can mitigate or offset
(04:36):
aging associated muscle loss. And as I said, some researchers
have proposed that muscle loss during aging can is partly
due to a result of decline in the levels of
NMN or sorry, NAD plus, and that replenishing NAD plus
through NMN and n R because you can't take and
(04:58):
if you take NAD plus, it's just a dried by
your gut. So the theory is NMN and NR are precursors,
they're converted into NAD plus and they do survive your gut,
and so taking these things might help to mitigate and
the muscle loss. So what did the study find. What
they did is they looked, as I said, at a
(05:20):
number of randomized control trials. Three of these trials looked
at skeletal muscle mass index. Three of them looked at
hand grip strength, which is a proxy for your overall
strength and there's actually a very strong predictor of how
long you're going to live. Four of them looked at
gate speed walking speed. That again is a strong predictor
(05:41):
in older adults of how long they're going to live.
They also two of the studies looked at and they
sit to stand at five times performance tests that's a
test of leg strength and older adults. They also one
of the studies looked at thirty seconds sit the stand
performance how often you can do that in thirty seconds?
Another study measured knee extension strength. Another study and did
(06:05):
a short physical performance battery. Another study looks at chess
press one r M, and another one looked at leg press,
and then another study looked at thigh muscle mass. Right,
So this is between the ten studies that obviously quite
a few of them did a number of these different
things and what they found in this systematic review in
(06:26):
NETA analysis, no effect zero had no impact on any
of those different variables that we talked about. And then
there were looking at side that was the studies looking
at NMN and then for n R supplementation looking at
(06:48):
the randomized control studies. Of those, two of them looked
at six minute walking distance. That's a measure of euer
aerobic capacity. Again when you're an older adult, a significant
predictor of how long you're going to live. Two of
the studies had a short physical performance battery, two of
them looked at hand grip strength, and two of them
looked at the five times sit to stand test, and
(07:10):
basically there were very little effects. One of them showed
improved performance in the six minute walking distance. But I've
actually looked at that study that was in an industry
sponsored study, so you always have to be worry of
these things. The other study showed no effect. And this
is what we have to see is consistency across studies
(07:32):
and particularly of positive effects. If you're thinking that things
are going to be beneficial. In the short physical performance battery,
there was no effect in one study and performance actually
worsened in another study. The hand grip strength no impact.
And then the five time sit to stand tests for
NR less improvement than the placebo in one study and
(07:53):
no effect in another study. So basically what this systematic
review and meta analysis of randomized control trials. And that's
critical because there are other bits of research out there
that are typically sponsored by industry that are showing beneficial
effects of NMN and NAR on physical function in adults,
(08:17):
but they're very small studies and they're industry sponsored, and
they're not randomized control trials, so not quality evidence. So
what does this tell us? Well, look for me, I
think it's pretty clear right here that the current evidence
does not support a positive effect of either NMN or
(08:38):
NR supplementation on muscle health or physical function in older adults.
And now having said that, and there is a possibility
that the doses may not have been enough in these studies,
So it can't rule list off out completely, especially because
they've been seen in animal studies, but and not all
(09:00):
animal studies translate over to humans, and there could be
that there are other effects of NMN and NR on
metabolic function and things like that. And however, and for me,
the evidence just is not there at the minute, and
it's certainly not there at the level that you will
(09:21):
see all of these influencers tighting about how brilliant NMN
is in NR is and how it's transformed their lives,
and we just do not have the evidence of that yet.
My take on this, I am keeping an eye on
it because I think this is an interesting space. There's
good theoretical stuff behind both of these supplements. I know
(09:43):
that na D plus when that drops off, does have
significant effects, and we do see benefits in animal studies.
But for me, the research is just not there. And
if you're going to spend your dollars on supplementation, I
would definitely be prioritizing vitamin D supplementation and AMIGA three
(10:04):
fatty acids. And if you want more detail on that,
just listen to the podcast that I did last Saturday.
So the podcast before this with Amelia Phillips were we
dive into the research around those two supplements of randomized
control trials and it is pretty astounding. So for me,
(10:24):
let's get the basics right. Let's get the fundamentals right
of doing your exercise, eating well, sleeping well, then adding
in things that could evidence be of stuff such as
vitamin D and Amiga three fatty acids, and then just
hold the rest of your money in your pocket, particularly
when it comes to NMN and n R until you
(10:46):
see better advice, because it just might be that you're
spending your money on expensive piss one
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!