Comment · Wed, January 12, 2022 · ND Owner
NMN formulation change
Original post in this thread
ROTHUM2 · 38 points
Has anyone else noticed a difference in efficacy between the old NMN tablets (sized like a small cylinder) versus the new one (sized like a small disc)?
I thought it was placebo at first, but with the old NMN, I noticed a profound increase in energy and well being. With the new NMN (disc shape), I notice nothing.
Thinking I may be tricking myself, I experimented on my wife. When I give her the old NMN, her energy noticeably improved. When I give her the new one, no difference.
I’m curious if anyone else has had this experience. I know /u/MisterYouAreSoDumb has mentioned the enteric coating on the new NMN is superior, but I can’t help but notice my consistent, personal experience.
UPDATE (Feb 2022)
They must have gone through several iterations, because the magic is back on my latest purchase. I’ve seen 3 different tablets — the cylinder (original), a larger flat circle with a powdery exterior, and the most recent, a smaller circle with a smoother exterior.
The only version that didn’t work for me was the one with the powdery exterior. The newest version works GREAT, perhaps even better than the original.
What they were answering
AJolly · 3 points
Thanks that was definitely helpful. Certainly seen companies that talk about their liposomal NMN products.
Do you have thoughts on NMN vs NAD+ or NR?
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
Here is the NAD+ pathway in the body.
You can see that NMN is a direct precursor to NAD+. NMN also has its own transporter in the small intestine that other NAD+ precursors can't use. This makes NMN a perfect candidate for raising NAD+ quickly; especially in enteric coated form like we have.
Slc12a8 is a nicotinamide mononucleotide transporter
The elusive NMN transporter is found
This is why we sell enteric coated NMN tablets. This protects them from stomach acid, and delivers NMN directly to the Slc12a8 transporters in the small intestine. Nicotinamide riboside can't use those transporters, and NR needs to convert to NMN anyway to become NAD+. This completely turns the claims of many companies on its head. Fro years they claimed that NMN had to undergo dephosphorylation to NR before it could enter cells, which would also require the presence of chloride for cotransport. However, now we know it is completely the opposite. NR has to convert to NMN to enter cells through Slc12a8, and that uses sodium and not chloride for the process. So all the claims over the years by people selling NR turned out to be total BS, and in fact NMN is the most efficient way to increase NAD+.
Does that mean other compounds are not useful for increasing NAD+? Absolutely not. It is a complex cycle, and just because NMN is the quickest and most efficient way doesn't mean other things can't help. In fact, we are going to be releasing a bunch of other NAD+ supplements in the coming months. I do think certain combos with NMN could lead to even greater effects than just NMN alone. However, I like to fully understand the processes involved before we jump too far into a specific area. I think people appreciate a more measured approach, rather than just trying to sell all the latest buzzword compounds to capitalize on hype. That doesn't mean we are not working on other things in the background, or testing other compounds/combos of other compounds, though. We are always working on things. When we release some other NAD+ compounds, it will be because we believe they provide some extra benefit to the equation. It's a complex equation, so for sure there are other pieces to it that can help push things forward.