NMN versus NMNH: What is the difference and what is better for your health?

To combat aging and maintain your vitality, it’s important to support your energy levels and your cells’ ability to recover. A core component in this process is NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide). NAD+ provides cells with the energy they need to repair, renew, and continue to function properly.

As we get older, the amount of NAD+ in our bodies decreases. That can lead to fatigue, a slower metabolism, and less efficient cellular repair. To keep this process in balance, supplements have been developed that help raise NAD+ levels. The best known of these are NMN and NMNH. In this article, you’ll discover what these substances do, how they differ from each other, and which one better fits your health goals.

What is NAD+ and why is it important?

NAD+ is an important cofactor that plays a role in virtually all energy processes in the body. It supports the mitochondria—the parts of your cells that produce energy—in converting nutrients into energy your body can use right away. In addition, NAD+ supports key functions such as DNA repair, cell renewal, and the activation of sirtuins. These are enzymes that help repair cells and maintain vitality as you age.

From around your thirties, the amount of NAD+ in the body begins to decline slowly. This process is accelerated by factors such as stress, an unhealthy diet, too little sleep, and too much exposure to the sun. When NAD+ levels drop, cells function less well. This can lead to lower energy metabolism and faster aging.

To slow down this natural process, more and more people are using supplements such as NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) and NMNH (Reduced Nicotinamide Mononucleotide). These substances help boost the body’s natural production of NAD+ and support maintaining the vitality of your cells. 

What is NMN?

NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is a substance naturally produced by the body and serves as a building block for NAD+. When you take NMN, it is converted into NAD+ in your cells, contributing to processes such as energy production, DNA repair, and cell renewal.

Small amounts of NMN are found in foods such as broccoli, avocado, and edamame, but those amounts are too low to really make a difference. That’s why many people choose NMN supplements, which contain a concentrated and highly absorbable form. After ingestion, NMN is absorbed through the small intestine. A study by Grozio et al. (2019), published in Nature Metabolism, it appears that the transport protein SLC12A8 plays an important role in transporting NMN into cells, where it is then converted into NAD+.

Scientific evidence

Research shows that NMN effectively increases NAD+ levels and is smoothly absorbed by the body. In a clinical study by Irie et al. (2022), published in Frontiers in Aging, it was shown that daily intake of NMN significantly increases blood NAD+ levels without notable side effects. Earlier, Yoshino et al. (2021) showed in Aging Cell that NMN as a supplement increases the NAD+ level in muscle tissue and was well tolerated by women with prediabetes.

In addition to the increase in NAD+ levels, these studies also point to broader benefits of NMN, including:

• improved cellular energy metabolism
• better muscle function 
• a healthier metabolism 
• a positive effect on cardiovascular health

Together, these findings support the idea that NMN contributes to maintaining cellular energy and recovery in a safe and effective way.

Dosage of NMN

The most common dosage of NMN is between 250 and 1000 mg per day, with 500 mg (two capsules) often seen as an optimal balance between effectiveness and safety. Want to experience for yourself what NMN can mean for your energy and recovery? Then discover the NMN supplements from Enduravita, developed to boost your NAD+ levels in a natural and safe way.

What is NMNH?

NMNH (Reduced Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is a recently discovered, reduced form of NMN. The key chemical difference is that NMNH contains an extra hydrogen atom, which in theory makes it more stable and may allow it to be converted to NAD+ more quickly by the body.

Preliminary studies in cells and animals show that NMNH may raise NAD+ levels faster and more strongly than NMN. In a study by Zhang et al. (2021), published in The FASEB Journal, it was shown that in mice, NMNH achieved higher NAD+ levels in the liver, muscle tissue, and blood plasma than a comparable dose of NMN.

Potential benefits

In theory, NMNH can help with:

• improving DNA repair
  
  
• protecting cells against oxidative stress
  
  
• supporting energy production in the mitochondria
  
  

Limitations and safety

Although these results are promising, most studies are still in a preclinical stage, conducted in animals or in the laboratory. There is still insufficient research in humans, so the side effects, optimal dosage, and long-term effects of NMNH have not been well established.

That is why NMNH is currently considered experimental and not yet approved by authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Its use is therefore not recommended without medical advice.

Comparison between NMN and NMNH

Although NMN and NMNH are closely related, there are clear differences in structure, stability, and research stage. Below, we have listed the key differences for you:

Both NMN and NMNH are being studied for their role in the body’s natural production of NAD⁺, which is important for energy production and cell repair. NMN is currently better studied, while NMNH is still mainly in the experimental phase.

In the European Union, neither substance has yet been officially approved as a dietary supplement. Enduravita uses Uthever™ NMN, a patented variant with 99.8% purity, produced according to high quality standards for maximum stability.

Practical recommendations: which one should you choose?

Both NMN and NMNH are still being researched, but NMN is currently the better-studied and safer choice. NMNH is still largely in the experimental phase and is therefore not recommended for general use.

Discover Enduravita’s NMN supplements with Uthever™ NMN, a form with 99.8% purity and high stability, developed according to strict quality standards.

Sources

¹ Grozio, A., Mills, K. F., Yoshino, J., Bruzzone, S., & Imai, S. I. (2019). Slc12a8 is a nicotinamide mononucleotide transporter. Nature Metabolism, 1(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-018-0009-4

² Irie, J., Inagaki, E., Fujita, M., Nakaya, H., Mitsuishi, M., Yamaguchi, S., … Yoshino, J. (2022). Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases blood NAD+ levels in healthy adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nature Metabolism, 3, 815331. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38789831/

³ Yoshino, J., Mills, K. F., Yoon, M. J., & Imai, S. I. (2021). Daily oral administration of nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Pubmed Central, 20(4), e13337. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8550608/

⁴ Zhang, H., Ryu, D., Wu, Y., Gariani, K., Wang, X., Luan, P., D’Amico, D., Ropelle, E. R., Lutolf, M. P., Aebersold, R., Schoonjans, K., Menzies, K. J., & Auwerx, J. (2021). Reduced nicotinamide mononucleotide is a new and potent NAD+ precursor in mammalian cells and mice. The FASEB Journal, 35(4), e21826. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202001826R