NICOTINAMIDE MONONUCLEOTIDE (NMN)

What is nicotinamide mononucleotide or NMN?

Nicotinamide mononucleotide, or NMN, is a molecule involved in cell signaling. It is a crucial part of the communication network that supports another molecule called NAD+ that reduces the body’s inflammatory response. NAD+ is used in many metabolic reactions and in DNA repair, cellular aging, and immune system functioning [^[1]].

What does NMN do in the body?

NMN supplementation ensures a steady supply of NAD+, as NMN, taken as an oral supplement, is changed to NAD+ in the body. Structurally, NMN is structurally the closest to NAD+, with only one intermediary step between the two [^[2]]. []. NMN, therefore, can increase NAD+ levels in the body, affecting various functions. NMN supplementation can dampen inflammation related to aging, improve the insulin system’s efficiency, support mitochondrial function and brain function, and more [^[3]]. In one case study, orally administered NMN was found to reverse the COVID-19 cytokine storm [^[4]].

How can NMN help alleviate certain Long COVID symptoms and/or pathophysiology? 

Scientists have hypothesized that NAD+ disruption is one mechanism by which Long COVID pathophysiology occurs [^[5]]. Because it is only one step away from NAD+ chemically, NMN can replenish the dwindling NAD+ supply seen in Long COVID patients. One doctor wrote the British Medical Journal to state that he tried it on himself with “rapid and long-lasting” improvement [^[6]]. In one study examining NMN supplementation in animal models of lung damage, NAD+ and NMN were administered together, reducing cell death and inflammatory cell takeover in the lungs [^[5]].