As medical science continues to advance, people's life expectancy continues to increase, and the "100-year life period" is no longer just a dream.
However, "long life expectancy" does not necessarily equate to "remaining healthy. In fact, many people in Japan spend the last 10 years or so of their lives as "unhealthy periods that interfere with daily life," while receiving support and nursing care.
NMN," WHICH IS BELIEVED TO HAVE REJUVENATING AND ANTI-AGING EFFECTS, HAS BEEN ATTRACTING ATTENTION IN THIS FIELD. IN THIS ISSUE, WE WILL INTRODUCE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NMN, ITS EXPECTED EFFICACY AND EFFECTS, HOW IT WORKS IN THE BODY, AND HOW TO INGEST IT.
1. WHAT IS NMN, WHICH IS SAID TO HAVE ANTI-AGING PROPERTIES?
NMN is officially called "Nicotinamide MonoNucleotide" and is found in various foods such as green and yellow vegetables, shrimp, and beef, and is also produced in the human body.
However, the amount of NMN contained in food is negligible. Even edamame (soybeans), which contain relatively high amounts of NMN, requires about 21 kg (about 33,000 grains) to consume 100 mg of NMN, which is considered to be a daily amount.
IN ADDITION, NMN PRODUCTION IN THE BODY DECLINES WITH AGE, AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT AS NMN LEVELS DECREASE, AGE-RELATED CHANGES BEGIN TO OCCUR AND PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS DECLINE.
SINCE THE 2000S, THERE HAVE BEEN A SERIES OF RESEARCH REPORTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD SHOWING THAT "INTAKE OF NMN HAS PRODUCED POSITIVE CHANGES IN APPEARANCE YOUTHFULNESS AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS. THUS, NMN IS NOW ATTRACTING ATTENTION AS A "REJUVENATING" OR "ANTI-AGING" INGREDIENT.
See also: "What foods contain NMN and the benefits of NMN explained! "
2. EXPECTED EFFECTS AND EFFICACY OF NMN
SO WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS AND EFFECTS CAN WE EXPECT FROM NMN? HERE WE INTRODUCE SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE EFFECTS, SUCH AS IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND SKIN PROBLEMS, AND ACTIONS AGAINST VARIOUS DISEASES.
2-1. Improvement of physical condition due to rejuvenation effect
GENERALLY, AS PEOPLE AGE, THEIR BASAL METABOLISM DECLINES, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO LOSE WEIGHT AND MAKING THEM PRONE TO WEIGHT GAIN. HOWEVER, IF NMN, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED "REJUVENATION INGREDIENT," IS INGESTED, ENERGY METABOLISM IS PROMOTED, AND WEIGHT GAIN DUE TO AGING CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE SUPPRESSED.
STUDIES HAVE ALSO SHOWN THAT ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO TOOK NMN OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME HAD IMPROVED MUSCLE STRENGTH AND PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO A GROUP THAT DID NOT TAKE NMN. THEREFORE, IT CAN BE SAID THAT NMN CAN BE EXPECTED TO HAVE A PREVENTIVE EFFECT ON THE DECLINE OF MOTOR FUNCTION ASSOCIATED WITH AGING.
THE IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL CONDITION DUE TO THE REJUVENATING EFFECTS OF NMN DOES NOT STOP THERE.
It is also expected to make it easier to breathe during exercise, improve the quality of sleep, build muscle, and recover strength.
IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING COGNITIVE DECLINE, NMN IS ALSO EXPECTED TO IMPROVE CONCENTRATION AND THINKING ABILITY, AND RESEARCH IS STILL BEING CONDUCTED IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS.
2-2. Improvement of skin problems due to aging
NMN IS ALSO THOUGHT TO IMPROVE SKIN PROBLEMS.
TAKING NMN IMPROVES METABOLISM AND SKIN TEXTURE, WHICH LEADS TO IMPROVED ELASTICITY AND LUSTER, AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVES AGE SPOTS, WRINKLES, SAGGING, DULLNESS, AND OTHER SKIN CONDITIONS. CONTINUOUS INTAKE OF NMN WILL BRING YOU CLOSER TO AGE-DEFYING, MORE BEAUTIFUL SKIN.
2-3. Improvement of various diseases
NMN HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED TO IMPROVE VARIOUS DISEASES.
2-3-1. Diabetes Mellitus
THE RESEARCH ON DIABETES WAS TALKED ABOUT AS "THE WORLD'S FIRST PAPER ON THE RESULTS OF NMN CLINICAL TRIALS."
THE STUDY REPORTED THAT NMN CONSUMPTION INCREASED INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN SKELETAL MUSCLE BY 25% AND IMPROVED THE ABILITY TO UPTAKE SUGAR FROM THE BLOOD.
This effect may be comparable to the effect of losing 10% of one's body weight or of administering a diabetes drug.
2-3-2. Lipid Metabolism
Tests on young men have shown that lipid metabolism is improved during exercise, which can be expected to increase endurance. Since an increase in lipid metabolism also means "easier body fat loss," it is thought to be useful for weight control.
2-3-3. Alzheimer's disease
Numerous studies have been conducted on improving cognitive function.
Of particular interest is its effect on Alzheimer's disease. Studies have shown that administration of NMN reduces β-amyloid production, amyloid plaques, etc., which are also markers of dementia.
2-3-4. Effects on other diseases
MANY OTHER EFFECTS OF NMN ON DISEASE HAVE BEEN REPORTED. FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING OSTEOPOROSIS BY REDUCING THE LOSS OF BONE DENSITY, AND IN REDUCING EYE AGING BY MAINTAINING RETINAL FUNCTION. FURTHERMORE, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT NMN MAY ALSO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE RECOVERY OF NEUROLOGICAL DYSFUNCTION, HEART FAILURE, AND RENAL FAILURE.
3. HOW DOES NMN WORK IN THE BODY?
AFTER BEING CONVERTED INTO A SUBSTANCE CALLED NAD+ IN THE BODY, NMN IS BELIEVED TO EXHIBIT ANTI-AGING EFFECTS BY ACTIVATING GENES RELATED TO AGING AND LIFESPAN (SIRTUIN GENES). WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
FROM HERE, WE WILL EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL WHY NMN IS ATTRACTING ATTENTION AS A "REJUVENATION INGREDIENT," ALONG WITH THE FUNCTION OF NAD+, WHICH IS CLOSELY RELATED TO NMN, AND THE ROLE OF THE SIRTUIN GENE.
3-1. NMN IS CONVERTED TO NAD+ IN THE BODY
WHEN NMN IS ABSORBED INTO THE BODY, IT IS CONVERTED INTO A SUBSTANCE CALLED NAD+ (NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE).
NAD+ IS A COENZYME, ONE OF THE SUBSTANCES ESSENTIAL FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF BODILY FUNCTIONS, AND IS PRODUCED IN THE BODY FROM TRYPTOPHAN, A TYPE OF AMINO ACID, AND VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN), ALTHOUGH THE AMOUNT OF NAD+ IS NOT VERY HIGH. IT HAS ALSO BEEN POINTED OUT THAT THE AMOUNT OF NAD+ IN THE BODY MAY DECREASE WITH AGING.
THE REASON FOR THE DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF NAD+ IN THE BODY WAS UNKNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, BUT IT IS NOW KNOWN THAT IT IS RELATED TO AGE-RELATED CHANGES SUCH AS INCREASED CONSUMPTION OF NAD+ ASSOCIATED WITH DNA REPAIR, ACCELERATED DEGRADATION, AND DECREASED SYNTHESIS OF NAD+.
WHEN NMN, THE SOURCE OF NAD+, IS INGESTED, THE BODY'S CONCENTRATION OF NAD+ INCREASES. THUS, MAINTAINING AND INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF NAD+ IN THE BODY, WHICH HAS DECREASED WITH AGING, LEADS TO THE ACTIVATION OF THE SIRTUIN GENE, WHICH IS DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT SECTION.
3-2. ACTIVATION OF SIRTUIN GENE BY NAD+ IS THE KEY TO ANTI-AGING
NAD+ IS A SUBSTANCE INVOLVED IN ENERGY PRODUCTION, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF BODILY FUNCTIONS, BUT IT ALSO PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ACTIVATION OF THE SIRTUIN GENE.
THE SIRTUIN GENE IS A GENE THAT CONTROLS AGING AND LIFESPAN. ENZYMES PRODUCED BY THIS GENE ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE CONTROL OF AGING AND OTHER PROCESSES SUCH AS DNA REPAIR, CELL DIVISION, AND ENERGY METABOLISM. FOR THIS REASON, THE SIRTUIN GENE IS ALSO CALLED THE "LONGEVITY GENE.
Activation of the sirtuin gene is also important for improving physical functions, such as maintaining physical fitness, recovering from fatigue, increasing physical activity, and increasing bone density.
THEREFORE, INCREASING NAD+ IN THE BLOOD AND ACTIVATING THE SIRTUIN GENE IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE "KEYS" TO ANTI-AGING.
LET US NOW RETURN TO THE NMN.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, INCREASING NAD+ BY TAKING NMN IS NOTHING LESS THAN ACTIVATING THE SIRTUIN GENE.
AND THE REASON WHY NMN IS ATTRACTING ATTENTION AS A "REJUVENATION INGREDIENT" OR "ANTI-AGING INGREDIENT" IS BECAUSE VARIOUS REJUVENATION EFFECTS BY SIRTUIN GENE CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE INTAKE OF NMN.
4. HOW TO TAKE NMN
WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE VARIOUS BENEFITS OF NMN INTAKE. FINALLY, WE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO TAKE NMN AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT.
NMN CAN BE TAKEN IN THE FORM OF SUPPLEMENTS, COSMETICS, AND INTRAVENOUS INFUSIONS (UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A PHYSICIAN). CURRENTLY, SUPPLEMENTS ARE THE MOST COMMON WAY TO TAKE NMN BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY TO CONTINUE DAILY AND CAN BE TAKEN INTO THE BODY RELIABLY.
THE RECENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS SELLING NMN SUPPLEMENTS MAY BE ANOTHER REASON FOR THEIR POPULARITY, AS THEY ARE EASY TO SELECT ACCORDING TO TASTE AND BUDGET.
HOWEVER, THOSE THAT ARE TOO INEXPENSIVE NOT ONLY HAVE LOW NMN CONTENT OR INFERIOR RAW MATERIALS, BUT IN THE WORST CASE, THEY MAY NOT CONTAIN ANY NMN AT ALL.
There are two types of NMN, α-NMN and β-NMN, but only β-NMN is produced in vivo and is recognized to have anti-aging effects.
No living organisms utilize α-NMN in their bodies, and it is virtually non-existent in nature. Even if ingested, it is eliminated from the body and does not lead to the activation of NAD+.
When purchasing NMN, make sure to check how much "β-NMN" is contained and that the product does not contain only "α-NMN".
In addition, one should avoid choosing supplements solely on the basis of origin, factory, purity, etc. These are easy to cheat and do not guarantee the "quality" of the supplement.
What is helpful in selecting a supplement is whether the supplement has been sold in the past, whether it has undergone independent research and testing, and whether it is a customer-oriented company effort.
While it is important to look at the list of ingredients in a supplement, please take a close look at the background behind the supplement's creation and choose a truly good one.
5. Summary
NMN IS ALSO FOUND IN GREEN AND YELLOW VEGETABLES AND MEAT, AND IS ALSO PRODUCED IN THE HUMAN BODY.
ITS REJUVENATING AND ANTI-AGING EFFECTS HAVE BEEN ATTRACTING ATTENTION, AND IN FACT, IMPROVEMENT OF BODILY FUNCTIONS, RESOLUTION OF SKIN PROBLEMS, AND EFFECTS ON VARIOUS DISEASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS A RESULT OF NMN INTAKE.
AND THESE EFFECTS ARE THOUGHT TO BE DUE TO THE FACT THAT NMN INTAKE INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF NAD+ IN THE BODY, RESULTING IN THE ACTIVATION OF THE SIRTUIN GENE.
SUPPLEMENTS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR CONTINUOUS NMN INTAKE, BUT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO AVOID PURCHASING INFERIOR PRODUCTS.
When purchasing supplements, be sure to check past sales performance and even the background of supplement production to select quality, reliable products.
