B3 Confusion: Niacin, Nicotinamide, Niacinamide, NAD, and NMN What’s the Difference? (2023)

FAQs

Is niacin and NMN the same? ›

The terms “nicotinic acid,” “niacin,” and “vitamin B3” can be used interchangeably. The derivatives of nicotinic acid include niacinamide (also called nicotinamide), nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

Nicotinamide riboside can enter cells directly.

NR and NMN are chemically identical, with the exception of one phosphate group present on NMN. The study demonstrates that this additional phosphate group must be removed from NMN, converting it into nicotinamide riboside before it can enter the cell.

Nicotinamide and niacinamide are the exact same thing. For the purposes of this post, we'll just be saying niacinamide. Niacinamide is also a form of vitamin B3, but it's slightly different from niacin. Niacinamide is the vitamin B3 that you get from meat and poultry.

Nicotinamide, also known as niacinamide, is a water-soluble amide form of niacin or vitamin B3. It is found in foods such as fish, poultry, eggs, and cereal grains. It is also marketed as a dietary supplement, and as a non-flushing form of niacin.

Niacin (also known as nicotinic acid) and nicotinamide (NAM, also known as niacinamide) are all different forms of vitamin B3. So NAM needs first to be converted into NMN which then builds NAD+. It's better to take NMN, which is a direct precursor to NAD+.

NMN is more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. NAD+ may have a stronger effect on your brain and mental health. NMN may have a stronger effect on your physical health.

The human body relies on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), the active coenzyme form of vitamin B3, for most of its essential functions. Among other benefits, NAD helps boost energy, improve mental clarity, and promote a youthful appearance.

Choosing to supplement with NMN along with NAD provides a much more direct path to promoting cell metabolism and is thus a much quicker means of doing the same. In addition, NMN has been found to improve insulin activity and production, resulting in additional metabolic benefits as well as glucose tolerance.

Niacin is naturally present in many foods, added to some food products, and available as a dietary supplement. All tissues in the body convert absorbed niacin into its main metabolically active form, the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD).

In general, the body handles nicotinamide better than niacin since it is more similar to NAD, which results in greater bioavailability.

Is nicotinamide a NMN? ›

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is one of the main precursors of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) — an essential enzyme for various critical cell functions, including metabolism, DNA repair, cell growth and survival.

Side effects may include diarrhea, headache, stomach discomfort, and bloating. High doses (50 mg or more) of niacin can cause side effects. The most common side effect is called "niacin flush," which is a burning, tingling sensation in the face and chest, and red or flushed skin.

The key difference between nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide riboside is that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme central to metabolism that is found in all living cells, while nicotinamide riboside (niagen) is an alternative form of vitamin B3 that is functional as a precursor to ...

Niacinamide is one form of vitamin B3 (niacin) that plays an important role in energy metabolism and cell health. It may offer benefits related to skin care and skin cancer, as well as chronic kidney disease and type 1 diabetes. Niacinamide is generally considered safe with few side effects at appropriate doses.

Re: What happens when you stop taking NMN

Yes your body would just return to homeostasis and produce only what your body normally would at your age. NMN is more like a vitamin and not like a hormone as Testosterone is.

In medical circles, niacinamide is known for being extremely effective when it comes to treating acne, redness, hyperpigmentation, and signs of aging — plus it's compatible with all skin types. Niacin, on the other hand, is more popularly known in the wellness world for supporting cardiovascular health.

Is NMN safe, and does it have side effects? NMN is an ideal supplement to increase cellular levels of NAD because it's well-tolerated, and both human and animal studies have observed it had minimal side effects. Research in humans has shown that doses of up to 1,200 mg daily are safe to consume.

Does NMN make you look younger? As of 2022, there haven't been any studies to evaluate the effects of NMN on human skin. However, the supplement has shown very promising results in mice, improving metabolism, preventing diseases, and providing a general anti-ageing effect.

Some NAD boosting supplements – when taken at high levels – have been reported to have side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, flushing, stomach discomfort and indigestion. However, people involved in studies with NMN supplements have reported no significant side effects at dosages up to 1,200mg.

Taking the human and animal studies of efficacy and safety into consideration and calculating optimal NMN doses, the recommended dose that adults between 30 and 60 years old take is 500 mg per day. People over age 65 can safely take 750 mg per day to maximize NMN's benefits.

What brand of NMN does David Sinclair take? ›

He is best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects. Although Sinclair never recommends a particular NNM company, he does recommend GMP NMN.

Niacin repletes NAD+ deficiency in human muscle and blood

The research team supplemented PEO patients and healthy matched controls with a slowly increasing dose of niacin, from 250 mg/day up to 750 or 1000 mg/day for four months. They continued the follow-up of the treatment effect up to 10 months in patients.

NMN stands for nicotinamide mononucleotide, a molecule naturally occurring in all life forms. At the molecular level, it is a ribo-nucleotide, which is a basic structural unit of the nucleic acid RNA.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is available in a pill and powder form, as well as a sublingual powder form. NMN should be taken 1 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach to maximize its absorption.

Some older reports or websites still claim the best way to take NMN is sublingually (melting it under the tongue), or to even inject it. This has been debunked by recent research, showing that NMN is very well absorbed when taken orally.

Niacin helps smooth wrinkles.

Niacin benefits your skin by stimulating production of collagen and elastin, which helps to smooth those pesky fine lines and wrinkles.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults 19+ years is 16 mg NE for men, 14 mg NE for women, 18 mg NE for pregnant women, and 17 mg NE for lactating women.

Niacin (also known as vitamin B3) is one of the water-soluble B vitamins. Niacin is the generic name for nicotinic acid (pyridine-3-carboxylic acid), nicotinamide (niacinamide or pyridine-3-carboxamide), and related derivatives, such as nicotinamide riboside [1-3].

Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) as an Alternative to Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has been a popular dietary supplement due to its role in boosting NAD+ levels.

Is NAD+ the same as niacin? ›

Nicotinamide riboside, or niagen, is an alternative form of vitamin B3, also called niacin. Like other forms of vitamin B3, nicotinamide riboside is converted by your body into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme or helper molecule.

Niacin is an oxidated form of nicotine that the body can convert into NAD. Nicotinamide is an amide of niacin that is more similar to NAD and has fewer side effects. Nicotinamide riboside is a synthetic form of nicotinamide that has different attributes.

Vitamin B3 is one of 8 B vitamins. It is also known as niacin (nicotinic acid) and has 2 other forms, niacinamide (nicotinamide) and inositol hexanicotinate, which have different effects from niacin. All B vitamins help the body convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which the body uses to produce energy.

NMN is an ideal supplement to increase cellular levels of NAD because it's well-tolerated, and both human and animal studies have observed it had minimal side effects. Research in humans has shown that doses of up to 1,200 mg daily are safe to consume.

NAD deficiency is linked to disease through genetic and environmental means. Severe niacin deficiency causes pellagra, characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death.

In general, the immediate-release form of niacin should be taken after your evening meal and the extended-release form should be taken at bedtime after a low-fat snack. Taking it in the morning or on an empty stomach might cause you to experience more side effects such as flushing and stomach upset.