Unlike NMN, niacin boosts NAD without causing a spike in niacinamide, potentially making it a safer approach that avoids inhibiting sirtuin enzymes.

The body prioritizes using NAD to repair DNA damage over preserving epigenetic information, which means DNA damage can accelerate aging.

Consider taking NAD boosters when exposed to radiation, like on flights or during X-rays, to supply enough NAD for both DNA repair and sirtuin activity.

Niacin is a more powerful and much cheaper NAD booster per milligram compared to NMN or NR, with one experiment showing 50mg of niacin was equivalent to 1 gram of NMN.

A recent 2024 study from Dr. Sinclair's group used a human equivalent of 3-3.5 grams of NMN per day administered continuously in water, not as a single large dose.

The 2024 Sinclair study found NMN had no effect on epigenetic aging clocks in either male or female mice, which contradicts the information theory of aging.

High-dose NMN supplementation leads to a spike of its byproduct, niacinamide, inside the cell, which may actually inhibit the sirtuin enzymes it is meant to activate.

If you are a male taking NMN, you should expect to feel a noticeable difference in exercise performance or energy; otherwise, it is likely not providing you any benefit.

NAD boosters may be more effective when combined with strategies that promote NAD recycling, such as fasting or intense exercise.

Despite a very high dose, the 2024 study found that NMN did not increase lifespan in male mice, although it did for female mice by about 8.5%.