NMN, NR, Niacin: Which NAD+ Precursor and Why

The family tree

The body can make NAD+ from several starting materials. The three best known are niacin (vitamin B3), NR (nicotinamide riboside), and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide).

Each sits at a different point in the synthesis pathway. Think of them as entry ramps onto the same highway, at different mile markers.

Niacin: the oldest and cheapest

Niacin has been used as a supplement for nearly a century. It effectively raises NAD+ levels. It's also the one most likely to cause the 'niacin flush' — transient skin reddening and warmth, from a vasodilation reflex.

For many people, this is merely a mild sensation. For some, it's a reason to look at alternatives.

NR: a more recent entrant

NR arrived on the supplement market in the 2010s. Research showed it raises NAD+ without the flush, and a number of human trials have since measured its effects on various biomarkers.

NR is one biochemical step upstream of NMN. The body converts NR to NMN, then to NAD+.

NMN: the one we chose, and why

NMN sits one step closer to NAD+ than NR does. In theory, this means fewer conversion steps before reaching the end product.

Recent human trials using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry have confirmed that oral NMN raises circulating NAD+ levels at doses in the range commonly sold as supplements. What remains less settled: long-term outcomes, optimal dosing, and individual variation.

What we don't claim

We don't claim NMN is the 'best' precursor. We chose it because the human research on NMN specifically has grown substantially in recent years, and because we felt we could source it at purity levels that would meet our own standards.

Other forms may work better for some people. As with most supplements, the honest answer to 'which is best for me' is: here's what the studies show; you and your physician can decide what's worth trying.