NMN One-A-Day 500mg 30 Capsules

NMN is one of the newest ingredients on our shelves, and the Australian rules around it are very specific, which makes it quick to work out whether it suits you. These are the questions our naturopaths ask in store, in the order they ask them.

A good fit if

• You're an adult who wants an NAD+ building block that's clearly permitted in Australia, rather than an unregulated import
• You're choosing between NMN and nicotinamide riboside and want the evidence and the legal differences explained simply
• You're 40 or over, interested in how your cells make energy, and comfortable that the evidence is still incomplete
• You're happy to take a set course and review it with a practitioner, rather than taking it indefinitely
• You're not pregnant or breastfeeding, and you don't take prescription medicines

Check with us first if

• You plan to take it long term without a break. Australian rules recommend 12 weeks or less, and no trial has gone beyond 24 weeks, so a set course followed by a review makes more sense than staying on it indefinitely.
• You take any prescription medicine. NMN's interactions haven't been studied in people, and no reported interactions doesn't mean there are none.
• You're having cancer treatment. Talk to your specialist about NAD+ building blocks first, because NAD+ affects how cells work across the body.
• You already take high-dose vitamin B3 or an NAD+ formula with several ingredients. Check the labels with us so your B3 doses don't add up without you noticing.

• NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide). Best known for: The newest NAD+ precursor allowed in Australian listed medicines. Absorption: Absorbed when taken by mouth. Typical use: Capsules, slow-release tablets and powders. See Australian status for the dose and duration conditions.
• NR (nicotinamide riboside chloride). Best known for: The longest-established NAD+ precursor on Australian shelves. Absorption: Well absorbed by mouth. Typical use: 100–300 mg a day; allowed in Australian listed medicines since December 2019.
• Nicotinamide (niacinamide). Best known for: The standard, non-flushing form of vitamin B3. Absorption: Easily absorbed, with no flushing. Typical use: Doses around the 16 mg NE RDI; the NHMRC upper level is 900 mg/day.
• Nicotinic acid (niacin). Best known for: The flushing form of vitamin B3. Absorption: Easily absorbed; causes skin flushing as doses go up. Typical use: Small amounts in B-complex products; the NHMRC upper level is 35 mg/day.

Reference values. There's no Australian recommended intake for NMN itself. For vitamin B3 overall, the NHMRC recommends 16 mg niacin equivalents a day for adult men and 14 mg for adult women.

Typical supplemental range. Australian labels commonly provide 250–500 mg per dose. Human trials have used 250–2,000 mg a day.

Upper level. There's no NHMRC upper limit for NMN. The Australian limit comes from the rules for this ingredient rather than a nutrient guideline, and you'll find it under "Is NMN legal in Australia?" below. For comparison, the NHMRC upper limit is 900 mg a day for nicotinamide and 35 mg a day for nicotinic acid.

Worth knowing. You can't get these amounts from food: even the richest plant foods tested contain milligrams per 100 g, not hundreds of milligrams. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• Broccoli: among the highest plant sources measured; plant foods overall range 0.04–13 mg NMN per 100 g fresh weight
• Green beans: also among the highest measured, within the same 0.04–13 mg per 100 g range
• Edamame (immature soybeans): frequently cited dietary source; a serve supplies a small fraction of a 250 mg capsule
• Banana: low in NMN but higher in the related precursor NR (plant foods measured 0.06–1.6 mg NR per 100 g)
• Orange: another of the higher NR sources measured, within that 0.06–1.6 mg per 100 g range

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. The Australian ingredient entry rules out use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Anyone under 18. It's restricted to adults in Australian listed medicines.
• Continuous long-term use. The Australian condition is a recommended duration of 12 weeks or less, and no trial has run beyond 24 weeks.
• Prescription medicines. Interactions haven't been studied in people; no reported interactions isn't the same as no interactions.
• Active cancer treatment. Discuss NAD+ precursors with your treating specialist first.
• High-dose vitamin B3 or multi-ingredient NAD+ formulas. Check labels so your B3-related doses don't add up without you meaning them to.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or one of our naturopaths before you start.