What are NMN & NR?

You may have heard the terms NMN and NR in relation to NAD+, but you might not know what they are specifically. NMN and NR are precursors to NAD+, meaning they become NAD+ through a series of chemical transformations. NMN has trouble entering our cells easily and one way for NMN to enter the cell is for it to chemically transform into another molecule beforehand. NMN sometimes becomes NR before entering the cell, where it chemically transforms back to NMN and then ultimately becomes NAD+. This obviously isn’t the most efficient way of creating NAD+ in the body. NR is a little more efficient than NMN because it can enter the cell as it is. It has its own pathway that allows it to skip certain steps that other NAD+ precursors, such as NMN, have to take. However, it’s not as efficient as simply supplementing with pure NAD+.

NR & NMN vs. NAD+ supplements

People look to take NR and NMN because they elevate levels of NAD+ in the body. We know how amazing NAD+ is and that it’s important to supplement our levels of this molecule as we age, in order to promote cellular health and all the benefits associated with healthy ageing. But NMN is too big to enter our cells as it is, which is why it needs to be broken down to fit into the cell and NR needs to undergo a chemical transformation to become NAD+. The market is flooded with NMN and NR supplements but these are cheaply produced with poor efficacy when you compare them to high quality NAD+ supplements. For example, our Optima Max formulation is pure NAD+ and is virtually the same as our IV infusions but in oral form. When you take Optima Max, you’re basically doing the same as the IV and if you take 60 tablets in one month you’re actually ingesting 6 grams of pure NAD+ straight into your system - without the need for any precursors or chemical transformations.

So are NMN and NR supplements worth it?

Basically, if you want to boost your NAD+ levels, NMN and NR supplements are not the best or more efficient way to do that. Instead, pure NAD+ supplements such as Optima Max are a more cost-effective and efficient way to increase your NAD+ levels.