Slow and Steady: Sustained Release Tablets Support Optimal NMN Absorption

NAD+ is undisputedly a compound vital to our lives. Without NAD+, hundreds of life-giving reactions would not be able to take place—both on a larger scale, like pumping blood through the body, and at a microscopic level, such as repairing damaged DNA or helping our cell’s power-producing mitochondria generate energy from food.   

And one of the best ways to ensure our NAD+ levels are maintained with age is by supplementing with another compound called NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide). One of the most well-known functions of NMN is its ability to convert into NAD+ rapidly. But what if your NMN supplement isn’t reaching where it needs to go—the small intestine, where it absorbs into the bloodstream—without degrading or breaking down first? 

An answer to this problem is using a sustained-release tablet. NMN Pro 250 Sustained Release is designed to prevent NMN from breaking down in the stomach, slowing and prolonging the compound’s release and allowing for enhanced absorption. With this novel approach, you can ensure you get the maximum benefits from your NMN supplements, from anti-aging effects to enhanced athletic performance to amplified activity of longevity genes.

NMN 101 

NMN supplementation has been found to support several aspects of health that tend to deteriorate with age, including physical endurance, muscle strength, cognitive function, cardiovascular health, metabolic markers, and increased activity of longevity-related genes. 

Many people want to know if these benefits translate to an extended lifespan. While we don’t have that data from human studies (which are complex and take multiple decades to complete), animal studies tend to be an adequate proxy. Even though humans aren’t mice or yeast or worms, these species can serve as models and valuable stepping stones for longevity research in people. 

For example, one 2013 study found that NMN extended the lifespan of the commonly studied lab worm, C. elegans, by over 10%. However, the research on NMN and lifespan in larger animals and humans is still lacking. We need additional studies before we can definitively state if NMN can lengthen lifespan in people. But for now, the availability of published and in-progress clinical trials in various aspects of human health is growing rapidly, with promising results. 

How Sustained Release Supports Absorption

But does any of this matter if your supplemental NMN can’t make it into the bloodstream? That’s where NMN Pro 250 Sustained Release tablets come in. These delayed-release supplements can significantly enhance NAD+ production by raising both NMN and NAD+ levels in the blood for up to 6 hours—compared to about 6 minutes for non-stabilized NMN seen in animal studies. 

Releasing NMN directly into the small intestine may be more beneficial than traditional capsules because of the recent discovery of the NMN-specific transporter Slc12a8 in the small intestine. This transporter can shuttle NMN directly into cells instead of going through a series of reactions, allowing the sustained-release tablet to travel unscathed into the small intestine could benefit its absorption rates.

So, how do these supplements work? Based on a novel technology called “nutraJIT”—which is short for “nutraceuticals delivered Just In Time (JIT)”—the NMN tablets are designed to inhibit absorption in the stomach. After swallowing the supplement, a gel barrier forms around the tablet in the stomach, effectively protecting the NMN from acidic gastric juices that would ordinarily start to degrade the compound. Upon reaching the small intestine, the gel barrier will slowly dissipate to ensure a slow and steady release of the NMN at the ideal site of action—where the NMN transporters are. 

The Bottom Line 

Supplemental NMN is thought to have dozens of potential anti-aging health benefits—but the suboptimal absorption of traditional capsules can be a barrier to reaping all of the rewards. A solution to this problem is sustained-release tablets, which delay the release of NMN by bypassing the stomach and allowing delivery into the small intestine. 

As NMN-specific transporters have been located in the small intestine, this delivery method is optimal for ensuring our supplemental NMN can convert into NAD+ and make its way to the bloodstream and subsequent cells that need it. 

References: 

Das A, Huang GX, Bonkowski MS, et al. Impairment of an Endothelial NAD+-H2S Signaling Network Is a Reversible Cause of Vascular Aging. Cell. 2018;173(1):74-89.e20. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.008

Igarashi M, Nakagawa-Nagahama Y, Miura M, et al. Chronic nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation elevates blood nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels and alters muscle function in healthy older men. NPJ Aging. 2022;8(1):5. Published 2022 May 1. doi:10.1038/s41514-022-00084-z

Kiss T, Nyúl-Tóth Á, Balasubramanian P, et al. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation promotes neurovascular rejuvenation in aged mice: transcriptional footprint of SIRT1 activation, mitochondrial protection, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Geroscience. 2020;42(2):527-546. doi:10.1007/s11357-020-00165-5

Mouchiroud L, Houtkooper RH, Moullan N, et al. The NAD(+)/Sirtuin Pathway Modulates Longevity through Activation of Mitochondrial UPR and FOXO Signaling. Cell. 2013;154(2):430-441. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.06.016

Nagahisa T, Yamaguchi S, Kosugi S, et al. Intestinal Epithelial NAD+ Biosynthesis Regulates GLP-1 Production and Postprandial Glucose Metabolism in Mice. Endocrinology. 2022;163(4):bqac023. doi:10.1210/endocr/bqac023

Sun C, Wang K, Stock AJ, et al. Re-equilibration of imbalanced NAD metabolism ameliorates the impact of telomere dysfunction. EMBO J. 2020;39(21):e103420. doi:10.15252/embj.2019103420