How NMN Can Help Your Kidneys Stay Healthy and Young
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think much about your kidneys until something goes wrong. But your kidneys are vital organs that perform many functions to keep you alive and well. They filter your blood, remove waste products, balance your fluids and electrolytes, regulate your blood pressure, produce hormones, and more.
Unfortunately, your kidneys are also vulnerable to damage and disease, especially as you age. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition where your kidneys gradually lose their ability to function properly. CKD affects about 15% of the adult population in the US, and it can lead to serious complications such as cardiovascular disease, anemia, bone loss, and kidney failure¹.
The causes of CKD are complex and varied, but some of the common risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, and genetic predisposition. There is no cure for CKD, and the current treatments are mainly aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease and managing the symptoms. However, there is a promising new approach that may offer a better way to protect your kidneys and prevent or delay CKD: NMN supplementation.
What is NMN and how does it work?
NMN stands for nicotinamide mononucleotide, a naturally occurring molecule that is found in small amounts in various foods, such as broccoli, cabbage, avocado, and edamame. NMN is also produced by your own body, and it plays a crucial role in the production of another molecule called NAD+.
NAD+ is a coenzyme that is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in your cells, especially those related to energy metabolism, DNA repair, and cellular signaling. NAD+ is essential for the health and function of your organs, including your kidneys.
However, NAD+ levels decline with age, due to various factors such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage. This decline in NAD+ impairs the ability of your cells to perform their normal functions and cope with stress, leading to aging and disease.
NMN supplementation can boost NAD+ levels in your body, by providing a direct precursor that can be easily converted into NAD+ by your cells. By increasing NAD+, NMN can enhance the activity of enzymes that depend on NAD+, such as sirtuins. Sirtuins are a family of proteins that regulate many aspects of cellular health, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA repair, and lifespan.
By boosting NAD+ and sirtuins, NMN can potentially improve the health and function of your kidneys, and prevent or delay the onset and progression of CKD.
What does the research say about NMN and kidney health?
Several studies have shown that NMN can have beneficial effects on kidney health in animal models of kidney disease. For example, a study by Wakino and colleagues from Tokushima University in Japan found that injecting 500 mg/kg/day of NMN reduced kidney damage in a mouse model for a rare disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which has similar pathology to age-related glomerulosclerosis⁵. NMN restored the abundance of cells that are essential for kidney waste filtration called podocytes, and increased the activation of a pro-longevity enzyme called Sirtuin-1, which reduced kidney cell damage.
Another study by Hasegawa and colleagues from the same university found that NMN injections prevented the remission of a diabetes-related kidney disorder along with other complications from diabetes, such as high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and nerve damage⁶. NMN improved the function and structure of the kidney tubules, which are responsible for reabsorbing water and nutrients from the urine, and reduced the expression of genes that promote inflammation and fibrosis in the kidney.
A recent study by Zhang and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania compared the effects of NMN and NR, another NAD+ precursor, on kidney health in a mouse model of acute kidney injury induced by a drug called cisplatin⁷. They found that both NMN and NR significantly reduced levels of two molecular markers for kidney dysfunction – creatinine and BUN. The researchers found no difference between NMN’s and NR’s effects on these kidney dysfunction markers, suggesting that both NAD+ precursors have similar benefits for kidney health.
These studies provide the first evidence that NMN can restore waste filtration cells and improve kidney function in various models of kidney disease. However, more research is needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of NMN for human kidney health, and to determine the optimal dose and duration of NMN supplementation.
How to take NMN for kidney health
If you’re interested in taking NMN for kidney health, there are a few things you should consider before you start. First, you should consult your doctor, especially if you have any existing kidney problems or other medical conditions, or if you’re taking any medications or supplements. NMN is generally considered safe and well-tolerated, but it may interact with some drugs or affect your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, or liver function.
Second, you should choose a high-quality NMN product that is pure, tested, and verified by a third-party lab. There are many NMN products on the market, but not all of them are reliable or effective. You should look for a product that has a certificate of analysis (COA) that shows the amount and purity of NMN, and that is free of contaminants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, or microbes.
Third, you should follow the dosage and frequency instructions on the product label, or as advised by your doctor. The optimal dose of NMN for kidney health is not yet established, but most studies in animals used doses ranging from 100 to 500 mg/kg/day. For humans, this would translate to about 8 to 40 mg/kg/day, or 560 to 2800 mg/day for a 70 kg person. However, these doses are based on animal studies, and may not be applicable to humans. You may want to start with a lower dose and gradually increase it, depending on your response and tolerance.
Fourth, you should monitor your kidney function and other health parameters, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and liver enzymes, while taking NMN. You can do this by getting regular blood tests and urine tests, and by keeping track of any changes in your symptoms or well-being. If you experience any adverse effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, headache, or fatigue, you should stop taking NMN and consult your doctor.
Fifth, you should combine NMN supplementation with other lifestyle factors that can support your kidney health, such as eating a balanced diet, drinking enough water, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and managing your stress levels. NMN is not a magic bullet, and it cannot reverse or cure kidney disease by itself. You need to take care of your overall health and well-being, and follow your doctor’s recommendations for your specific condition.
Conclusion
NMN is a promising supplement that can boost NAD+ levels and sirtuin activity in your body, and potentially improve your kidney health and function. NMN has been shown to reduce kidney damage and restore kidney cells in animal models of kidney disease, but more research is needed to confirm its effects in humans. If you want to try NMN for kidney health, you should consult your doctor, choose a high-quality product, follow the dosage instructions, monitor your kidney function, and adopt a healthy lifestyle. NMN may help your kidneys stay healthy and young, but it’s not a substitute for proper medical care and attention.
Source: 28/01/2024
(2) NMN Prevents Kidney Damage and Restores Kidney Function, Japanese Study …. https://www.nmn.com/news/nmn-prevents-kidney-damage.
(3) Mouse Study Shows NMN Can Prevent Diabetic Kidney Disease. https://www.nmn.com/news/nmn-diabetic-kidney-disease.
(4) Latest UPenn Study Reveals NMN and NR Have Similar Efficacy in a Kidney …. https://www.nad.com/news/nmn-nr-efficacy-kidney-disease.
(7) NAD+ and NMN: Can They Help for Kidney Health and Disease Treatment?. https://healthnews.com/health-conditions/kidney-and-urologic-diseases/update-nmn-supplements-for-kidney-diseases/.
More Studies on NMN
According to some web search results¹²³, NMN supplementation has been shown to have beneficial effects on kidney health in animal models of kidney disease. For example, NMN can restore the abundance and function of kidney cells that filter waste products, reduce kidney damage and inflammation, and prevent or delay the progression of chronic kidney disease. NMN can also protect against kidney injury induced by drugs or toxins.
However, these studies are mostly done in mice, and the effects of NMN on human kidney health are not yet well-established. There are some ongoing clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of NMN for human kidney disease, but the results are not yet available. Therefore, if you are interested in taking NMN for kidney health, you should consult your doctor first, and follow the dosage and frequency instructions on the product label. You should also monitor your kidney function and other health parameters, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and liver enzymes, while taking NMN. And you should combine NMN supplementation with other lifestyle factors that can support your kidney health, such as eating a balanced diet, drinking enough water, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and managing your stress levels.
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Source: 28/01/2024
(1) NAD+ and NMN: Can They Help for Kidney Health and Disease Treatment?. https://healthnews.com/health-conditions/kidney-and-urologic-diseases/update-nmn-supplements-for-kidney-diseases/.
(2) NMN Prevents Kidney Damage and Restores Kidney Function, Japanese Study …. https://www.nmn.com/news/nmn-prevents-kidney-damage.
(3) Scientists identify key pathway underlying kidney disease. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/scientists-identify-key-pathway-underlying-kidney-disease.
