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NMN and NR: Appetite and Cravings Changes Explained

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At a glance

  • What trials measured / Blood and muscle NAD+, insulin sensitivity, body composition, walking and grip tests [1][2][3][4]
  • Body weight and body composition / No group-by-time difference in weight or HbA1c with NMN in Yoshino 2021; no body composition improvement with NR in Dollerup 2018 [1][2]
  • Muscle NAD+ / NR 1 g/day for 21 days did not significantly raise muscle NAD+ in 12 older men [4]
  • Metabolic bottom line / 12 studies, 513 people: NMN raised blood NAD, but most clinical outcomes were not significantly different from control [5]
  • Regulatory status / Oral dietary supplements in the US; neither is an FDA-approved drug [6]

What the human trials measured

The trials tracked blood and tissue NAD+, insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, body composition, walking speed and grip strength [1][4][3][5].

Yoshino 2021 (Science) gave NMN 250 mg/day or placebo for 10 weeks to postmenopausal women with prediabetes who were overweight or obese; 25 women completed (13 NMN, 12 placebo). Insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, measured by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, increased after NMN but did not change after placebo [1]. There was no group-by-time difference in body weight or HbA1c (HbA1c interaction p=0.396) [1].

In a 12-week trial of 40 sedentary obese men aged 40-70, NR 1,000 mg twice daily did not improve insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, lipolysis, or body composition [2]. In 12 men aged 70-80, NR 1 g/day for 21 days did not significantly raise muscle NAD+, and mitochondrial respiration, grip strength, insulin sensitivity and muscle blood flow were unchanged [4].

Two 2025 meta-analyses pooled the trials. The muscle review found no significant effect of NMN on skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength, gait speed or the five-times chair stand test [3]. The metabolic review pooled 12 studies with 513 participants and found NMN raised blood NAD but most clinical outcomes were not significantly different from control [5].

What the trials reported as side effects

In a 6-week crossover study of NR 1,000 mg/day in adults aged 55-79, there were 14 mild adverse events in 7 participants (nausea, flushing, leg cramps, bruising) and no serious events [7]. NR 2,000 mg/day for 12 weeks in 40 obese men produced no serious adverse events [2], and NMN 1,250 mg once daily for up to 4 weeks in 31 healthy adults produced no severe adverse events or clinically relevant laboratory changes [8]. Safety beyond about 12 weeks is not established, and trials ranged from 12 to 140 participants [9]. A literature search identified no human drug-interaction studies of NMN or NR [9].

Frequently asked questions

Does NMN reduce appetite?
Not shown. Yoshino 2021 gave NMN 250 mg/day or placebo for 10 weeks to postmenopausal women with prediabetes. Insulin-stimulated glucose disposal rose with NMN and did not change with placebo, and there was no group-by-time difference in weight or HbA1c [1]. The outcomes described for that trial were insulin sensitivity, weight and HbA1c; none concerned appetite [1].
Does NR affect food cravings?
Not shown. Cravings were not an outcome in the NR trials, which tracked blood and muscle NAD+, insulin sensitivity by clamp, energy expenditure, lipolysis and body composition [2][4]. In 40 sedentary obese men, NR 1,000 mg twice daily for 12 weeks did not improve insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, lipolysis or body composition [2].
Is NMN legal to buy in the US?
NMN and NR are sold as oral dietary supplements and neither is an FDA-approved drug [6]. Trade press reported that FDA took the position in 2022 that NMN was excluded from the supplement definition. Reports of FDA's response to a citizen petition, dated 2025-09-29, say FDA reversed that and now concludes NMN is not excluded [6]. NMN is still a new dietary ingredient, so new-dietary-ingredient notification rules apply [6].
Do NMN or NR interact with prescription drugs?
No human drug-interaction studies of NMN or NR covering CYP enzymes, drug transporters or pharmacodynamic effects were identified, so neither a lack of interaction nor a specific interaction can be claimed [9].

References

  1. Yoshino M, Yoshino J, Kayser BD, Patti GJ, Franczyk MP, Mills KF, et al. Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science. 2021;372(6547):1224-1229. Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women
  2. Dollerup OL, Christensen B, Svart M, Schmidt MS, Sulek K, Ringgaard S, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(2):343-353. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects
  3. Prokopidis K, Moriarty F, Bahat G, McLean J, Church DD, Patel HP. The Effect of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide and Riboside on Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025;16(3):e13799. The Effect of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide and Riboside on Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  4. Elhassan YS, Kluckova K, Fletcher RS, Schmidt MS, Garten A, Doig CL, et al. Nicotinamide Riboside Augments the Aged Human Skeletal Muscle NAD+ Metabolome and Induces Transcriptomic and Anti-inflammatory Signatures. Cell Rep. 2019;28(7):1717-1728.e6. Nicotinamide Riboside Augments the Aged Human Skeletal Muscle NAD+ Metabolome and Induces Transcriptomic and Anti-inflammatory Signatures
  5. Zhang J, Poon ET, Wong SH. Efficacy of oral nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism for adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2025;65(22):4382-4400. Efficacy of oral nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism for adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials
  6. Official web page. Official web page
  7. Martens CR, Denman BA, Mazzo MR, Armstrong ML, Reisdorph N, McQueen MB, et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):1286. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults
  8. Fukamizu Y, Uchida Y, Shigekawa A, Sato T, Kosaka H, Sakurai T. Safety evaluation of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide oral administration in healthy adult men and women. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):14442. Safety evaluation of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide oral administration in healthy adult men and women
  9. Freeberg KA, Udovich CC, Martens CR, Seals DR, Craighead DH. Dietary Supplementation With NAD+-Boosting Compounds in Humans: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023;78(12):2435-2448. Dietary Supplementation With NAD+-Boosting Compounds in Humans: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
Evidence overview for nad nmn: NMN and NR: Appetite and Cravings Changes Explained