Dr. Andrew Huberman to Joe Rogan: “I Think That Keeping NMN on the Market as a Supplement Would Be Wonderful”

Stanford neuroscientist, Dr. Andrew Huberman (FAQs) was a guest on the Joe Rogan podcast yesterday. Here’s what he said about NAD+ boosting supplement NMN (FAQs, Anecdotes):

DR. Andrew Huberman (podcast embedded below):

“So, NAD is critical to energy production in all cells.

Levels of NAD tend to go down as we age.

It’s an absolute requirement for cellular health and life.

You need it.

Some years ago, David Sinclair, came on this podcast — tenured professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School — and other laboratories were starting to explore stimulating the NAD pathways as a tool for extending lifespan in mice.

And there were already some data from yeast.

There are now some clinical trials…

You can’t just take NAD — or you can, but it doesn’t get into cells very easily.

But, basically, there are two ways you can tickle this pathway and increase NAD.

One is to take NMN — which, the idea is it gets into cells and is converted into NAD.

Some people are more proponents of taking NR.

The end product is thought to be the same.

However, there’s a lot of controversy about whether NMN or NR are better.

NR was initially sold under the brand name Elysium, with an unbelievable cast of advisors — Nobel Prize winners…

It was a very East Coast thing.

A colleague of mine, right downstairs from me at the Stanford School of Medicine, who has a Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of RNA, Roger Kornberg — his daddy discovered RNA, Arthur Kornberg…

There was literally an ad of him holding a Tru Niagen (NR brand) bottle like this — and I’m like, I better start to pay attention to this.

NR and NMN are taken in oral form, capsules.

Some people are giving NAD infusions out there. This is a more expensive, boutique thing.

But, after David (Sinclair) started talking about NMN, a lot of people including myself started experimenting with it.

Now, just to take a step back, a lot of people out there are like, “if there isn’t a double-blind, placebo controlled trial, then why would you ever take something”?

And, then, there are a lot of people like David, like me — a lot of people who think if there are mouse data or something safe, why wouldn’t I try?

Because when it comes to longevity, nobody wants to be in the control group.

So, this is a highly contentious field.

You can take NMN as a sublingual powder.

ROGAN:

Which seems to be more effective, NMN or NR?

HUBERMAN:

There are people who will argue NR..

ROGAN:

Are there people taking both?

HUBERMAN:

I was taking both for awhile.

ROGAN:

How’d you feel?

HUBERMAN:

I felt like I had more energy.

Now, it’s subjective.

But, I still take NMN sublingually.

I take a pretty high dose.

The recommendation was anywhere from 500 milligrams to about a gram and a half.

I take a powder and put it under my tongue.

ROGAN:

How are you getting this powder?

HUBERMAN:

You can buy it from Renue by Science. I have no relationship with Renue by Science.

ROGAN:

But now it’s banned officially?

HUBERMAN:

This last year, something was sent to the FDA…

There’s a company called Metro International Biotech.

This is a company that has a trial — they’re studying something similar to NMN, it’s a slight variation on NMN.

It’s an experimental drug.

And, the way the FDA works is, if something is being explored as an experimental, potential prescription drug or pharmaceutical, it can’t be sold as a supplement.

So, it’s a question of what went in first.

Now, this happened a few years ago for something called NAC.

And NAC is still available despite it initially getting banned.

And I’ll tell you how it was rescued.

It turns out that Metro International Biotech, a company that has a pretty impressive advisory board — Li-Huei Tsai from MIT, who I know.

David Sinclair is part of the company. It’s either his company or he’s certainly on the advisory board. That’s what the website says.

So, there are a lot of people that are a bit inflamed because this thing was popularized by the discussion of NMN and its potential virtues.

And, now, the FDA sent out a ruling early this year that supplement companies cannot sell it.

Many supplement companies responded to that and said “ok, we won’t sell it”.

Other companies such as Renue by Science have continued to sell it.

The bags of it are the best way to go because you can buy it in pretty high volume and the bags are canisters.

And, I personally take about 2 grams per morning under my tongue.

Definitely, subjective feeling of an increase in energy.

ROGAN:

And you believe sublingual is the way to go as opposed to oral form, pills?

HUBERMAN:

Yes. That’s because Attia (Dr. Peter)…

Attia says there’s no way that’s going to get into your cells taking it as capsules.

And I said “what about sublingually”? And he said, “I don’t know how it could happen”.

ROGAN:

But it’s been proven that it gets in through IV.

HUBERMAN:

Right. It gets in through IV. And, also NAD patches. So, it’s a patch you put on — it’s a slow release of NAD.

It’s good stuff.

…So people are upset because they feel like they were turned onto this stuff and it’s now…

So, this could soon be a prescription drug.

Now, keep in mind the resveratrol thing was similar in the sense that a variation on resveratrol was patented and sold to a pharmaceutical company.

And that sort of didn’t pan out — or is a work in progress.

And you can still buy resveratrol.

So, the FDA decided to let NAC stay on the market because many, many people wrote letters to the FDA saying this is of value. It was out as a supplement. You can’t do that.

So, part of the reasons I think it’s healthy to have this conversation is to understand how this stuff happens.

NMN could soon be a prescription drug.

And then, I think, Metro International Biotech will likely hold the patent.

If people are interested in certain compounds remaining on the market, they should definitely write to the FDA.

The FDA — they listen when things happen in large volume.

And I’m certainly going to write letters.

And I think that keeping NMN on the market as a supplement would be wonderful for many people that want to take it.

Now, the folks who are involved with NR companies are delighted.

Again, I’m not going to get involved in the debate which one is better, NR or NMN because I don’t have the expertise to parse that. There are other people who are better suited to do that.

But the people that work on NR are thinking, “this is great, let this whole NMN thing pan out”.

ROGAN:

Does NR have a shelf life?

HUBERMAN:

I didn’t refrigerate my Tru Niagen.

And, I liked my Tru Niagen.

I experienced the same effects.

Again, I have no relationship with that company. They’re not a podcast sponsor. They don’t pay me a dime.

The problem is it’s very expensive to take the kind of dosages I’m taking.

I didn’t experience much of a subjective effect at low dosages.

But, with NMN, a couple of things happened.

First of all, energy, recovery from workouts was much better.

I had to take it early in the day because it was giving me a lot of energy.

And, then, I’m not into my nails and hair, frankly. But I did notice my hair and nails grow at a ridiculous rate.

And then I came off it as a control experiment, it slowed down again.

So, it was really interesting. I think there’s something there in cellular growth pathways.

And I didn’t change anything else.

I was still doing bloodwork.

Is it going to make me live longer? I don’t know.

But the day I die I won’t know whether I’d have lived shorter or longer anyway…

So, I really like the sublingual NMN”

Related:

• NEW: In New AMA, Dr. Huberman Says NR and NMN Give Him “Sustained Mental & Physical Energy” (Link)
• Stanford Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman on His Sister’s Experience Taking NMN (Link)
• Does Dr. Huberman Take NAD+ Supplements NMN or NR? (Link)
• Top 22 NMN Brands on Amazon Were Lab Tested for Potency; One Remarkable Takeaway (Link)
• NMN and Dr. David Sinclair (FAQs and Anecdotes)
• NR (FAQs + Dosage) (Life-Changing Anecdotes)

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