The health of the older adults has been the focus of the health field, and decreased sleep quality and physical and psychological fatigue can result in decreased quality of life as well as increased mortality.

Recently, Mijin Kim et al. published in nutrients titled “Effect of 12-Week Intake of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide on Sleep Quality, Fatigue, and Physical Performance in Older Japanese Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study”. The study aims to confirm the effect of NMN intake on the elder adult’s sleep quality, sleepiness, and physical function. Therefore, the author conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled experiment, subsequent use the scale of NMN intake effect.

    108 elder adults participated in the study, and the subjects were assigned to four groups(NMN-AM group、NMN-PM group、Placebo-AM group、Placebo-PM group). The first two groups were experimental groups, and the last two groups were control groups. Participants received oral NMN (250 mg) or placebo daily for 12 consecutive weeks. To compare the effect of intake at different times, NMN, and placebo am were taken after waking up to 12:00 am, NMN, and placebo pm were from 18:00 PM to bedtime, and each participant recorded their intake status in a diary.（Fignure. 1）

Figure. 1

Later, the effects of sleep, sleepiness, and physical functioning in older adults with NMN or placebo were measured. Among them, sleep quality was measured by PSQI (Pittsburgh sleep mass index), fatigue was measured by the "jikaku-sho shirabe" scale of the Industrial Fatigue Research Committee of Japan Occupational Health, and the authors measured body function by grip strength, 5-times sit-to-stand (5-STS), timed up and go (TUG) and 5-m habitual walk.

Experimental result：

1. Effects of NMN intake on sleep quality

From the analysis data disclosed by the authors, it can be seen that after ingesting the supplement, the subjects' sleep duration, sleep latency, sleep disturbance scores, sleep quality scores, and overall PSQI global scores all showed significant main effects. That said, taking supplements can improve sleep quality in older adults.

Furthermore, the authors found that NMN ingestion in the afternoon had a more significant effect on sleep latency, sleep disturbance scores, daytime dysfunction scores, sleep quality scores, and PSQI global index in the elderly, implying that compared with taking NMN or placebo at other periods (e.g., morning) , taking NMN in the afternoon significantly improved the sleep quality of the elderly.(Figure. 2)

The authors' experiments show that the improvement of sleep quality in the elderly is indeed caused by taking NMN. Meanwhile, they further confirm that taking NMN in the afternoon is better.

Figure. 2

2. Effects of NMN intake on fatigue in older adults

The results showed that the intake of supplements significantly improved fatigue. Also, in all the four controls, subjects took NMN in the afternoon. These results indicate that taking NMN in the afternoon had the most significant effect on fatigue.(Figure. 3)

Figure. 3

3. Effect of ingesting NMN on Physical Performance

Previous studies in mice have demonstrated that NMN intake (100 mg/kg/day) significantly increases walking (whole-body movement).

    In this study in humans, the authors further showed that afternoon NMN intake was most effective in enhancing lower limb function evaluated by 5-STS and TUG compared to other groups, providing supporting evidence for previous studies that NMN intake effectively improves mobility in mice and humans.(Figure.4)

Figure. 4

This study suggests that NMN intake positively affect sleep parameters and that afternoon NMN intake is effective in improving sleepiness in sleep among several factors of subjective fatigue. Overall, this study suggests that the afternoon intake of NMN is more effective in improving lower limb function and reducing sleepiness in older adults, which may further benefit their physical and mental health. This study further confirmed the effectiveness and authenticity of NMN for the health of the elderly while providing the direction for when to take NMN is the most effective.

Moreover, the study further confirmed the safety of taking NMN, and NMN safety has been widespread concern among consumers. The NMN group took 250mg/day daily for 12 weeks and supplement intake exceeded 95%. Furthermore, this study also did not report the side effects of NMN intake when compared to previous studies.

Founded in 2012, BONTAC has focused on coenzyme research and development for ten years and is committed to the production of green coenzymes using whole enzyme catalytic technology. It has been updated to the third generation, with an annual output of 100 tons of coenzymes. Recently, the 200-ton NMN production line factory has been under construction. The purity of Bontac NMN raw materials is more than 99.5%, frozen storage for 36 months, and the product purity is stable, which is the first choice of many well-known research institutions and enterprises at home and abroad. At present, Bontac has been the raw material supplier of over 30 scientific research institutions and 1000 companys around the world, with annual sales of over 150 million; the industries widely praised it.

Reference：

Kim, Mijin, et al. "Effect of 12-Week Intake of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide on Sleep Quality, Fatigue, and Physical Performance in Older Japanese Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study." Nutrients 14.4 (2022): 755.