Does NMN Lower Blood Sugar? Benefits & Clinical Evidence

Yes, NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) has been shown to lower blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity, enhancing glucose uptake in fat tissue, and increasing NAD+ levels in both animal and human studies.

NMN does not act like a traditional diabetes drug. Instead of directly lowering blood glucose, it works by rejuvenating the body’s ability to use insulin and metabolize sugar properly. 

This article reviews evidence from both clinical and preclinical studies showing how NMN improves glycemic control. We talk about inflammation, improved glucose uptake in adipose tissue, and greater pancreatic insulin secretion. 

Let’s explore how NMN does all this through its action on fat tissue, mitochondria, inflammation, and insulin regulation.

Does NMN Raise Insulin Levels In Humans?

In human studies, NMN increases insulin secretion after meals without raising blood sugar, suggesting better glucose control.

A 2023 clinical trial from Osaka University gave eleven healthy adults 250 mg of NMN daily in the morning for 3 months. Researchers found that NMN raised insulin levels after meals (within 2 hours) as follows:

• 2 months of NMN treatment: insulin levels after meals raised by 5 folds. 

• 3 months of NMN treatment: insulin levels after meals raised by 4 folds. 

And while the insulin level had increased, the blood sugar levels stayed consistent. 

Figure taken from Yamane et al., 2023.

Insulin is the compound that helps in lower blood sugar levels. Therefore, NMN’s ability to increase the levels of insulin without raising blood glucose levels suggests that it may be able to help with diabetes. 

These findings suggest NMN improves postprandial (after-meal) insulin response without hypoglycemia, a hallmark of metabolic resilience.

Does NMN Help Lower Blood Sugar In Diabetes Models?

Yes, in animal models of type 2 diabetes, NMN restores insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels by boosting NAD+ and reversing metabolic dysfunction.

In a study, diabetic mice were treated with NMN (500 mg/kg) for ten days. NMN restored NAD+ levels in the liver. And it also significantly improved glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity in the liver. 

That’s really important because whenever we eat something, it produces excess glucose in the body, and that excess glucose needs to be stored somewhere. Insulin converts excess glucose to glycogen and helps safely stow it away in the liver. 

When people develop diabetes, this mechanism gets disrupted due to insulin resistance. This is a phenomenon where your body stops responding to insulin. As a result, excess glucose cannot be converted into glycogen and this raises blood glucose levels. 

But NMN’s ability to improve insulin sensitivity suggests that it may be able to revitalize your liver’s glucose metabolism by making it more receptive to insulin. 

Does NMN Work Better Than Other Nad+ Boosters For Diabetes?

NMN might be more efficient at raising NAD+ and improving metabolic markers than other precursors like NR.

NR needs to be converted to NMN before it can form NAD+. On the other hand, NMN can directly lead to the production of NAD+.

And scientists recently found that NMN can directly enter cells directly via the Slc12a8 transporter - a mechanism confirmed in mouse intestines. Think of Slc12a8 like a VIP door for NMN to enter the club. 

This means that NMN, when absorbed, might be more efficient at raising NAD+ levels compared to NR. 

Is NMN Safe For People With Blood Sugar Concerns?

Yes, NMN has been proven safe in both healthy individuals and those with metabolic risks like prediabetes.

The Yamane study reported no adverse effects, even among individuals with unusually high NMN absorption. 

Moreover, a randomized controlled trial in overweight women with prediabetes showed that 250 mg/day of NMN for ten weeks improved skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity without altering fasting glucose levels. 

This suggests that even for people living with complex metabolic disorders like diabetes or pre-diabetes, NMN is still safe to administer in a controlled amount. 

Final Thoughts: Does NMN Lower Blood Sugar?

Yes—scientific evidence from both human and animal studies shows that NMN helps lower blood sugar by improving insulin function, NAD+ levels, and inflammation.

Rather than forcing blood sugar down like a pharmaceutical, NMN strengthens the body’s natural metabolic control system. It restores insulin sensitivity, which is critical for long-term glucose regulation.

NMN’s mechanism involves modulating insulin signaling across liver, fat, and muscle. These multi-tissue effects create a synergistic foundation for glucose homeostasis.

If you are serious about improving your energy, blood sugar, and cellular resilience—NMN may be worth considering. 

Clinical doses of NMN typically range from 250–500 mg/day, while food sources offer only trace amounts. However, achieving a dose of 250 mg/day might be difficult without Ultra Pure NMN.

To support your metabolic health with precision, consider a pharmaceutical-grade NMN supplement that meets the standards used in clinical trials.

References

• Yamane, T., Imai, M., Bamba, T., & Uchiyama, S. (2023). Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) intake increases plasma NMN and insulin levels in healthy subjects. Clinical nutrition ESPEN, 56, 83–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.04.031
  
• Yoshino, J., Mills, K. F., Yoon, M. J., & Imai, S. (2011). Nicotinamide mononucleotide, a key NAD(+) intermediate, treats the pathophysiology of diet- and age-induced diabetes in mice. Cell metabolism, 14(4), 528–536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2011.08.014
  
• Cohen, P., Nimmo, H. G., & Proud, C. G. (1978). How does insulin stimulate glycogen synthesis?. Biochemical Society symposium, (43), 69–95.
  
• Freeman, A. M., Acevedo, L. A., & Pennings, N. (2023). Insulin Resistance. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
  
• Alegre, G. F. S., & Pastore, G. M. (2023). NAD+ Precursors Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): Potential Dietary Contribution to Health. Current nutrition reports, 12(3), 445–464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-023-00475-y
  
• Grozio, A., Mills, K. F., Yoshino, J., Bruzzone, S., Sociali, G., Tokizane, K., Lei, H. C., Cunningham, R., Sasaki, Y., Migaud, M. E., & Imai, S. I. (2019). Slc12a8 is a nicotinamide mononucleotide transporter. Nature metabolism, 1(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-018-0009-4
  
• Yoshino, M., Yoshino, J., Kayser, B. D., Patti, G. J., Franczyk, M. P., Mills, K. F., Sindelar, M., Pietka, T., Patterson, B. W., Imai, S. I., & Klein, S. (2021). Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science (New York, N.Y.), 372(6547), 1224–1229. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe9985