Efficacy of oral nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism for adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials
Jiaqi Zhang et al. · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · 2025
DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PopulationAdults enrolled in NMN randomized controlled trials
Sample12 studies; 513 participants
InterventionOral NMN versus control across included randomized trials
EndpointsBlood NAD-related measures; Glucose metabolism; Insulin resistance; Lipid metabolism; Body composition and related metabolic outcomes
What the publication reported
This systematic review synthesized randomized trials of oral NMN in adults, focusing on glucose and lipid metabolism.
The review found that NMN reliably increased blood NAD-related measures, while evidence for improvements in conventional metabolic outcomes was inconsistent or not statistically convincing across pooled analyses.
The distinction matters: biochemical target engagement is better established than broad metabolic efficacy.
Key findings
Twelve studies involving 513 participants were included.
Blood NAD-related concentrations increased after NMN supplementation.
Evidence for consistent improvements in glucose and lipid metabolism was limited.
The review emphasized heterogeneity across doses, populations and trial designs.
What it cannot establish
Underlying trials were generally small and short.
Substantial heterogeneity existed across study populations and interventions.
Many outcomes were surrogate biomarkers rather than clinical outcomes.
Results should not be interpreted as evidence of disease prevention or longevity.
HealthspanX claim boundary: This review does not establish that oral NMN prevents or treats diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity or age-related metabolic disease.
