NMN Benefits - Mental Health
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"NMN benefits mental health by improving depressive-like behaviors, increasing sleep duration in patients with insomnia, and improving sleep quality."
Mental health impacts our lives across the board. According to WHO mental health statistics, one in five adults suffers from a mental health disorder. Mental health conditions have increased by 13% over the past decade, and the increase has been further accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression, one of the most common mental disorders, is a serious medical condition that negatively impacts people's thoughts and behavior.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression include:
- low energy
- loss of interest in life
- sorrow
- Weight fluctuations
- memory loss
- thoughts of suicide
. It is also said that about 7% of adults experience at least one episode of depression each year.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an abundant molecule in the body, and numerous proteins use NAD+ to repair damaged DNA. As we age, NAD+ levels decline, potentially leading to mental health issues such as depression, cognitive decline, and sleep disturbances. So, could increasing NAD+ levels through NMN (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) help address these issues? In this episode, we'll explore whether NMN supplementation can benefit mental health.
NMN improves depressive-like behavior in depressed mice.
To study the interaction between NMN and depression, researchers induced depression in mice by injecting them with 20 mg/kg of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT). After four weeks of stress hormone injections, the researchers administered an additional 300 mg/kg of NMN for two weeks. When assessing the mice's behavioral performance, they found that the NMN-treated mice exhibited less depressive behavior than untreated mice.
* When corticosterone was administered to rodents, behaviors similar to human depression symptoms such as anxiety, abandonment, and cognitive decline were observed.
To assess the rats' behavior, a method called the "forced swim test" was used. When the rats were placed in a water-filled tank, they would naturally try to swim, and this test quantified how long they would try to stay afloat. Healthy rats would remain afloat and not give up swimming, while depressed rats would give up swimming more quickly. The results of this experiment showed that rats administered corticosterone and NMN together swam longer in the tank than rats administered corticosterone alone. These results indicate that NMN could alleviate depressive-like behavior in rats.
Fig 1. Time spent stationary in the forced swim test (FST), i.e., time until swimming was abandoned (s).
NMN Improves Mitochondrial Function in Depressed Mice
So how does NMN intake improve depressive-like behaviors? NMN supplementation increases NAD+ levels, which enhances sirtuin (SIRT) 3 activity and improves mitochondrial energy metabolism in the hippocampus and liver of mice. Consequently, improved mitochondrial function alleviates depressive behaviors.
Fig . 2. How NMN supplementation reduces depressive behavior in mice.
NMN also improves chronic sleep disorders.
Sleep disorders aren't as serious as depression, but they are a common condition affecting more than 20% of the population. They range from the common insomnia, which causes difficulty falling asleep, to persistent daytime sleepiness despite feeling well rested, to disrupted sleep rhythms, which causes difficulty falling asleep and waking. This time, we'll explore the relationship between insomnia, the most common of all sleep disorders, and NMN.
To study the interaction between NMN and insomnia, the researchers induced insomnia in mice by injecting them with p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). The PCPA-treated mice were additionally injected with NMN for seven days. When comparing the sleep latency and sleep duration of the mice, they found that the NMN-treated mice had shorter sleep latency but longer sleep duration than the untreated mice.
Fig. 3. Sleep latency (s) and sleep duration (s)
An In-Depth Study of the Effects of NMN on Insomnia
Having previously demonstrated that NMN is effective in treating insomnia in mice, we examined its effects on actual insomnia patients to further confirm its effectiveness. Fifty-eight middle-aged insomnia patients were randomly divided into NMN and control groups, and the effects of NMN on insomnia were observed and compared. The effects were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and sleep latency data.
Tab 1. Total PSQI score and sleep latency in the NMN group and the control group
As a result, scores on the Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) were significantly higher in the NMN group than in the control group. In addition to PSQI scores, sleep latency was also reduced in the NMN group.
Fig 4. Percentage of deep sleep recorded by smart band (%)
Additionally, sleep data recorded by the smart band indicated better sleep quality in the NMN group. These results demonstrate that NMN administration increases sleep duration, deep sleep percentage, and REM sleep percentage in patients with insomnia, while reducing light sleep percentage and the frequency of awakenings.
NMN has been shown to have beneficial effects on mental health, relieving symptoms of depression and insomnia. Therefore, consistent NMN intake can have a positive impact on our mental health.
[References and Figure Source]
[1] Depression
[2] Association between NMN and depression
https://www.nmn.com/news/nmn-improves-depression-symptoms
[3] Association between NMN and insomnia
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464622001013
[4] In-depth study on the effects of NMN on insomnia.
https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-023-07351-8
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