# Is NMN the same as vitamin b3, niacin, NA nicotinic acid? Does Nam nicotinamide or NR nicotinamide riboside do the same job?

**URL:** <https://forum.plantpills.co.uk/t/is-nmn-the-same-as-vitamin-b3-niacin-na-nicotinic-acid-does-nam-nicotinamide-or-nr-nicotinamide-riboside-do-the-same-job/268>\
**Category:** General discussion\
**Created:** [September 21, 2019, 9:38am UTC](https://forum.plantpills.co.uk/t/is-nmn-the-same-as-vitamin-b3-niacin-na-nicotinic-acid-does-nam-nicotinamide-or-nr-nicotinamide-riboside-do-the-same-job/268 "2019-09-21T09:38:36Z")\
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**Author:** ![Adam](https://forum.plantpills.co.uk/user_avatar/forum.plantpills.co.uk/adam/32/163_2.png) [@Adam](https://forum.plantpills.co.uk/u/Adam)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 9:38am UTC](https://forum.plantpills.co.uk/t/is-nmn-the-same-as-vitamin-b3-niacin-na-nicotinic-acid-does-nam-nicotinamide-or-nr-nicotinamide-riboside-do-the-same-job/268/1 "2019-09-21T09:38:37Z")

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[NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide)](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn), Vitamin B3 (niacin, NA, Nicotinic Acid), Nam (Nicotinamide) and NR (Nicotinamide Riboside are all different.

The aim of these molecules is boosting Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels.

NAD+ levels naturally decline as the body ages [[14]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading), by up to 50% in human skin tissue by the age of 40-60[[15]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading).

The below chart shows the NAD+ biosynthesis pathways:

 ![06](https://forum.plantpills.co.uk/uploads/default/original/1X/11251af06ab767e17cf69969981baa1c62dd34a0.png)  
[Source - Metabolic aspects of neuronal degeneration: From a NAD+ point of view.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30006197) 

Supplementing with NAD+ itself is not an option to boost NAD+ levels, because it is too big to readily cross cell membranes to enter cells, and therefore would be unable to positively affect metabolism [[23]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading).

## Vitamin B3 (niacin, NA, Nicotinic Acid)

Niacin, Vitamin B3, or NA (Nicotinic Acid) is able to increase NAD+ levels, but not universally - it does not act as a precursor to NAD+ in important areas such as the brain, skeletal muscle or neurons.  
It also often leads to severe flushing, as nicotinic acid binds to the GPR109A receptor[[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16322797),[2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18429699)].  
In order to be converted to NAD+ by the body, vitamin b3 or niacin or NA (nicotinic acid) is converted to NaMN ( nicotinic acid mononucleotide), and then to NaAD ( Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide), and then to NAD+.

## NR (Nicotinamide Riboside)

Nicotinamide Riboside is converted to NMN by phosphorylation with the help of nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK1 and NRK2)[[3](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15137942/)]. The NMN formed is then enzymatically converted to NAD+.

## Nam (Nicotinamide)

Nicotinamide is converted to NMN by the body [[4]](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21517777), which is then enzymatically converted to NAD+.

## NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide)

[NMN](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn) is enzymatically converted to NAD+ by the body.  
Supplementing with NMN, a precursor to NAD+, has been shown to increase NAD+ levels in mice [[3]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading), and is expected to show increased NAD+ levels in humans when clinical trials are completed, as other NAD+ precursors have done[[29,30]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading).  
Multiple human trials are currently in progress [[10,11,31]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading), with NMN at least appearing to be safe for humans to consume, and preliminary results are said to be promising[[12]](https://www.plantpills.co.uk/nmn#references-and-further-reading).