Top 5 Metabolic Benefits of NMN For Cardiovascular Health

The cardiovascular system comprises the heart and blood vessels. Its primary function is facilitating the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to body cells and metabolic waste away from the cell. Therefore, a healthy cardiovascular system is essential to optimum cell function for overall body health.

According to one publication, the cardiovascular system demands high energy production from metabolic substrates to sustain its function. However, aging changes the heart and blood vessel muscles, altering its energy consumption, which affects the body’s metabolic system.

Fortunately, while you cannot reserve aging, advances in gerontology or the study of aging present nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) as a potential solution to age-related cardiovascular health problems. Below is an overview of how NMN may help restore cardiovascular and metabolic system homeostasis.

1. NMN Increases NAD+Levels

Besides its function as a co-enzyme, NAD+ plus concentrations in body cells (including cardiac system cells) are crucial to maintaining the cell’s oxidation-reduction homeostasis. Moreover, the molecule helps maintain the body’s optimum metabolism.  

However, NAD+ levels decrease with age, and its low concentration is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome features a cluster of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and hypertension, all of which increase the risk of developing heart disease. 

Fortunately, NMN supplementation increases NAD+ levels, helping to restore cell metabolism, and homeostasis, reducing the chances of developing metabolic syndrome. Moreover, one publication highlighted a 2021 study that established NMN side effects NMN side effects as predominantly mild.

2. NMN May Support Blood Vessel Function

Blood vessels are crucial cardiovascular system elements, functioning as conduits via which the blood carrying oxygen and nutrients connects to body organs, tissues, and cells. The closed blood vessel system features arteries, veins, and capillaries. 

Essentially, the arteries have thicker walls and high elasticity because they pump blood away from the heart towards the body’s extremities. However, aging causes the arterial walls to stiffen, limiting their optimal function in pumping blood.

Aging affects connective tissue formation in the heart, causing the arterial walls to stiffen and lose elasticity. Stiff arterial walls cause the heart to work harder to pump blood to the extremities. Additionally, impaired arterial blood-pumping function affects how arteries and capillaries work because all three blood vessel types constitute a closed network.

Metabolic syndrome is among the factors associated with structural and functional vascular abnormalities, including arterial wall stiffening. Metabolic-induced arterial wall stiffening due to aging is a risk factor for various heart diseases, including hypertension.

However, NMN supplementation may help alleviate age-related blood vessel dysfunction. NMN is a precursor for the formation of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a co-enzyme involved in the metabolic pathway.

According to a review of NAD+ and its role in metabolism and cellular processes, the co-enzyme mediates multiple cellular functions, including metabolic pathways. NAD+ is a co-enzyme for sirtuin1 (one enzyme that modulates cell metabolism) and functions by activating the protein. 

Another research study conducted using mice models established that Sirtuin1 had a protective effect against metabolic-induced aortic stiffness in aging mice. Therefore, NMN consumption supplementation supports blood vessel function by increasing NAD+ concentration in the blood, inadvertently enhancing Sirtuin! Activity against metabolism-induced arterial stiffness.

3. NMN May Induce Antiinflammation Effects

Besides impeding blood vessel function, aging’s effect on metabolism also causes endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial cells are crucial to cardiovascular system homeostasis. Cardiovascular homeostasis entails blood flow regulation to all body parts and organs, ensuring each organ has ample blood supply, regardless of whether the body is working or resting.

However, the aging cardiovascular system may experience age-related endothelial senescence. Endothelial senescence is an unobtrusive cardiac dysfunction characterized by impaired endothelial dilation function, limiting blood flow to the organs. Oxidative stress is likely a contributor to cell inflammation that causes endothelial senescence.

Oxidative stress is among the factors involved in metabolic syndrome’s pathogenesis (disease development). However, NMN supplementation may alleviate the oxidative stress-induced inflammation that causes endothelial senescence. One study highlights that NMN potentially tackles inflammation by decreasing pro-inflammatory protein expression and inhibiting inflammation-related pathways.

4. NMN May Enhance Nitric Oxide Production

The endothelial function in the cardiovascular system facilitates vasodilation. The endothelial cells involved in vasodilation rely on the nitric oxide they produce as the primary relaxation factor facilitating their vasodilation function. 

Besides its role as a relaxation factor in vasodilation, nitric acid functions as a signaling molecule. Therefore, NO transmits message signals among cells and mediates in various pathways, including inflammatory responses and regulation of iron channels.

However, nitric oxide production decreases with age, particularly among inactive individuals. Low NO levels reduce its capacity to modulate pro-inflammatory activities that cause endothelial senescence and increase the risk of heart disease. However, NMN’s anti-inflammatory potential to increase endothelial capacity may also increase nitric oxide production and inflammation regulation.

5. NMN May Optimize Blood Sugar Utilization

Glucose metabolism changes with age and may result in prediabetes and insulin resistance. Insulin is a significant molecule in normal metabolic function because it modulates the release of fat and glucose molecules into the bloodstream for energy production.

Insulin resistance means more fats and glucose molecules get released into the bloodstream and calcify (build-up) along blood vessel walls, hampering normal cardiac function. However, one study conducted among women with pre-diabetes established that NMN potentially increases muscle insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling.

Conclusion:

NMN’s therapeutic benefits have a ripple effect from modulating normal metabolic function to inadvertently reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease development. Therefore, Consider consulting your doctor on how to add NMN to your daily routine for cardiovascular health.