When Andrew Huberman casually dropped on Joe Rogan’s podcast that he takes “about 2 grams of NMN sublingually each morning,” the longevity complement world misplaced its collective thoughts.
Not precisely what you’d count on from a Stanford neuroscientist, proper? However that’s NMN for you: the complement that’s bought everybody from Silicon Valley biohackers to your neighbor’s CrossFit coach satisfied they’ve discovered the molecular fountain of youth.
Right here’s the factor, although. Huberman isn’t some wellness influencer shilling merchandise between yoga poses. The man runs an precise neurobiology lab, publishes peer-reviewed analysis, and when he says he’s taking one thing, he’s often bought receipts. So when he revealed his full NMN protocol in a 2023 AMA episode (full with dosages, timing, and what it really looks like), folks listened.
I’ve spent the final three weeks going by each podcast episode, interview, and Instagram publish the place Huberman mentions NMN. And truthfully? His take is far more nuanced than the “longevity miracle” headlines counsel.
What Huberman Truly Takes (And Why That Issues)
Let’s lower straight to what everybody desires to know: Sure, Huberman takes NMN. However not for the explanations you would possibly suppose.
His protocol is surprisingly simple. Each morning, inside an hour or two of waking up, he takes 1-2 grams of NMN from Renue by Science (use code ‘brainflow’ for 10% off) sublingually (that’s the under-the-tongue technique). He additionally takes 500mg of NR (nicotinamide riboside), NMN’s chemical cousin, in capsule type. Generally each, generally he alternates. He’s experimented sufficient to know what works for his physique.
“I take NR and NMN as a result of I like the way it makes me really feel,” he stated in his podcast with Peter Attia. “It will increase my vitality ranges within the morning and all through the day… and I can nonetheless go to sleep. I don’t take it with any expectation that it’s going to extend my lifespan.”
Wait, what? The longevity complement man doesn’t suppose it’ll make him dwell longer?
That’s the Huberman distinction. Whereas David Sinclair is out right here speaking about reversing getting old, Huberman’s over within the nook saying “Yeah, it offers me vitality, my hair grows quicker, and I really feel good. That’s sufficient for me.” It’s refreshingly trustworthy for somebody who may simply trip the anti-aging hype practice.
The Science Half (With out the Boring Lecture)
Okay, so you may’t actually discuss NMN with out understanding NAD+. And I promise this gained’t flip right into a biochemistry textbook.
NAD+ is principally mobile battery juice. Each cell in your physique wants it to provide vitality, restore DNA, and maintain your inner equipment operating easily. Downside is, by the point you hit 50, you’ve bought about half the NAD+ you had at 20. Your cells are basically operating on a dying cellphone battery.
NMN is a precursor to NAD+. Consider it as uncooked materials your physique makes use of to make extra battery juice. Huberman explains this steadily on his podcast, significantly when discussing the work of Dr. Satchin Panda and others learning mobile metabolism.
The speculation (championed by researchers like David Sinclair at Harvard) is that boosting NAD+ would possibly sluggish getting old or at the least delay age-related decline. In mice, NMN supplementation improved every little thing from muscle operate to insulin sensitivity. Some mice even lived longer, although the information’s nonetheless coming in.
However right here’s the place Huberman pumps the brakes. “It’s unclear and appears considerably unlikely that merely rising NAD in people will by itself prolong lifespan,” he’s stated a number of instances. He factors to the Nationwide Institute on Ageing’s testing program, the place only a few interventions really transfer the needle on longevity in a significant manner.
Translation: Don’t count on NMN to make you immortal. Count on it to perhaps show you how to really feel extra energetic and mentally sharp.
What It Truly Feels Like
That is the half that will get glossed over in most articles about NMN, but it surely’s truthfully probably the most attention-grabbing.
Huberman experiences “a variety of sustained psychological and bodily vitality all through the day” when he takes NMN and NR. Not the jittery, coffee-fueled vitality that crashes at 3 PM. Extra like a gradual baseline that tapers naturally by night with out interfering with sleep.
The proof? He stopped taking them as soon as to see what would occur. His vitality ranges noticeably dropped. Began taking them once more, vitality bounced again. It’s not a double-blind scientific trial, however for a man who tracks his biomarkers obsessively, that’s fairly compelling private information.
There’s additionally this bizarre aspect impact he talked about in an interview: quicker hair progress and thicker nails. “I’m okay with it,” he stated with amusing. Others have reported the identical factor, although no person’s fairly certain why. Elevated mobile metabolism, perhaps? Higher nutrient supply? The science isn’t there but.
At 48 years previous, Huberman’s perspective is principally: “I’m thinking about doing something safely to maintain these ranges of vitality as excessive as is affordable.” Not chasing immortality. Simply making an attempt to really feel pretty much as good in his late 40s as potential.
The NMN vs. NR Debate (And Why Huberman Takes Each)
Right here’s the place issues get somewhat spicy within the longevity complement world.
There are principally two principal NAD+ precursors: NMN and NR (nicotinamide riboside). They’re chemically comparable—NR is definitely a precursor to NMN, which is a precursor to NAD+. It’s like NAD+ meeting line, and these are two completely different entry factors.
Some researchers (significantly Charles Brenner, who found NR) argue that NR is healthier as a result of it’s extra secure and has extra human scientific information. Others (like David Sinclair) champion NMN as a result of it’s one step nearer to NAD+ within the metabolic pathway and has proven broader results in animal research.
Huberman’s take? He tried each individually, and subjectively, NMN gave him extra noticeable advantages. “When taking NMN, particularly sublingually, I clearly really feel elevated vitality,” he’s stated. NR alone didn’t do a lot for him, and it was costlier as well.
However (and that is traditional Huberman) he doesn’t dismiss NR completely. He nonetheless takes a average dose alongside NMN. His reasoning is that each can increase NAD+ by barely completely different pathways, so why not cowl all bases? It’s a practical, “let’s see what works” strategy somewhat than choosing sides in an instructional turf warfare.
In an October 2022 tweet, Huberman talked about utilizing Renue by Science particularly, stating “Individuals additionally like renue by science” when discussing NMN manufacturers. He’s additionally confirmed on Joe Rogan’s podcast: “You should purchase it from Renue by Science. I’ve no relationship with Renue by Science”—which means he makes use of it as a result of he trusts the standard, not as a result of they’re paying him.
There was initially some concern about whether or not NMN may even get into cells successfully. That bought resolved when researchers recognized a selected NMN transporter (Slc12a8) within the intestine. In line with a examine printed in Cell Metabolism, this transporter particularly shuttles NMN into cells, which explains why sublingual administration is likely to be significantly efficient.
Why Huberman Selected Renue by Science (And Why That Issues)
Right here’s one thing most individuals gloss over: not all NMN dietary supplements are created equal.
When Huberman revealed he takes Renue by Science NMN, it wasn’t a random selection. Renue was really the primary firm to launch a sublingual NMN product again in 2016, making them pioneers in NAD+ supplementation. They’ve been third-party examined, they publish their lab outcomes, and so they use pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing.
Extra importantly? They’re one of many few manufacturers nonetheless standing after the FDA crackdown. When Amazon pulled NMN dietary supplements in 2022, most corporations folded. Renue saved promoting as a result of that they had the paperwork and high quality requirements to again up their product.
Huberman takes his NMN as a powder underneath the tongue, the identical sublingual powder format from Renue. Why sublingual as a substitute of capsules? As a result of it bypasses your digestive system the place some NMN would possibly get damaged down earlier than reaching your cells. The powder dissolves immediately into your bloodstream by the mucous membranes underneath your tongue.
One of the best half? A 100-gram container of Renue by Science NMN powder offers you a 3-month provide at 1 gram per day for simply $67 if you use code ‘brainflow’ at checkout. That’s lower than a greenback per day for a similar NMN protocol Huberman follows.
The FDA Drama No person Talks About
So right here’s a plot twist that caught everybody off guard in late 2022.
The FDA all of the sudden dominated that NMN couldn’t be bought as a dietary complement anymore. Why? As a result of a pharmaceutical firm (MetroBiotech, co-founded by David Sinclair) had filed for investigational new drug standing for NMN. As soon as it’s being examined as a possible drug, federal legislation excludes it from the complement definition.
Huberman defined this “drug exclusion” rule to his viewers with out dramatizing it. “NMN is now not broadly accessible attributable to FDA rulings,” he famous matter-of-factly. However he additionally identified that enforcement was inconsistent: you would nonetheless discover it in the event you appeared onerous sufficient, by worldwide sources or smaller distributors.
The complement trade wasn’t completely happy. Petitions had been filed. Legal professionals bought concerned. And by October 2025, the FDA reversed course, acknowledging that NMN was marketed as a complement earlier than the drug trials started. It’s now authorized to promote as a complement once more within the U.S.
Huberman’s response all through all this? Fairly measured. He voiced delicate frustration {that a} useful compound bought quickly restricted, however he didn’t go full conspiracy idea. He suggested folks to analysis product purity if shopping for from lesser-known suppliers and usually saved his cool whereas the regulatory chaos sorted itself out.
What Huberman Doesn’t Take (And Why That’s Necessary)
Context issues. To know Huberman’s NMN use, it’s essential to know what he’s avoiding.
He doesn’t at the moment take metformin or rapamycin—two medicine that get main hype in longevity circles. Peter Attia takes rapamycin. David Sinclair takes metformin. However Huberman? He’s sitting this one out for now.
His reasoning is easy: the human information on lifespan extension isn’t convincing sufficient but to justify the potential unintended effects. Metformin could cause gastrointestinal points and would possibly blunt train variations. Rapamycin suppresses the immune system (that’s actually its job in transplant sufferers).
The truth that Huberman takes NMN however not these extra aggressive interventions tells you one thing about his danger tolerance. NMN has a powerful security profile in early research: no critical opposed results in human trials at doses as much as 1000mg every day. It’s principally a vitamin B3 by-product that your physique already makes naturally.
Examine that to prescribed drugs with identified unintended effects, and you’ll see why Huberman landed the place he did. “I solely take dietary supplements I deem seemingly protected and low-risk,” he’s emphasised repeatedly. And crucially: “I’ve no monetary ties to any NMN or NR producers.”
That final bit issues greater than you would possibly suppose. The complement trade is stuffed with folks with undisclosed conflicts of curiosity. Huberman’s transparency about not taking advantage of NMN gross sales provides credibility to his suggestions.
The Greater Image: The place NMN Matches in Huberman’s Protocol
Right here’s what drives me loopy about most complement protection—it makes every little thing sound like a magic bullet.
Huberman is abundantly clear that NMN is only one tiny piece of a a lot bigger puzzle. In his episodes on well being optimization, he hammers dwelling that behavioral components dwarf any complement’s impression.
“There isn’t a complement or drug for rising longevity that even comes near the identified enhancements in well being metrics from getting high quality sleep and particularly from common train,” he’s stated bluntly.
His foundational pillars are boring however efficient: 7-8 hours of sleep, morning daylight publicity (critically, this man is not going to shut up about morning daylight), common cardiovascular and resistance train, time-restricted consuming, stress administration, and sustaining social connections.
NMN is sprinkles on prime of that basis. Should you’re not doing the fundamentals, popping NMN drugs is like placing racing stripes on a automobile with a busted engine.
His brief listing of longevity dietary supplements consists of grapeseed extract for cardiovascular well being, NR and NMN for NAD+ assist, and sometimes intravenous NAD+ infusions (although these are costly). He additionally takes vitamin D3 and omega-3 fish oil for basic well being, however that’s about it.
Examine that to the complement cabinets at GNC and also you notice how restrained Huberman really is. Most longevity lovers are taking 30+ dietary supplements every day. Huberman’s sitting there with perhaps 10, and he may most likely identify the particular mechanism of motion for every one.
Ought to You Take NMN? (The Sincere Reply)
That is the place I’m supposed to offer you clear steerage, however truthfully, Huberman himself doesn’t try this—and for good motive.
He approaches NMN with what he calls “cautious optimism.” The early information seems promising. The security profile appears strong. The subjective advantages are actual for many individuals. However we’re nonetheless ready on long-term human research to verify what the mouse information prompt.
A latest human trial printed in Science confirmed that 250mg of NMN every day improved insulin sensitivity and muscle operate in prediabetic ladies. One other examine demonstrated elevated blood NAD+ ranges at 300mg doses. However we don’t have definitive lifespan information but as a result of, properly, that takes many years to gather.
Huberman’s place is basically: “I’m experimenting on myself with one thing that appears protected and makes me really feel higher. You must discuss to your physician and perceive the present limitations in proof.”
Should you do determine to strive NMN, just a few sensible issues:
- Begin with a decrease dose (250-500mg) to evaluate tolerance
- Sublingual administration is likely to be simpler than capsules. Renue by Science’s powder format makes this straightforward
- Take it within the morning to keep away from any potential sleep disruption
- Supply issues. Get third-party examined merchandise from respected producers (Huberman trusts Renue by Science for precisely this motive)
- Observe the way you really really feel, not simply what you hope to really feel
- Give it at the least 4-8 weeks earlier than deciding if it really works for you
And perhaps most significantly: don’t count on miracles. Count on perhaps a bit extra vitality, clearer considering, higher restoration. Should you get greater than that, nice. Should you get nothing, you’re out perhaps $50 and discovered one thing about your physique.
Able to strive the identical NMN protocol Huberman makes use of? Get Renue by Science NMN right here and use code ‘brainflow’ for 10% off your order.
The Half The place Science Meets Actuality
You understand what I recognize most about Huberman’s strategy to NMN? He treats his personal physique like an n=1 experiment with out pretending it’s scientific proof.
He’s not out right here claiming NMN reversed his organic age by 10 years. He’s not promoting programs on the right way to dwell to 150. He’s only a neuroscientist who learn the analysis, tried the compound, felt higher, and continued taking it whereas ready for extra information.
In a latest Q&A session, somebody requested him point-blank if NMN would prolong lifespan. His reply? “I don’t know. The mouse research are encouraging, however mice aren’t people. I take it for vitality and vitality now, not for some hypothetical additional decade I would or won’t get.”
That’s the type of mental honesty that makes folks belief him. He may simply oversell NMN’s advantages—loads of influencers do. As an alternative, he’s clear about what we all know (it boosts NAD+, appears protected, improves vitality for many individuals) and what we don’t (whether or not it really extends human lifespan).
The analysis continues. MetroBiotech (David Sinclair’s firm) has a number of human trials ongoing. Extra information will emerge over the following few years. Possibly we’ll uncover NMN is every little thing the mouse research promised. Possibly we’ll discover it’s simply an costly option to really feel barely extra energetic.
Both manner, Huberman’s going to maintain taking it within the morning, mixing it into his yogurt or dissolving it underneath his tongue, and monitoring how he feels. And he’ll maintain being trustworthy about what that have is definitely like, divorced from hype or monetary incentive.
In a area stuffed with snake oil salesmen and longevity gurus promising to unlock the secrets and techniques of everlasting youth, that simple strategy is weirdly refreshing. Possibly that’s the actual lesson right here—not whether or not NMN works, however how to consider dietary supplements and getting old interventions with each curiosity and skepticism.
As a result of on the finish of the day (sorry, had to make use of that phrase as soon as), we’re all simply making an attempt to really feel good and keep wholesome so long as potential. A few of us are prepared to experiment with NAD+ precursors to get there. And in the event you’re going to try this, you would possibly as properly study from somebody who’s thought it by rigorously somewhat than somebody making an attempt to promote you a $300 bottle of miracle drugs.
Huberman’s nonetheless going to get up at daybreak, get his morning daylight, do his chilly plunges, and take his NMN. And in the event you ask him in 20 years whether or not it labored, he’ll most likely provide the identical measured, evidence-based reply he offers now: “I really feel good. The info’s promising. We’ll see.”
Wish to observe Huberman’s precise NMN protocol? Seize Renue by Science NMN powder right here (use code ‘brainflow’ for 10% off). It’s the identical model he makes use of, and at underneath $1 per day, it’s one of many extra inexpensive longevity experiments you may run on your self.
For extra on Huberman’s full strategy to longevity and NAD+ optimization, take a look at Andrew Huberman’s NAD+ Protocol: What He Takes and Why, his full complement listing information, and his detailed breakdown of peptides for restoration and efficiency.
