What is 5-Amino + NAD+ (Oral)?
This is an oral combination of two building blocks that both act on the same metabolic hub: the cell's NAD+ and methylation balance.
- 5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule inhibitor of the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). The idea: less NNMT activity, more NAD+ and more methyl donor (SAM) inside the cell.
- The NAD+ precursor supplies raw material the cell can build NAD+ from - NAD+ itself is poorly absorbed orally on its own, so research preparations work with precursors.
Both components come out of longevity and fat-loss research. Important up front: the entire rationale of this blend rests on preclinical mouse models. There is no human study on exactly this oral combination. We have separate entries for 5-Amino-1MQ and for NAD+ - look there for each component on its own. This information is for research and educational purposes only. No medical recommendations.
Comparison
NNMT inhibition and NAD+ in the lexicon
Which entries target NNMT and which supply NAD+ directly, as stated in the TPD lexicon. Tap a card to open its entry.
Simplified: the blend acts at both points. More targets do not automatically mean more effect, there is no study on the combination. 25
How it works
The mechanistic hook is the enzyme NNMT. NNMT consumes nicotinamide (vitamin B3, an NAD+ precursor) and a methyl donor (SAM) to make 1-methylnicotinamide. In the fat tissue and liver of obese mice, NNMT is upregulated.
- Inhibiting NNMT means, preclinically: less nicotinamide gets "used up," more is left for NAD+ synthesis and the methyl-donor pool rises. In mouse adipocytes, NNMT inhibitors raised intracellular NAD+ and SAM and dampened new fat formation (Neelakantan 2017).
- Raising NAD+ is the second lever. NAD+ is a cofactor for energy metabolism and sirtuins. The NAD+ precursor in the blend supplies building material so the cell can refill its NAD+ pool - shown orally for nicotinamide riboside in humans (McDermott 2024).
The logic: both components push in the same direction (more NAD+), just via different levers. Whether that adds up in humans is open - it is a plausible hypothesis, not a proven synergy.
Where it acts
Building blocks and where they act
Tap a point or a card. Colour = target, grey = observed. Data from studies on the single building block.
- Fat tissue
NNMT inhibited, more NAD+ and SAM, less new fat formation (cells and mice)2
NNMT - Skeletal muscle
Better muscle repair and more grip strength in old mice4
NNMT - Liver
NNMT raised in obese mice, switching it off protected against obesity1
Observed in trials - Leg vessels
Nicotinamide riboside improved walking distance in peripheral artery disease (humans)5
NAD+
Known targets2
Compound PubChem CID 950107 (5-Amino-1MQ): one described target, Inhibitor, in cell assays.
- Gene
- NNMT
- UniProt
- P40261
- ChEMBL
- CHEMBL2346486
- Action
- Inhibitor, in cell assays
How to take it
Oral tablets, 100 mg per tablet. Common community use is 1 tablet daily, often in the morning.
- Swallow with water, with or without food
- Many report morning dosing, since the NAD+/energy focus fits the first half of the day
- If your stomach is sensitive, start with half a tablet and step up over a few days
There is no established intake schedule from a study - this is experience-based, not a protocol.
Dosing
Dosing
Dosing, titration and syringe
Loading the dosing information …
- Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
- Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
- How long one vial lasts
What the research shows
The evidence is substantial - but almost entirely preclinical (mouse, cell culture). Keep that front of mind.
- Foundation (Kraus 2014, Nature): knock down NNMT in mouse fat and liver and the animals are protected from diet-induced obesity - with higher energy expenditure and more NAD+ and SAM in tissue.
- 5-Amino-1MQ scaffold (Neelakantan 2017): selective, membrane-permeable methylquinolinium-based NNMT inhibitors reversed obesity in high-fat-fed mice, lowering fat mass and cholesterol - without changing food intake and with no observable adverse effects in the study.
- Muscle/aging (Neelakantan 2019, Dimet-Wiley 2024): in aged mice, NNMT inhibition activated quiescent muscle stem cells, improved muscle regeneration after injury and increased grip strength - partly additive to exercise.
- NAD+ side in humans (McDermott 2024, NICE RCT): oral nicotinamide riboside raised NAD+ bioavailability in humans and improved walking distance in a randomized trial - proof that oral NAD+ precursors can actually lift the NAD+ pool.
The gap: there is no published human study on oral 5-Amino-1MQ and none on the exact blend. All fat-loss claims on the NNMT side come from mouse data.
Study results
What the trials measured
Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.
Fat and weight after 11 days2
Obese mice on a high-fat diet, 9 animals each, injected under the skin
Only the building block 5-Amino-1MQ, three times a day under the skin, not as a tablet and not in the blend. Fat and cholesterol as approximate figures from the full text. Food intake did not differ.
Grip strength of old mice43
Compared with old mice without exercise and without 5-Amino-1MQ, 8 weeks
Approximate values from the abstracts, given under the skin in both studies. The effects of 5-Amino-1MQ and exercise added up.
6-minute walk after 6 months5
Change in metres, 90 people with peripheral artery disease, randomised and blinded
Nicotinamide riboside is an NAD+ precursor, not the blend and not 5-Amino-1MQ. In participants who took at least 75 percent of the study pills the difference was 31.0 metres. Adding resveratrol brought no extra benefit.
Research status
Where the research stands
There is no registered trial on the blend or on 5-Amino-1MQ. Shown is the trial on the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside that the entry relies on. As of 25 Oct 2026. 6
- Preclinical Cell assays and mice on 5-Amino-1MQ
- Phase 1 no registered trial
- Phase 2 no registered trial
- Phase 3 1 trial on components, 1 completed
- Approval not yet
Show all 1 phase 3 trial on a timelineHide timeline
NICE · NCT03743636 · 90 participants, started Oct 2018, primary endpoint reached May 2023.
Registry entry ↗ · Results: McDermott et al., Nature Communications, 2024
Bar: start to primary endpoint (planned for running trials). Green = completed, blue = progress until 25 Oct 2026.
Side effects
There is no systematic human safety dataset for 5-Amino-1MQ or this blend. What gets reported is anecdotal.
- Occasional GI discomfort or mild nausea with oral intake - usually when ramping the dose too fast
- Some report headaches or restlessness, often linked to the NAD+ component
- NNMT is broadly active across the body (including liver, kidney, tumors) - the long-term consequences of chronic inhibition in humans are simply unknown
That is the honest crux: with a preclinical-only substance hitting such a central metabolic enzyme, the uncertainty is large. Think fail-closed: when in doubt, dose low and observe.
Practice
Practical framing if you work with the blend in a research context:
-
Get to know one component at a time - the standalone entries for 5-Amino-1MQ and NAD+ give you the per-component depth
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Pick a consistent time of day (usually morning) so you can actually attribute any effects
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Start low, change one variable, do not stack several preparations at once
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Keep expectations realistic: this is longevity/metabolism research on a mouse foundation, not an established fat burner
If another preparation targets the same NAD+ pathway, you may be doubling up - keep that in view instead of blindly stacking.
Storage
Store tablets dry, cool and dark in a sealed container. Protect from moisture - oral active tablets otherwise draw water. Keep out of reach of children. No fridge needed as long as it stays dry and not too warm.
