Comparison
NMN vs Noopept
Side-by-side of NMN and Noopept. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
NMN
NMN supplements are oral nicotinamide mononucleotide capsules sold for longevity, energy, and metabolic health. They raise plasma NAD+ 30-90% at 250-1000.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Effects at a glance
NMN
- •Plasma NAD+ rises 30-90% at 250-1000 mg/day across human PK studies
- •Tissue NAD+ rise is inconsistent across human trials (Yoshino 2021, Igarashi 2022)
- •No human trials measure hard endpoints (mortality, CV events, cancer); evidence is biomarker-only
- •Most trials cluster at 250-500 mg/day; dose-response above 250 mg/day is poorly characterized
- •FDA position contested; widely sold as supplement but with regulatory uncertainty
- •Marketing claims for fertility and longevity outrun the human trial evidence substantially
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Side-by-side
| Attribute | NMN | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | nootropic |
| Also known as | nicotinamide mononucleotide, beta-NMN | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 4 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 250 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | 1x daily, often morning | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | oral, sublingual | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 3 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 334.22 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C11H15N2O8P | C17H22N2O4 |
| Mechanism | Direct precursor in the NAD+ salvage pathway; converted to NAD+ by NMNAT enzymes in essentially every tissue. Raised NAD+ supports sirtuin and PARP enzyme activity. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | Contested in US (FDA position 2022); widely sold as supplement; broadly available in EU, UK, Asia | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; precautionary avoidance | Not recommended |
| CAS | 1094-61-7 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 14180 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q418972 | Q4321022 |
Safety profile
NMN
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- occasional headache
- flushing (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy and lactation (precautionary, no data)
- active cancer (theoretical concern, not evidence-based)
Interactions
- metformin: no clinically significant interaction documented; both modulate metabolism through different mechanisms(minor)
- chemotherapy agents: theoretical concern about supporting cancer cell proliferation; coordinate with oncology team(moderate)
- CD38 inhibitors: would amplify NMN-induced NAD+ rise; not clinically relevant for most users(minor)
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Which Should You Take?
NMN comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, Contested in US (FDA position 2022); widely sold as supplement; broadly available in EU, UK, Asia, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick NMN.
- → If your priority is energy and stamina, pick NMN.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (NMN ~4 hr vs Noopept ~0.7 hr). NMN reaches steady state faster; Noopept is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: NMN. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between NMN and Noopept?
NMN and Noopept differ in category (supplement vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, NMN or Noopept?
NMN half-life is 4 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack NMN with Noopept?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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