NMN vs Glutathione: Two Different Jobs and Whether to Take Both

NMN and glutathione do two different jobs. NMN is a building block your body turns into NAD+, the coenzyme cells use to make energy, while glutathione is one of the main antioxidants inside your cells. So NMN vs glutathione is less a contest than a choice of which job you want to support, and because the jobs are linked, many people take NMN and glutathione together.

Key Takeaways

• NMN is a direct building block of NAD+, a coenzyme every cell uses to turn food into energy, and NAD+ levels fall with age (Covarrubias et al., 2021).
• Glutathione is a tripeptide, a small molecule your cells build from three amino acids (glutamate, cysteine and glycine), and a central part of the cell's antioxidant defense (Aquilano et al., 2014).
• In 80 healthy middle-aged adults, 300, 600 or 900 mg of NMN a day for 60 days raised blood NAD+ at days 30 and 60 compared with placebo (Yi et al., 2023).
• In a placebo-controlled trial of 54 healthy non-smoking adults, 250 or 1,000 mg of glutathione a day by mouth raised glutathione stores in the blood and other cells over 6 months (Richie et al., 2015).
• The two jobs connect: cells make NADP+ from NAD+, and its active form, NADPH, supplies the reducing power for antioxidant defenses (Agledal et al., 2010), including the enzyme that turns used glutathione back into its active form (Tandogan and Ulusu, 2010).

NMN vs Glutathione at a Glance

The simplest way to see the difference is side by side. NMN feeds the energy side of the cell, and glutathione works on the antioxidant side:

	NMN	Glutathione
What it is	A building block (precursor) of NAD+	An antioxidant made from glutamate, cysteine and glycine
Main job	Supplies raw material for NAD+, which cells use to turn food into energy	Removes oxidants and helps protect cells from oxidative damage
Amounts studied in the trials cited here	250 to 900 mg a day for 60 days to 12 weeks	250 or 1,000 mg a day by mouth for 6 months
What those trials measured	Blood NAD+, walking tests and sleep quality scores	Glutathione stores in blood and cells, and the balance of used to active glutathione
Our format	Enhanced NMN capsules	Glutathione Nasal Spray

What NMN Does

NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) sits one step away from NAD+. Your cells use NAD+ to turn food into energy, to run DNA maintenance and to power a family of enzymes called sirtuins, and research in both animals and people shows NAD+ levels decline with age (Covarrubias et al., 2021). Taking NMN is a way of supplying the raw material.

Randomized, placebo-controlled trials in adults show what that looks like:

• In 80 healthy middle-aged adults, 300, 600 or 900 mg of NMN a day for 60 days raised blood NAD+ at days 30 and 60 and increased six-minute walking distance compared with placebo (Yi et al., 2023).
• In 60 older adults, 250 mg a day for 12 weeks raised blood NAD+, shortened 4-meter walking time and improved sleep quality scores compared with placebo (Morifuji et al., 2024).

NMN is a building block rather than a stimulant, so its effects build gradually with daily use. For the full trial picture, see does NMN work.

What Glutathione Does

Glutathione is a tripeptide, a short chain of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine and glycine. Your cells make it themselves, and it takes part in antioxidant defense, nutrient metabolism and many everyday cell functions (Aquilano et al., 2014). It helps protect cells from oxidative damage, the wear caused by reactive molecules that form during normal metabolism, by removing oxidants (Forman et al., 2009).

Glutathione comes in two forms: the active, reduced form (GSH) and the used, oxidized form (GSSG). An enzyme called glutathione reductase keeps up the cell's supply of the active form (Couto et al., 2016).

In a 6-month randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 54 healthy non-smoking adults, glutathione taken by mouth at 250 or 1,000 mg a day raised glutathione in the blood at 1, 3 and 6 months. At 1,000 mg a day, levels in red blood cells, plasma and lymphocytes rose 30 to 35 percent by 6 months, and the ratio of used to active glutathione in the blood fell in both dose groups. Levels returned to baseline 1 month after people stopped (Richie et al., 2015).

Glutathione stores rose with steady daily use and fell back after stopping. For more, see our glutathione ingredient page and glutathione benefits.

How NMN and Glutathione Connect

NMN and glutathione do different jobs, but they meet in the chemistry of the cell. Enzymes called NAD kinases turn NAD+ into a close relative, NADP+, and its active form, NADPH, is the cell's only supplier of the reducing power used to keep up and regenerate its antioxidant defenses (Agledal et al., 2010). Glutathione reductase, the enzyme that keeps glutathione in its active form (Couto et al., 2016), uses NADPH to turn used glutathione back into active glutathione (Tandogan and Ulusu, 2010).

Put simply, glutathione does the antioxidant work, and the NAD+ family supplies the power that resets glutathione so it can work again. This is why the two are often discussed together. The human trials above studied each one on its own, so the reason to pair them is that they cover two linked jobs. Our guide to NAD+ vs glutathione covers the same link from the NAD+ side.

NMN or Glutathione: Which One Fits?

• Choose NMN if your main interest is cellular energy and healthy aging markers. Trials measured blood NAD+, walking tests and sleep quality scores.
• Choose glutathione if your main interest is antioxidant support. Trials measured glutathione stores and the balance of used to active glutathione.
• Take both if you want to support both jobs. They do not replace each other, and the NADPH link means each one supports a different step of the same system.

If you are weighing glutathione against the building block your body uses to make it, see NAC vs glutathione.

How to Take Them

Our Enhanced NMN gives 750 mg of NMN in every 2-capsule serving, with TMG 200 mg, resveratrol 200 mg, pterostilbene 100 mg and vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin 750 mcg, plus ginger extract in vegan capsules. Take 2 capsules in the morning, with or without food, every day. It is made with third-party tested ingredients.

Our Glutathione Nasal Spray supplies reduced glutathione (GSH) in three strengths: 35, 100 or 170 mg per two-spray serving, with 30 servings per bottle. Its only ingredients are glutathione and alkaline water. It is absorbed through the lining of the nose instead of being swallowed like a capsule, so some of each dose skips digestion. Two sprays, one in each nostril, make one serving; follow the directions on the label. Breathe in gently while spraying, then tilt your head back and wait at least 60 seconds before blowing your nose.

Using both is simple because they come in different forms: a capsule you swallow in the morning and a spray you use as the label directs. For a closer look at the spray versus capsules, see glutathione nasal spray vs oral. For energy at the cell level more broadly, see our guide to cellular energy and mitochondrial health.

Safety

In the 60-day NMN trial, the authors reported that NMN was safe and well tolerated, based on monitoring of adverse events and laboratory and clinical measures (Yi et al., 2023), and the 12-week trial observed no adverse effects related to NMN (Morifuji et al., 2024). Glutathione is made by your own body; our guide to glutathione side effects covers what studies report for each way of taking it.

Talk to your doctor before starting either one if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription medicine or are being treated for a medical condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between NMN and glutathione?

NMN is a building block your body turns into NAD+, the coenzyme cells use to turn food into energy. Glutathione is an antioxidant your cells build from three amino acids. NMN supports the energy side of the cell, while glutathione supports the antioxidant side. They are different molecules with different jobs, so one does not replace the other.

Should I take NMN or glutathione?

It depends on which job you want to support. If cellular energy and healthy aging markers are your focus, NMN fits, since trials measured blood NAD+, walking tests and sleep quality. If antioxidant support is your focus, glutathione fits, since trials measured glutathione stores. If you want both covered, many people take NMN and glutathione together.

Can you take NMN and glutathione together?

Yes, many people do, because they work on different steps of a linked system. Cells turn NAD+ into NADPH, and NADPH recycles used glutathione back into its active form. The trials cited here studied each one on its own. If you take prescription medicine or are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor first.

Does NMN increase glutathione?

NMN raises NAD+, and cells use part of their NAD+ to make NADPH, which the body uses to recycle used glutathione into its active form. That is a link in cell chemistry. The NMN trials cited here measured blood NAD+, walking and sleep quality scores, so if glutathione itself is your goal, glutathione is the direct option.

When should I take NMN and glutathione?

For our Enhanced NMN, take 2 capsules in the morning, with or without food, every day. For our Glutathione Nasal Spray, two sprays, one in each nostril, make one serving; follow the directions on the label. Because one is a capsule and the other a spray, they are easy to fit into the same daily routine.

How long do NMN and glutathione take to work?

Both build with daily use. In one NMN trial, blood NAD+ was already higher at 30 days, and walking and sleep changes were measured at 1 to 3 months. In the oral glutathione trial, blood glutathione was higher at 1, 3 and 6 months.

Are NMN and glutathione safe?

In a 60-day NMN trial, the authors reported NMN was safe and well tolerated, and a 12-week trial observed no adverse effects related to NMN. Glutathione is made by your own body, and our glutathione side effects guide covers what studies report. Talk to your doctor before starting either if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take prescription medicine or have a medical condition.

Sources

• Covarrubias AJ, Perrone R, Grozio A, Verdin E. NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33353981/
• Aquilano K, Baldelli S, Ciriolo MR. Glutathione: new roles in redox signaling for an old antioxidant. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25206336/
• Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A. Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis. Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18796312/
• Yi L, Maier AB, Tao R, et al. The efficacy and safety of beta-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation in healthy middle-aged adults: a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-dependent clinical trial. GeroScience, 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36482258/
• Morifuji M, Higashi S, Ebihara S, Nagata M. Ingestion of beta-nicotinamide mononucleotide increased blood NAD levels, maintained walking speed, and improved sleep quality in older adults in a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled study. GeroScience, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38789831/
• Richie JP, Nichenametla S, Neidig W, et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. European Journal of Nutrition, 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24791752/
• Agledal L, Niere M, Ziegler M. The phosphate makes a difference: cellular functions of NADP. Redox Report, 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20196923/
• Couto N, Wood J, Barber J. The role of glutathione reductase and related enzymes on cellular redox homoeostasis network. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26923386/
• Tandogan B, Ulusu NN. Inhibition of purified bovine liver glutathione reductase with some metal ions. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19874138/

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.