Mechanism of Nicotinamide Riboside as an Aid to Weight Loss

Caged mice represent an attractive model system with which to dissect the mechanistic basis for dietary and activity interventions because one can control for food amounts, dietary compositions, supplementation, and exercise in addition to genotype. Here we report that oral nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplementation increases weight loss with respect to nonsupplemented C57BL/6 mice. NR‐dependent weight loss was much more effective than resistance to weight gain on high fat diet (HFD), which has been previously reported. To assess weight loss, mice were first fattened on HFD and then assigned to normal chow plus or minus NR. Supplemented and nonsupplemented mice were also randomized to 5 days/week forced exercise or not. NR and exercise promoted weight loss individually and in an additive…