5-Amino-1MQ
5-amino-1-methylquinolinium · 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide · 5A1MQ · NNMT inhibitor
Oral NNMT inhibitor aimed at fat-cell metabolism and NAD+ salvage. Mouse data only.
Typical dose
100 mg
once daily
Range
50–150
mg
Half-life
—
see Dosing
Evidence
Animal only
Oral
What it is
5-Amino-1MQ is not a peptide. It is a small quinolinium molecule that inhibits nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme that is heavily overexpressed in the fat tissue of obese animals and humans. It is usually supplied as the iodide salt in oral capsules.
The interest comes from a run of mouse studies out of the University of Texas Medical Branch. Diet-induced obese mice treated with the compound lost fat mass and body weight without eating less, and a later study showed activation of senescent muscle stem cells and improved regeneration in aged skeletal muscle. A 2021 follow-up combined it with calorie restriction and reported normalised body composition.
What does not exist is human data. There are no published human trials, no human pharmacokinetics, and no human safety database of any kind. The 50-150 mg daily range circulating in the community is extrapolated from rodent dosing, not derived from human work.
Treat it accordingly: mechanistically interesting, cheap, orally active, and entirely unproven in people.
How it works
NNMT consumes S-adenosylmethionine to methylate nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide and pulling nicotinamide out of the NAD+ salvage pathway. In obese adipose tissue NNMT expression is elevated, and knocking it down in mice protects against diet-induced obesity.
Inhibiting the enzyme is supposed to raise intracellular NAD+ and SAM in adipocytes, which shifts cells toward fat oxidation and away from lipogenesis and, in theory, supports sirtuin activity. In cell work 5-amino-1MQ reduced lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and cut 1-methylnicotinamide levels without hitting related methyltransferases. Whether any of that produces a measurable effect on human body composition is unknown.
Dosing
Every number here is community convention scaled from mouse studies — there is no human dose-finding work to anchor it to.
Preparation
Oral5-Amino-1MQ is taken orally — there is nothing to reconstitute, so the dosing calculator does not apply.
Nothing to reconstitute — this is an oral capsule or bulk powder, not a lyophilised peptide. Some vendors sell injectable vials of it; there is no data supporting that route and no reason to prefer it for an orally bioavailable small molecule.
Storage
Sealed
Capsules or powder keep in a cool, dry, dark place at room temperature for months; refrigeration extends that and is worth it for bulk powder.
Once opened
Keep the bottle closed between doses. Capsules are stable at room temperature; loose powder should go back in the fridge, and it is hygroscopic, so keep it dry.
Reported benefits
- ▪Selective NNMT inhibition raises intracellular NAD+ and SAM in adipocytes
- ▪Reduced lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in vitro
- ▪Fat mass and body weight reduction in diet-induced obese mice without reduced food intake
- ▪Activation of senescent muscle stem cells and improved regeneration in aged mouse muscle
- ▪Orally active, so no injections and no reconstitution
- ▪Does not suppress appetite, so it does not stack GI burden onto an incretin protocol
Side effects
- ▪No human safety data of any kind — this is the main risk, not a specific effect
- ▪Large iodide load from the iodide salt — iodide is 126.9 of the 286.1 Da molecular weight, about 44% by mass, so a 100 mg capsule delivers roughly 44 mg of iodide, around 40 times the 1,100 mcg/day adult tolerable upper intake level. Chronic daily dosing risks iodine-induced hypothyroidism (Wolff-Chaikoff), iodine-induced hyperthyroidism (Jod-Basedow), thyroiditis and acneiform iodism. Check TSH before and during a run, or source a non-iodide salt.
- ▪Insomnia or restlessness when dosed later in the day, commonly reported anecdotally
- ▪Mild GI upset or nausea, usually settled by taking it with food
- ▪Headache and flushing reported anecdotally
- ▪Long-term consequences of chronic NNMT inhibition in humans are unknown
- ▪Grey-market identity and purity are unverifiable without third-party testing
Do not use if
- ▪Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- ▪Existing thyroid disease — Hashimoto's, Graves', nodular goitre, prior radioiodine — or concurrent amiodarone, because the iodide salt delivers a daily iodide load tens of times the tolerable upper intake level
- ▪Liver or kidney impairment — no data, and clearance route in humans is unknown
- ▪Anyone unwilling to accept a compound with zero human trial evidence
- ▪Concurrent use with other unvalidated research compounds that would confound any adverse reaction
Evidence level — Animal only
Preclinical animal data — no meaningful human trials.
Not FDA-approved and not a lawful dietary supplement ingredient; it is sold under research-use-only labelling.
Commonly run with
MOTS-c
Mitochondrial-encoded peptide studied for insulin sensitivity and exercise capacity.
5 mg · 3x per week
Semaglutide
Long-acting GLP-1 agonist dosed weekly; the reference compound for appetite-driven fat loss.
1 mg · Once weekly
Tirzepatide
Weekly dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist; beats semaglutide on total weight loss in head-to-head data.
5 mg · Once weekly
Liraglutide
Daily first-generation GLP-1 agonist; weaker and more injection-heavy than the weekly analogues.
1.8 mg · Once daily
5-Amino-1MQ FAQ
Does 5-Amino-1MQ actually work in people?+
Nobody knows. Every efficacy claim traces back to mouse and cell studies, and no human trial has been published. Anecdotal reports are mixed and confounded by the fact that most users are dieting at the same time.
Should I take the injectable version instead of capsules?+
No. It is a small molecule with oral bioavailability — that is the entire practical appeal — and the injectable vials some vendors list have no supporting data. Injecting it adds risk without adding a known benefit.
Can I run it alongside a GLP-1?+
There is no interaction data either way, but the mechanisms are unrelated and 5-Amino-1MQ does not add GI or appetite effects to an incretin. If you do combine them, add one at a time so you can attribute any side effect.
Why does it get sold on peptide sites when it isn't a peptide?+
Purely a distribution accident — it moves through the same research-chemical vendors. That matters practically: dosing conventions borrowed from peptide protocols do not apply, and it needs no reconstitution or cold chain.
References
- 1.Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice — Biochemical Pharmacology (2018) PMID 29155147
- 2.Small molecule nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibitor activates senescent muscle stem cells and improves regenerative capacity of aged skeletal muscle — Biochemical Pharmacology (2019) PMID 30753815
- 3.Combined nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition and reduced-calorie diet normalizes body composition and enhances metabolic benefits in obese mice — Scientific Reports (2021) PMID 33707534
- 4.Structure-Activity Relationship for Small Molecule Inhibitors of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase — Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2017) PMID 28548833
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