Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of 5-Amino-1MQ and Glutathione — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
5-Amino-1MQ is a small heterocyclic molecule (not a peptide) that acts as a selective, membrane-permeable inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). It is under preclinical investigation for obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is not FDA-approved and has not completed human clinical trials; it is commonly tracked alongside peptides because grey-market vendors sell it for metabolic protocols.
Glutathione is an endogenous tripeptide (gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine) that serves as the principal intracellular antioxidant in mammalian cells. It is not FDA-approved as a drug in the US; parenteral glutathione is used off-label (and in some compounding settings) for oxidative stress, hepatic support, and — controversially — skin lightening. The FDA has warned against injectable glutathione for skin lightening (2019) due to reports of serious adverse events.
5-Amino-1MQ
Glutathione
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Half-life
Side Effects
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
5-Amino-1MQ
Glutathione
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
5-Amino-1MQ
80
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
12
Labs
Glutathione
62
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
10
Labs
Neelakantan et al. (2018, Biochem Pharmacol, PMID 29155147) reported that 5-Amino-1MQ and related selective, membrane-permeable methylquinolinium NNMT inhibitors reversed high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice, reducing body weight, white adipose mass, adipocyte size, and plasma cholesterol without changing food intake. A separate NNMT inhibitor program (Kannt et al., 2018, Sci Rep, PMID 29483571, JBSNF-000088) produced similar metabolic effects in rodents. Dimet-Wiley et al. (2022, Sci Rep, PMID 35013352) reported microbiome changes with NNMT inhibition plus low-fat diet in DIO mice, and Babula et al. (2024, Diabetes Obes Metab, PMID 39161060) showed 5A1MQ dose-dependently limited weight and fat gain and reduced NAFLD-like liver pathology in DIO mice. No human clinical trials of 5-Amino-1MQ have been completed or published as of 2026; grey-market oral protocols are not clinically validated.
Key references
A randomized, double-blind pilot trial (Hauser et al., Movement Disorders, 2009, PMID 19230029) tested IV glutathione 1,400 mg three times weekly for 4 weeks in Parkinson's disease (n=21); it was well tolerated but did NOT show a statistically significant effect on UPDRS scores. A large randomized trial of inhaled glutathione (646 mg every 12 hours for 6 months) in cystic fibrosis (Griese et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2013, PMID 23631796) did not demonstrate clinically relevant improvements in lung function, exacerbations, or quality of life. Oral glutathione has poor bioavailability due to GI degradation, driving investigation of IV, nebulized, liposomal, and sublingual delivery. The FDA issued a 2019 warning about compounded sterile injectable glutathione made from dietary-grade ingredient, citing adverse-event reports (including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and kidney dysfunction) particularly in the context of unregulated IV skin-lightening use.
5-Amino-1MQ (Metabolic) and Glutathione (Immune) are in different categories and target different biological pathways. This is a common pattern in multi-compound research protocols. Researchers should monitor the biomarkers from both profiles and watch for interactions listed in each compound’s contraindications. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before combining any research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references