Injectable 5-Amino-1MQ for appetite suppression: what the science says

What did @taylorreidcoachin actually say?

The creator said that switching to injectable 5-Amino-1MQ "completely killed" her appetite and made her feel like she was "back on retatrutide or tirzepatide." She also claimed the injectable form was dramatically more effective than capsules. These are big claims, and they deserve a closer look before anyone runs to their compounding pharmacy.

To be clear about what's being compared here: retatrutide and tirzepatide are regulated, clinically studied medications with approval pathways and trial data. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule research compound with a handful of preclinical studies and zero human clinical trials. Framing one as equivalent to the other, even as a personal anecdote, sets a misleading expectation for viewers who may interpret lived experience as evidence of mechanism.

Does the science back this up?

The short answer is: not in humans, not yet. The existing research on 5-Amino-1MQ is genuinely interesting but almost entirely limited to cell cultures and mice. It does not support the appetite-suppression claims made here.

5-Amino-1MQ is a selective inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme involved in cellular energy metabolism. In a 2021 study by Rhoads et al. published in Cell Chemical Biology, NNMT inhibition in obese mice reduced fat mass and improved metabolic markers, which is promising. A 2019 paper by Neelakantan et al. in Nature Communications showed similar results in adipocyte models. But neither study involved appetite regulation as a measured outcome, and neither involved humans. The mechanism being invoked here, that blocking NNMT mimics GLP-1 receptor agonism in terms of appetite suppression, has no published support. GLP-1 drugs work through gut hormone signaling. NNMT inhibitors work through NAD+ metabolism. These are different systems entirely.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

They got the injectable-vs-oral bioavailability logic partly right, but drew the wrong conclusion from it. It is generally true that peptides and some small molecules have higher bioavailability when injected compared to oral or capsule delivery, since they bypass first-pass liver metabolism and gut degradation. That part is pharmacologically sound. Where the logic breaks down is in the leap from "I felt it more" to "it works like a GLP-1 drug."

Saying this compound made her feel like she was back on tirzepatide is a comparison that will land hard with a 17,000-viewer audience. Tirzepatide has undergone rigorous phase 3 trials. The SURMOUNT-1 trial (Jastreboff et al., 2022, New England Journal of Medicine) showed 20.9% mean weight loss over 72 weeks. There is no equivalent data for 5-Amino-1MQ. Claiming subjective equivalence between the two is, at minimum, misleading. At worst, it could push people toward an unregulated injectable compound in place of a clinically validated treatment.

What should you actually know?

Injectable 5-Amino-1MQ is not an approved medication anywhere. It is sold as a research compound, and compounded injectable versions circulating in wellness circles are not subject to FDA manufacturing oversight in the same way approved drugs are. That matters when you are injecting something.

Appetite suppression from any novel compound could stem from multiple factors, including the placebo effect, concurrent dietary changes, or simply the psychological commitment that comes with switching to an injectable protocol. None of that makes the experience less real to the person who had it. It does make it unreliable as evidence for mechanism.

If you are interested in NNMT inhibition as an area of metabolic research, that interest is legitimate. The science is early but not implausible. What is not legitimate is presenting a personal anecdote as a reason to inject an unvalidated compound and comparing results to a drug that spent years in controlled trials. Anyone considering this should consult a licensed provider who can review their full health picture, not a TikTok comment section.