Humanin
Also called HN, MT-RNR2 peptide, HNG (S14G-humanin, a stronger lab variant)
A protective peptide your mitochondria make, studied in labs for aging, brain and heart.
The simple version
- What it does
- In lab and animal studies, it helps cells survive stress and damage.
- How people take it
- No established dose.
- Know this
- It has never been tested in people, so its safety is unknown.
What it is
Humanin is a small peptide, 24 amino acids long, that your body makes on its own. Japanese researchers found it in 2001 while looking for something that protected brain cells from Alzheimer's-type damage, and its instructions sit in the DNA of your mitochondria, the tiny power plants in your cells. Levels tend to drop with age, and the lab-made versions sold online (some are a stronger variant called HNG) aren't approved as medicine anywhere.
How it works
In cells and animals, humanin acts like a stress shield. It latches onto cells and helps them survive toxins, low oxygen and other damage, and it may help the body use insulin better. All of this comes from lab and animal work, not people.
What people use it for
- Healthy aging (claimed)
- Protecting the brain (claimed)
- Heart and metabolic health (claimed)
- Better insulin response (claimed)
The evidence
Mostly animal studies
Lab and animal results look promising: it protected nerve cells from Alzheimer's-type damage, cut heart damage in rodents and improved insulin response in animals. In people, studies have only measured natural levels in blood, which tend to be lower in older adults and in some diseases. No trial has ever given humanin to people, so there's no tested dose and no human safety data.
How people dose it
No established dose. There isn't enough research or common use to give a typical dose for this one. Be extra careful with anything this unstudied.
Start at the low end, and change one thing at a time. If you take medication or have a health condition, check with a doctor first.
Mix & measure
Set up for a 5 mg vial. Change any number to match yours. New to this? Read how to mix a vial and mg vs mL vs units first.
What you'll need
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Side effects
- Unknown, since it has never been tested in people
- Redness or soreness where you inject
- Possible drop in blood sugar (based on what it did in animals)
Skip it if
- Current or past cancer (it helps stressed cells survive, and in theory that could include cancer cells)
- Diabetes treated with insulin or other blood-sugar drugs, unless a doctor is involved
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
Interactions
- Could add to the effect of insulin or other diabetes drugs (in theory)
Get help right away for swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, chest pain, or a spreading, hot, red injection site.
Storage & legal
Storage
Powder: freezer or fridge. Once mixed: fridge, and use within about 2–3 weeks.
Legal status
FDA: Not approved. Not legally sold for human use in the US.
Sport (WADA): Not approved by any health authority, so it falls under WADA's S0 (non-approved substances): prohibited at all times.
Often paired with
Common questions
Why is there no dose listed?
No trial has ever given humanin to people, and there's no widely agreed community range either. We'd rather show nothing than guess.
What is HNG?
It's a version with one amino acid swapped, and it's much stronger in lab tests. If a vial says humanin, check whether it's actually HNG, because the strength is very different.
Can I raise my own humanin?
A few small studies link things like diet to natural levels, but it's early research and nothing is proven.
Sources
- Hashimoto Y, et al. A rescue factor abolishing neuronal cell death by a wide spectrum of familial Alzheimer's disease genes and Abeta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001;98(11):6336-41. PubMed 11371646
- Coradduzza D, et al. Humanin and Its Pathophysiological Roles in Aging: A Systematic Review. Biology (Basel). 2023;12(4):558. PubMed 37106758
- Matsuoka M, et al. Humanin and the receptors for humanin. Mol Neurobiol. 2010;41(1):22-8. PubMed 19997871
- Boutari C, et al. Humanin and diabetes mellitus: A review of in vitro and in vivo studies. World J Diabetes. 2022;13(3):213-223. PubMed 35432758
- Gong Z, et al. Cardio-protective role of Humanin in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj. 2022;1866(2):130066. PubMed 34896254
Last checked 2026-10