Older readers of these pages have come to know the many antiaging benefits of NAD+. Now, younger readers may have something to gain from the remarkable supplement as well. Current research has found that the remarkable enzyme may also boost fertility and help couples who are trying to conceive.
Research from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute has shown that NAD+ deficiency during pregnancy can lead to birth defects and miscarriage. Additionally, scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that an enzyme called CD38 degrades NAD+ in the ovaries, accelerating the loss of egg quality and quantity. These findings suggest that maintaining NAD+ levels may help improve ovarian health and extend reproductive longevity.
Supporting NAD+ levels is particularly important for women over 35, a group classified as having “advanced maternal age.” “It should be called ‘advanced mitochondrial age,’” explains Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh, a Fertility Specialist and Reproductive Endocrinologist “I recommend patients consider NAD+ supplements before pregnancy, as it may benefit uterine health and even sperm health.”
Hundreds of anecdotes from the r/IVF Reddit community highlight the potential of NAD+ supplementation. One user shared that after adding a NAD+ supplement to her routine, she experienced unprecedented success during her IVF cycle and later provided an update at 13 weeks pregnant after years of infertility.
And it is not just women’s fertility that seems to be improved by NAD+. Healthy mitochondrial function is vital for sperm motility, DNA integrity, and overall sperm health. “As both healthy egg and sperm are needed to produce a healthy embryo, I also recommend that my male patients support their NAD+ using supplementation,” says Dr. Eyvazzadeh.
As beneficial as NAD+ may be for fertility and has proven to be for antiaging and overall health, you cannot get enough of it from your food. NAD+ cannot be absorbed directly from food because it’s a large molecule that the digestive system cannot process efficiently. Instead, the body synthesizes NAD+ from smaller precursors like NR, niacin, and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).
While foods like milk, meat, and brewer’s yeast contain NR, the amounts are too small to replenish declining NAD+ levels. “You’d need to drink 87 gallons of milk to match the amount of NR in [most NAD supplements],” says Dr. Eyvazzadeh. This makes supplementation the most practical option for boosting NAD+ levels.
