NAD+ and Female Fertility — What the Research Shows

NAD+ is best known for its role in energy metabolism and healthy ageing — but emerging research suggests it may also play a meaningful role in female reproductive health.

A study published in Cell Reports by researchers at UNSW Sydney found that NAD+ levels in oocytes decline with age, and that restoring those levels improved oocyte quality, ovulation rate and live birth outcomes.

The research demonstrated that treatment with NMN — a metabolic precursor to NAD+ — reversed age-related declines in oocyte quality, including improvements to spindle assembly, a key factor in accurate chromosome separation during fertilisation.

What makes this particularly relevant is the timing. Oocyte quality begins to decline significantly from the late third decade of life in humans — precisely the window when many women are beginning to think seriously about fertility.

While human clinical trials are still needed, this research adds to a growing body of evidence supporting NAD+ optimisation as part of a proactive preconception health strategy.

Source: Bertoldo et al., Cell Reports, 2020. UNSW Sydney.
Read the full study here