Can Female Fertility and Oocyte Quality Be Improved Through Supplementation?
Fertility naturally declines with age, with oocyte (egg) quality being a key factor. Consequently, women experience a sharp decline in healthspan after menopause, impacting overall metabolic and cellular health. Following our deep dive into NAD+ and longevity, what if a targeted supplementation could support egg health at the cellular level? Emerging research suggests that boosting NAD+ levels may help counter age-related decline in oocyte quality, offering new possibilities for reproductive health and longevity.
Key Findings:
As we age, NAD+ levels decline, leading to reduced mitochondrial function, increased oxidative stress, and higher rates of DNA damage in oocytes.
In-vitro supplementing with NAD+ precursors like NMN and NR may help restore NAD+ levels and improve egg quality.
Research in mice and bovine models suggests that NAD+ supplementation enhances oocyte maturation, improves blastocyst formation rates, and reduces mitochondrial dysfunction.
How It Works? NAD+ plays a critical role in:
Maintaining spindle/chromosome structure for proper egg division
Reducing oxidative stress (ROS) to protect egg integrity
Preventing DNA damage and apoptosis, supporting fertilization and embryo development
What About Humans? While promising, human studies are still limited. However, early evidence suggests that NAD+ supplementation could be a potential strategy for improving oocyte quality, particularly for older women or those struggling with infertility.
The Verdict:
NAD+ precursors like NR and NMN may support better egg quality by optimizing mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress. While animal studies show potential, clinical trials in women are needed before making strong conclusions.
Unfortunately, this critical area of research remains significantly underfunded, despite its potential to improve both fertility outcomes and long-term healthspan for women. At the Longevity Science Foundation, we are actively supporting studies in this field. If you want to directly support the advancement in female fertility and longevity research, you can do so by choosing this area specifically when donating to LSF. 100% of your contribution will go toward funding this research call.
Donate today and be part of the change: https://longevity.foundation/support-us