The Shocking Truth About Fertility and NAD levels
Given the modern world’s accelerated human aging conditions, most of us know at least one person who has struggled or is struggling with fertility issues.
But did you know that low fertility has recently been linked in academic studies to declining NAD levels? (Research link is at the bottom of the blog.)
Here’s the nitty-gritty.
The ovary—the crucial organ for female reproductive function—has a limited lifespan determined by the number of primordial follicles it possesses, established early in development. As females age, this ovarian reserve naturally decreases, leading to diminished fertility in the late 30s and menopause.
Cells in the ovary require energy for folliculogenesis (which is just a fancy word for the process by which cells develop into a fertilizable egg). NAD plays a vital role in that energy generation, as well as cell signaling and tissue repair, so the decline in ovarian NAD levels with age is linked to reduced fertility.
Understanding NAD and Ovarian Function:
While NAD is a crucial component in the energy metabolism of ovarian cells—including those responsible for folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation—during ovulation, there’s a heightened demand for NAD to support various processes, including follicular rupture and DNA damage repair. The balance of NAD is essential for maintaining these ovarian functions. With decline in NAD levels due to health issues or simple aging, ovaries experience a decrease in egg quantity and quality.
Role of CD38 in Ovarian NAD and Metabolism:
One factor contributing to age-related decline in NAD levels is the gene CD38. CD38 is known for its diverse roles in regulating immune cell function and metabolic processes. As we age, an increase of CD38 gene expression and activity negatively correlates with tissue NAD levels in various organs.
In mice studies, when mice lose the CD38 gene’s function, their ovaries have more resources and increased fertility when they’re young. But as they age, the levels of CD38 in ovaries go up, leading to decreased energy production and fertility.
Which brings us to NAD.
CD38 is a regulator that controls how much NAD is used in the ovaries, and NAD is crucial for reproductive functions. So when we look at mice without the CD38 gene, we notice that they have improved reproductive abilities, including more follicles and increased fertility. This led us to believe that these mice might have higher levels of NAD, and when we checked their ovaries, we discovered that the NAD levels were significantly higher in the mice without the CD38 gene compared to regular mice, especially in their reproductive prime.
In summary, as we begin to understand the molecular mechanisms behind ovarian NAD loss, new avenues for enhancing reproductive longevity open up to us.
We already knew that targeting NAD metabolism would have a dramatic effect on nearly every cellular process in the human body, but this new evidence is pointing us to potential solutions within one of the most challenging and heartbreaking conditions besieging our modern world: infertility.
If someone you know is struggling with infertility, forward this email to them. NAD is integrally involved in over 500 cellular processes in the human body and is the foundational molecule of life. It should come as no surprise that we now see evidence of low NAD levels leading to infertility.
Here at Jinfiniti, our flagship NAD supplement, the Accuri® Vitality ↑® NAD+ Booster, is a patent-pending formulation that has been extensively tested in clinical studies by hundreds of clinics and by thousands of consumers. It allows optimization of NAD in approximately 90% of users, a figure incomparable to any other NAD supplementation on the market.
Lastly, if you’re interested in going deeper on health-related content, here are a few of our recent posts that you may want to read:
- What Does Peak Performance Look Like?
- Why Optimized, Precision Medicine is the Future
- 9 Powerful Benefits of Optimizing Your NAD
- Andrew Huberman is Wrong About NAD, NAD+ precursor & Longevity
Research Citation:
CD38 regulates ovarian function and fecundity via NAD+ metabolism from National Institute of Health.
