Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for patients to experience fertility obstacles – so how can NAD IV therapy in Toronto impact family planning?

NAD, which is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a coenzyme that helps with maintaining healthy cells and immune function. The beneficial effects of NAD include: promoting cellular energy production, cell health replenishment, and chemical reactions; converting nutrients into energy for metabolism; improving cellular resiliency; and helping to repair DNA damage.

Sure, NAD is indispensable for maintaining cellular functions. But unfortunately, levels of NAD begin to decline with age, which can cause mitochondrial dysfunction, sarcopenia, cognitive decline, metabolic disease – and possibly lessens the chances of getting pregnant.

So how exactly does NAD relate to fertility? You’d be surprised – read on to understand how NAD affects conception and what NAD IV therapy is in Toronto.

NAD and Fertility: The Functional Medicine Perspective

Integrative functional medicine health care providers agree that age plays a role in male and female fertility. Studies have shown that fertility in women tends to peak at around 20 years old. For males, the quality and amount of sperm can start declining at 40 years old. According to studies, sperm motility can also decline at around 43 years old, with ejaculate volume diminishing after reaching age 45.

So what does NAD have to do with getting pregnant? As we mentioned before, NAD helps prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and NAD wanes with age. Studies have confirmed that, “Mitochondrial malfunction has been hypothesized to play important roles in age- and environment-induced infertility,” explains Aging Cell. With that, NAD treatments might encourage optimal cell health in patients with declining NAD levels; in turn, this may assist with fertility.

The health of oocytes, which are undeveloped eggs situated in the ovarian follicles, should also be considered for improving conception. “The rate-limiting factor for successful pregnancy is oocyte quality, which significantly declines from late in the third decade of life in humans,” confirms Cell Reports. Singularly, NAD may benefit oocytes. In a study on mice, it was shown “that this loss of oocyte quality with age accompanies declining levels of the prominent metabolic cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Treatment with … nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) rejuvenates oocyte quality in aged animals, leading to restoration in fertility…” 

Hence, these findings suggest that NAD-related treatments may possibly help with getting pregnant during reproductive aging.

What is NAD IV Therapy?

So how can we increase NAD levels in the body for fertility purposes? Sublingual/nasal supplements or oral NAD precursors could help. Additionally, some clinics, such as the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC), offer NAD IV therapy to patients.

IV therapy (or intravenous therapy) does not involve oral supplements; rather, an IV therapy drip with a saline-based solution is inserted into the blood flow; then it’s immediately ready for the body to absorb. NAD delivered via an IV provides complete absorption, since the body’s cells get instant access to the therapeutic doses.

Currently, several IV treatments are available to correct deficiencies and support cellular function optimization, including ascorbic acid (high-dose vitamin C), folic acid, amino acids, and NAD IV therapy. At the TFMC, NAD-related intravenous drips may be recommended for patients seeking fertility support. Thus, a consultation with our health care providers is mandatory prior to your first intravenous treatment.

FYI: This initial consultation will involve a discussion on family history, your surrounding environment, allergies, medications for your current health status, and possible interactions between the IV therapy solutions and your prescriptions.

How to Get Fertility Support at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre

At the TFMC, we know you’re not alone in your struggle to conceive – and we’re here to tend to your fertility health concerns with compassion. And because we practice the principles of functional medicine, each patient is considered to be a unique entity. Our functional medicine treatments are always tailor-made for your biology.

Our integrative patient care consists of naturopathy, acupuncture, allopathic medicine and intravenous therapy. Our IV infusion therapies are all designed for supporting energy levels, cellular functioning, and optimal health. Also, ask us how we can personalize your IV treatments! Our intravenous drips can be customized with essential vitamins to help support chronic fatigue syndrome, mental health concerns, athletic performance, brain health, and other health issues.

Do you need restorative medicine and fertility advice? Our integrative approach and functional medicine treatments could provide beneficial effects – contact us to learn about NAD IV therapy in Toronto.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

References:

Bertoldo, M. J., Listijono, D. R., Ho, W. H. J., Riepsamen, A. H., Goss, D. M., Richani, D., Jin, X. L., Mahbub, S., Campbell, J. M., Habibalahi, A., Loh, W. G. N., Youngson, N. A., Maniam, J., Wong, A. S. A., Selesniemi, K., Bustamante, S., Li, C., Zhao, Y., Marinova, M. B., … Wu, L. E. (2020). NAD+ repletion rescues female fertility during reproductive aging. Cell Reports, 30(6), 1670-1681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.058

Covarrubias, A.J., Perrone, R., Grozio, A. et al. NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 22, 119–141 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-00313-x

“Increasing NAD levels could improve quality of eggs, says research,” by Hannah Balfour from Drug Target Review, published on February 14, 2020, viewed on January 15, 2022.

Rajman L, Chwalek K, Sinclair DA. Therapeutic Potential of NAD-Boosting Molecules: The In Vivo Evidence. Cell Metab. 2018;27(3):529-547. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.011

Schultz MB, Sinclair DA. Why NAD(+) Declines during Aging: It’s Destroyed. Cell Metab. 2016;23(6):965-966. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2016.05.022

Stone, Bronte & Alex, Allyse & Werlin, Lawrence & Marrs, Richard. (2013). Age thresholds for changes in semen parameters in men. Fertility and sterility. 100. 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.05.046.

Takashi K. Ito, Tomohito Sato, Akio Hakamata, Yuki Onoda, Shumpei Sato, Fumiyoshi Yamazaki, Makoto Horikawa, Yutaka Takahashi, Takuya Kitamoto, Masako Suzuki, Shinya Uchida, Keiichi Odagiri, Mitsutoshi Setou, A nonrandomized study of single oral supplementation within the daily tolerable upper level of nicotinamide affects blood nicotinamide and NAD+ levels in healthy subjects, Translational Medicine of Aging, Volume 4, 2020, Pages 45-54, ISSN 2468-5011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tma.2020.04.002.

Yang, L, Lin, X, Tang, H, et al. Mitochondrial DNA mutation exacerbates female reproductive aging via impairment of the NADH/NAD+ redox. Aging Cell. 2020; 19:e13206. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13206