NAC TID In, EPO Out

November 06, 2025

In partnership with

Code to Conception

Daily micro-protocols for the 90-day miracle window

Day 27 of 90

| November 6, 2025 |

🔬 Pre-Bump Biology

Oxidative stress chips away at egg mitochondria and shreds sperm DNA. N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) 600 mg TID restores the glutathione system that protects both gametes—boosting ovulation success in PCOS and improving semen quality. Meanwhile, despite the hype, evening primrose oil (EPO) hasn’t shown natural-cycle benefits; smarter follicular-phase swaps win.

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🧬 Protocol Drop

Today’s Allopathic Protocol:
Take NAC 600 mg three times daily (≈ every 6–8 hours) for 90 days (men) or cycle days 2–6 with letrozole ± uFSH for up to 3 cycles (PCOS). Swallow with water; split doses minimize GI upset. Re-check semen analysis/DFI at 90 days or track clinical pregnancy across OI cycles.

Today’s Holistic Protocol:
Skip EPO for mucus. Instead, during your fertile window use a sperm-safe, hydroxyethylcellulose-based lubricant and target 2 servings of oily fish/week (or 1 g/day EPA+DHA if diet is low). Hydrate to pale-straw urine. These changes support cervical fluid and sperm transport—without EPO’s bleeding-risk caveats.

👉 Read the summary on NAC for redox & fertility.
👉 Read the summary on EPO and why we don’t recommend it for natural TTC.

📚 Glossary Pop

Glutathione (GSH): Your cells’ master antioxidant. NAC supplies cysteine—the rate-limiting building block—so you can make more GSH. Higher GSH means less oxidative damage to eggs and sperm, better mitochondrial function, and a healthier environment for conception.

Forward this to your partner and run the NAC + lubricant + omega-3 stack together—conception is a team sport.

P.S. Tomorrow Teaser

Your fertility posture check: how sitting, standing, and even the tilt of your pelvis can restrict blood flow to reproductive organs—and the simple 2-minute alignment fix that pairs perfectly with a zinc + selenium antioxidant stack.

Want to learn more?

Fang, Y.-Q., Li, J., Zhang, X., & Chen, H. (2024). N-acetylcysteine supplementation improves endocrine–metabolic profiles in PCOS and enhances ovulation-induction efficacy. Journal of Ovarian Research, 17, 152. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-024-01528-8

Syarif, S., Rahman, A., & Widodo, E. (2025). N-acetylcysteine for male infertility: RCT meta-analysis. Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia, 97(1), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2025.13750

Ku, M., Ong, C. L., & Tan, K. H. (2022). Dietary supplement intake and fecundability in a preconception cohort study. Nutrients, 14(23), 5110. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14235110

Sohrabi, N., Tavakoli, M., & Esmailzadeh, A. (2024). Evening primrose seed oil and ART outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. Advances in Integrative Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2024.08.004

Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). (2022). Optimizing natural fertility: A committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility, 118(2), 269–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.05.006

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