Nitric oxide is one of the major foundations of human health.
That is, we need adequate amounts of NO to maintain our good health, and – therefore – to delay aging as long as possible.
Yet it’s something few doctors talk about because there’s no easy drug to prescribe.
(Don’t confuse NO with “laughing gas” – nitrous oxide (N20) or with nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a major component of air pollution.)
Why is NO So Important?
It does many serious things, but one is critical: it relaxes our blood vessels from the inside, so blood can flow freely.
Many chronic and serious diseases are caused by or enabled by reduced blood circulation. Heart attacks are caused by a blockage in a coronary artery. Strokes are similarly caused by blocks in an artery leading to the brain. Alzheimer’s is highly associated with prolonged, reduced blood circulation to the brain.
Every cell in your body needs the unimpeded delivery of adequate oxygen, glucose and nutrients. Without it, cells can’t function well.
When lots of cells don’t function well, our organs don’t function well, resulting in chronic illness or weakness.
What is Nitric Oxide?
It’s simply one atom of oxygen bonded to one atom of nitrogen, to form the molecule NO.
Outside our bodies, it’s a colorless gas. We’ve known of NO for decades, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that scientists investigated its role in human health. What they found is so important, in 1998 they received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Biological Effects
For animals with backbones, NO is a key signaling molecule. Almost all forms of life from bacteria to us, generate it.
Naturally, however, our ability to produce NO declines with age. Lifestyle factors also affect our ability to make NO.
Most importantly, the inner lining of our blood vessels – the endothelium – uses NO to tell surrounding muscles to relax, allowing for the free flow of blood. It’s their way of saying to the muscles trying to muscle in on their circulation, ‘Get out of my way, bub. I’m carrying the important stuff we need to live.’
Without adequate NO, the muscles surrounding your veins, arteries and capillaries don’t get the message. They don’t stop constricting your blood vessels.
That contributes to hypertension because narrow artery walls tighten and stiffen. Over time, this excess pressure damages your endothelial lining, leading to cardiovascular problems.
A deficiency of NO also contributes to the progression of Type II diabetes.
What – Besides Time – Reduces Production of NO
1. Poor diet,
2. Lack of exercise,
3. Smoking,
4. Insufficient sleep
5. Antiseptic mouthwashes and fluoride toothpaste
These reduce the ability of your mouth, throat and nose to produce the NO your body needs to kill viruses in the air you inhale.
Your body needs a healthy, well-diversified, oral biome of bacteria in the linings of your mouth, nose, nasal passages, and throat. Typical commercial antiseptic mouthwashes and fluoride toothpaste kill those bacteria.
6. Taking antacids
Without sufficient stomach acid, you can’t digest certain essential components of the NO pathways, including iron, magnesium and B vitamins.
Proton pump inhibitor drugs reduce production of stomach acid in ways that also inhibit the production of NO.
People who have taken antacids or proton pump inhibitors for three to five years have a 40% higher risk of heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer’s.
Benefits of Increasing Your Body’s Supply of NO
The free flow of blood throughout your body enables your circulatory system to supply your cells with the oxygen, glucose, and nutrients they need to function at their best. Your arteries and veins remain flexible. That’s especially critical for your heart and brain.
Increasing NO also seems to boost athletic performance and speed up recovery times because it supports more blood flow to and from your muscles.
NO is also a potent anti-viral compound. Because of that, we can make a lot of NO in our nose and respiratory lining. That NO helps protect us from the deadly viruses in the air we breathe.
The NO Precursor to Consume is Nitrate
Many foods contain nitrates, but they’re most concentrated in green leafy vegetables and beets, including the greens and roots.
Breathing
Breathe through your nose, not your mouth. Nasal breathing increases NO. That’s why we insult people as stupid by calling them “mouth breathers.”
Exercise
Spend twenty to thirty minutes every day in moderate physical activity.
One study says two to three minutes of high-intensity interval training is even more effective.
Red Light Therapies
Many researchers now say getting twenty to thirty minutes every day of deep red or infrared light stimulates NO production because this spectrum not only penetrates your skin but the walls of your arteries and veins.
That stimulates the production of NO in the inner linings of your blood vessels, where it’s most crucial.
Ideally, you’d get them from simple sun exposure, especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon. If you can’t due to your geographic location, the season, the weather, or your schedule, you can use red light devices.
NOTE: Red light machines are highly technical. You’ll need to do a lot of research. Prices range from $50 to thousands. Different machines and red light wavelengths are better for different health issues. Therefore, perform your due diligence. Buyer beware!
NO Supplements
Because NO is a simple gas that exists for only a few seconds, there’s no actual supplement of NO itself.
However, because of the huge demand for the benefits of NO, you can buy supplements of precursor substances that your body may use to boost NO production. These include l-arginine and l-citrulline.
However, studies of post-heart attack patients found giving them l-arginine actually made them worse.
You can also find supplements of nitrates, which your body may convert to NO.
How to Increase Your Nitric Oxide
1. Eliminate alcohol, smoking, antacids, proton pump inhibitor drugs, mouthwashes and fluoride toothpaste.
2. Get regular, moderate exercise.
3. Sleep seven to nine hours every night.
4. Eat dark green, leafy vegetables and other nitrate-rich foods, such as beets.
5. Breathe through nose unless you’re talking, eating, laughing or singing.
6. When you can, calm yourself by breathing slowly and deeply.
7 Get twenty to thirty minutes of red light exposure daily.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitric_oxide
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-best-mouthwash-for-halitosis-bad-breath/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-ohQNFwuY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3Fp7R11KQ&t=2060s
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nitric-oxide-supplements
