Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, plays a vital role in supporting your overall health; it is a signaling molecule that is critical for supporting many processes in your body. In 1992 it was given the title of Molecule of the Year.

Benefits

A nitric oxide deficiency may be related to a wide variety of health issues such as hypertension, insomnia, anxiety, memory loss, and depression. However there are a number of body systems which do better when we have sufficient levels of nitric.

• Blood Pressure – as a vasodilator nitric makes blood movement through the vessels easier thus allowing the heart to work less, keeping blood pressure down.
• Blood Flow – nitric oxide has the ability to make platelets less sticky. Therefore, the platelets are less likely to clump together and form a blood clot.
• Cardiovascular Health – due to nitric oxide’s ability to reduce blood pressure and assist with better blood flow, your heart does not have to work quite as hard. Nitric oxide can also improve endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Depleted nitric oxide production, however, is one of the earliest signs in the development of cardiovascular disease.
• Brain Health – nitric oxide is important for the central nervous system. It can change the potential of the brain to complete things which may point to the ability to help with neurodegenerative diseases.
• Immune System – it can help fight off disease and infection. Studies have indicated that nitric oxide may help to reduce respiratory tract infections by inactivating viruses and inhibiting their replication.

Are you getting enough nitric oxide?

 So how do you make sure you are getting enough nitric oxide?

Firstly, it’s important to understand there is no food source or supplement for it; but there are foods and supplements that can boost the amount of nitric in the body. Your body converts nitrate to nitrite and then the nitrite is converted to nitric . There is an important difference between naturally occurring sources and chemical versions.  In all cases you want to avoid the lab-created versions and choose food based options.

For your body to complete this process, it must first have sufficient amounts of nitrate available from your diet. Inorganic nitrate and nitrite are found naturally in many foods. Leafy green vegetables and beets are excellent sources of nitrates. Other sources include chard, spinach, lettuce, endive, leeks, radishes, celery, broccoli, fennel, Chinese cabbage, turnips, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, pomegranate, citrus fruits, and bananas. Herbs are another great source including parsley and dill.

Important co-factors

Adding the above referenced foods to your diet can be beneficial, but there are a couple of other components that are necessary for nitric production. These include arginine and citrulline.

Arginine is an amino acid found in high-protein foods such as grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, dairy products such as cultured yogurt, kefir, raw cheese, and seeds like pumpkin and sunflower. Seaweed and spirulina also contain arginine.

Another nitric booster is the non-essential amino acid Citrulline. The name citrulline comes from the Latin citrullis which means watermelon.  As you can guess, watermelon is a good source of this compound.

Eating a diet rich in nitrates, arginine, and citrulline is a great place to start to make sure your body has the building blocks to produce sufficient nitric. If additional support is needed, a supplement comprised of beets, L-arginine, and L-citrulline can be added to the diet.

As always it is important to consult with your health care provider first before adding any supplementation to your diet.

In summary

Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, a neurotransmitter, a regulator of nutrient metabolism, and a killer of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.

A focus on diet as a means of elevating nitrate levels through the above suggested foods can be a cost-effective means to providing your body with the building blocks of health when it comes to nitric oxide.

Listen in as BionoxUSA Founder Dr. Jay  and I dive deep into the science behind and benefits of nitric oxide.

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• Bondonno, C.P., Croft, K.D., and Hodgson, J.M. (27 June 2016). Dietary nitrate, nitric oxide, and cardiovascular health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Volume 56, 2016 - Issue 12. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2013.811212.
• Bondonno, C.P., Croft, K.D., Ward, N., Considine, M., and Hodgson, J.M. (April 2015). Dietary flavonoids and nitrate: effects on nitric oxide and vascular function. Nutrition Reviews, Volume 73, Issue 4, Pages 216-235. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/73/4/216/1817794?login=false
• Bryan, N.S. (2018). Functional nitric oxide nutrition to combat cardiovascular disease. Curr Atheroscler Rep 20, 21. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11883-018-0723-0.
• Bryan, N.S. and Schwarz, E.R. (2022). The role of nitric oxide supplements and foods in cardiovascular disease. Nutritional and Integrative Strategies in Cardiovascular Medicine.
• Martel, J., Ko, Y.F., Young, J.D., and Ojcius, D.M. (May-June 2020). Could nasal nitric oxide help t mitigate the severity of COVID-19? Microbes and Infection. Volume 22, Issues 4-5, pages 168-171.
• Ritz, T., Salsman, M., Young, D., Lippert, A., Khan, D., and Ginty, A. (July 2021). Boosting nitric oxide in stress and respiratory infection: potential relevance for asthma and COVID-19. Science Direct. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354621000582.
• Wu, G., Meininger, C.J., McNeal, C.J., Bazer, F., and Rhoads, M. (2021). Role of l-arginine in nitric oxide synthesis and health in humans. Amino Acids in Nutrition and Health. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-74180-8_10.

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