The Health Benefits of Nitric Oxide
When it comes to our health, we often think of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and other nutrients yet there is a lesser known compound that is equally essential to our performance and overall health. This compound is nitric oxide, a key signaling molecule in the body that helps cells communicate with each other.
What is Nitric Oxide?
Nitric oxide is a naturally occurring molecule produced by the endothelial cells in the arteries. It acts as a vasodilator – the process of relaxing and widening blood vessels – that plays a crucial role in regulating healthy blood pressure levels and promoting circulation. It is praised by scientists as a health-promoting molecule.
Health Benefits of Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide provides a wide range of health benefits to the body, especially in functions involving blood vessels. Read on to learn about the wide range of ways nitric oxide increases performance and contributes to overall health.
- Helps decrease inflammation and oxidative stress from free radicals
- Effectively lowers blood pressure by dilating arteries
- Supports efficient fat burning functions in the body
- Boosts memory by effectively transmitting information between the brain and nerve cells
- Improves quality of sleep
- Enhances learning due to its support of neural function
- Increased rate of recovery after exercise or physical stress
- Helps reduce fatigue levels and increase available energy
- Offers significant cardiovascular protection
- Enhances the senses, such as smell
- Improves strength, performance, and overall endurance
- Boosts the immune system by assisting the body in fighting off bacteria
- Encourages healthy blood sugar levels
- Has a positive impact on behavior
- Aids the body’s natural healing process
- Promotes optimal lung performance
- Assists the digestive process
The Importance of Diet and Exercise
A diet high in nitrates and nitrites – precursors to nitric oxide – and the amino acid arginine (found in meat, dairy, and poultry) can help boost nitric acid within the body. Consider eating a nutrient dense diet including a wide range of fruits and vegetables such as leafy greens (kale, arugula, spinach, swiss chard), beets, watermelon, green tea, garlic, onions, grapes, and other vibrantly coloured produce that helps protect nitric oxide within the body.
In addition to a healthy diet, be sure to include frequent physical activity as part of your lifestyle. Exercise, one of the best ways to boost nitric oxide, causes the muscles to require more oxygen which in turn stimulates the release of nitric oxide.
Scenarios Where Supplementation May Be Beneficial
Although it is possible to encourage nitric oxide production through diet and exercise, this essential compound does not remain in the body for long periods of time. Certain supplements, such as Kyani Nitro FX and Nitro Xtreme, have found a way to supply the body with a long-lasting dose of this beneficial molecule through the use of the antioxidant-rich noni fruit. It has been discovered that noni fruit juice is capable of prompting the release of nitric oxide in the body thus creating an easy, efficient way to supply the body with a safe source of this molecule. A high-quality supplement may assist the body in producing the nitric oxide it needs.
The Bottom Line
It is possible to assist your body in achieving optimal performance by considering the addition of a nitric oxide supplement to your regimen. This key molecule can provide a vast array of benefits for anyone desiring a boost to their overall health.