Health benefits of nitric oxide supplements

We knew about the health benefits of nitric oxide (NO) long before scientists were aware of its presence in the human body. Nitroglycerin, a drug that works on NO pathways, was adopted as a medical therapy for angina and high blood pressure in the 1880s, but another century passed before anyone had an inkling of why it worked.

The discovery of NO and its biological activities was so astounding that the 1998 Nobel Prize was awarded to the three pharmacologists who identified and furthered our understanding of this dynamic molecule. Let’s take a look at NO and how you can increase its production to improve multiple aspects of health.

Multiple Roles of NO

NO is a key signaling molecule throughout the body. Produced by the endothelial cells lining the arteries, it penetrates the underlying smooth muscles and acts as a potent vasodilator that relaxes the arteries. Therefore, NO plays a critical role in blood pressure and overall circulation. It also keeps the endothelium in shape by curbing inflammation and oxidative stress. Unfortunately, atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease and other vascular disorders, is characterized by endothelial dysfunction and a limited capacity to produce NO. It’s a vicious cycle. Diseased arteries can’t generate enough protective NO. In turn, low NO sets the stage for further damage, hypertension, and increased risk of cardiac events.

This explains why nitroglycerin is such an effective therapy for angina. It triggers NO production, which dilates narrowed coronary arteries, improving circulation and delivering much-needed oxygen to the heart muscle. Restoring NO availability also lowers blood pressure and improves erectile dysfunction (ED). In fact, the popular ED drugs Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra block the enzyme that degrades NO, allowing blood vessels in the penis to dilate and substantially improving erections.

This essential compound is also generated in the brain, where it’s involved in neurotransmission and protects against dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders. NO is synthesized in the white blood cells as well and is used as a weapon against bacteria, fungi, parasites, and aberrant cancer cells. (See page 5 to read about its antimicrobial effects.) In the gastrointestinal tract, it relaxes smooth muscle cells and helps regulate intestinal peristalsis and mucus and gastric acid secretion. NO is also involved in insulin signaling, bone remodeling, respiratory function, ATP (energy) utilization, and mitochondrial biogenesis, or the production of new cellular “energy factories.”