Nitric Oxide is NO, not the word “no,” but a tiny gas molecule your body makes.
Think of NO as your blood vessels’ repair man and traffic enforcer. Every second, it whispers to your arteries: “Relax. Widen. Let the blood flow.”
This becomes more important after the age of 50. At 20, you are a NO super factory. By 40, production may drop by as much as 50 percent. In your senior years, it continues to decline. Less NO means stiffer arteries, higher blood pressure, tired legs, cold hands, and brain fog.
Low NO has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, poor memory, muscle fatigue, and slow wound healing. On the other hand, higher NO levels are associated with healthy blood pressure, open arteries, warm hands and feet, sharper thinking, and mental alertness. The bottom line is simple: if you care about your heart and brain health, you want more NO every day.
NO tells blood vessels and artery walls to loosen up, allowing blood to flow more freely. When this happens, blood pressure can drop by four to 10 points within three hours after consuming nitrate-rich foods. LDL cholesterol, which tends to cling to artery walls and contribute to plaque build-up, becomes less likely to stick when NO is present because it helps keep vessel walls smoother.
Beyond circulation, NO improves oxygen delivery to the brain and muscles. This translates to better energy, improved physical performance, and more efficient body function. There is also a natural effect on libido, particularly among men. NO further helps reduce inflammation, which slows down aspects of the aging process by keeping blood vessels calmer and more flexible.
You cannot consume NO directly, but you can increase it through nitrate-rich foods. The process is biological: bacteria in the tongue and gut convert nitrates into nitrites, and then into nitric oxide.
The key NO-supporting foods include arugula, cabbage, sugar beets, garlic, ginger, walnuts, unsalted pistachios, dark chocolate (85 percent), pomegranate, pako, pechay, spinach, alugbati, kamote tops, mustard greens, kangkong, bokchoy, and malunggay.
While fruits are not particularly high in nitrates, many contain L-citrulline, essential amino acids, and antioxidants such as vitamin C that support nitric oxide production. These include guava, calamansi, lemon, lime, watermelon, pomelo, and pili nuts, as well as seeds like pumpkin and sunflower.
There is also growing interest in red wine, which contains antioxidants such as resveratrol that have been linked to potential health benefits, including increased NO levels. This is one reason moderate consumption of red wine has long been associated with heart health.
The key takeaway is clear: with simple lifestyle and dietary adjustments, you can support natural NO production. Post-menopausal women and men in andropause may particularly benefit from improved NO levels to support cardiovascular health.
NO everyday recipes
Malunggay-Suha Power Salad
1 cup fresh malunggay leaves
5 segments suha
5 pieces nuts (cashew or any preferred nut)
1 calamansi
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 slivers ginger
Blanch the malunggay in hot water to reduce bitterness, then rinse. Flake the suha in a bowl, add ginger and malunggay. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix well, then top with chopped nuts.
Affirmation: “I am a powerhouse of positive energy.”