Nitric Oxide Loss: The Single Most Important Factor Impacting Cardiovascular Health

Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial signalling molecule in the body that is involved in almost all organ systems. Various researchers suggest that reduced NO production is a clear progression of cardiovascular disease. In particular, a lack of oxygen-rich blood reaching a body part is the common trait in age-related and chronic diseases, leading to hypertension, sexual dysfunction, and inflammatory vascular disease that can cause heart attacks, strokes, or heart failures.

Although NO production naturally drops as we age, lifestyle factors and diet can speed up or slow down this loss. All the conditions where NO is deficient can be improved through dietary nitrate and nitrite interventions. Nonetheless, foods high in these compounds should be consumed with caution since processed meats, when cooked at high heat, can create harmful nitrosamines.

By knowing what can harm our body’s capacity to create NO, and adopting healthy habits like maintaining a balanced diet and exercise, it is possible to slow the inevitable loss of NO production with age, preventing cardiovascular and other age-related diseases.

The Importance of NO in Health

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a renowned director of the Heart Disease Reversal Program at the Cleveland Clinic, describes NO as the most important factor affecting cardiovascular health. He stresses that vasodilation, or the widening of blood vessels, is the primary role of NO. This enables blood to move easily, delivering nutrients and oxygen to the whole body more efficiently.

Esselstyn states that NO also prevents inflammation and arterial thickening, which restricts blood flow, causes hypertension, and increases the workload on the heart. It also diminishes the stickiness of LDL and other blood elements that can lead to artery plaque buildup.

Moreover, NO has a profound value in predicting Alzheimer’s disease progression. Loss of blood flow regulation is a common denominator in any neurological disorder and is dependent on NO. Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia have reduced blood flow to the prefrontal cortex.

The body’s inability to produce NO affects every organ in the body.

Factors Affecting NO Production

Studies show that oral and gut bacteria microbiomes play a role in NO production. Thus, any factor that damages beneficial bacteria can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and dementia, among others.

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