The magic element of cardiovascular health: Nitric Oxide

Nitric Oxide are particles that ensure smooth vascular movement. It can prevent hard blood clots, which causes strokes, to stop within the bloodstream.

Nitric Oxide are particles which transports information to notify vessels to relax. It is a magical yet natural element within the human blood vessels. Once it has formed, it is in contact with the muscle cells in the arteries, helps in relaxing the artery, thus improving blood flow.  The element Nitric Oxide was first discovered by Dr. Louis J. Ignarro and his team, a groundbreaking discovery after decades of research, and also a significant finding which changed medical science forever. He received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1998. Nitric Oxide, represented by NO in chemistry, helps ensure smooth vascular movement. It can prevent hard blood clots which causes strokes. It maintains normal blood pressure by relaxing the arteries, regulates blood flow, and prevent coronary heart disease.

How Nitric Oxide (NO) is produced in the body

Under normal circumstances, healthy cells will produce NO continuously. However, there are many reasons that causes damage to our internal cells. Smoking, malnutrition and the lack of exercise, all lead to insufficient NO, and affects the speed of blood flow. As long as the human body produces or receives enough NO, chances of similar problems will be reduced significantly.

For example, if there is sufficient NO in the bloodstream, 70% of cardiovascular disease patients would not have died in their sleep. Even though the human body can produce NO on its own, this compound is highly volatile and only lasts for about one second. There are certain antioxidants like Vitamin C which can effectively protect NO, and maintain it for a longer time. This is the reason why we promote healthy lifestyles and diets.

The healthier the diet, the more NO is produced in the body. If one consumes a lot of saturated fats, NO will be destroyed and this contributes to many problems like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, diets low in saturated fats and high in unsaturated fats are beneficial to the body, because they can protect NO, for example fish and fish oil. Regular exercise is also essential. Scientists have discovered that exercising regularly is one of the most effective methods to promote production of NO in the body. This is why people with good exercise habits are less likely to be plagued with cardiovascular diseases.

How to obtain NO from diet

Include nuts, beef, fishes like tuna and cod, in your diet. Research shows that consuming food with antioxidants is important. People who consume fruits and vegetables will have a much lower risk of heart disease and stroke, as the amino acids in these foodstuffs supply highly pure NO.

Benefits to the human body

1. Hypertension and cardiovascular diseases: reduces blood pressure, improves blood circulation.

2. Heart disease: prevents and reduces arterial hardening.

3. Stroke: Anticoagulant

4. Diabetes: Reduces onset of diabetes

5. Central nervous system: helps in sharpening the sense of smell, sleep, learning and memory, helps to prevent or improve epilepsy, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

6. Anti-inflammatory: the use of white blood cells to kill bacteria, fungi, parasites, and other infectious microorganisms.

7. Urinary system: anti-swelling, improves urination, improves sexual dysfunction.

8. Digestive system: helps in moving bowels and excretion.

9. Respiratory system: helps to regulate our breathe, increasing lung capacity and expectoration.

10. Body’s first line of defence: enhances immunity. NO can also reduce mild discomfort caused by inflammation in the case of rheumatoid arthritis.

11. Others: the relationship between NO and cancer treatment is inextricably close. High concentration of NO has the effect of increasing the enzyme volume in the human body, and therefore killing pathogens like cancer cells.