Nitric Oxide: An Ally For Your Heart & Lungs

“COVID-19: Maybe Just Say NO?” This is the title from an article by Dr. McAnally on MedPage Today. In it, he discusses the good possibility that nitric oxide (NO) may be helpful in the respiratory distress associated with COVID-19.* He also believes that certain NO precursors should be tested for their potential role in prevention.

What is Nitric Oxide?

Nitric oxide is a molecule produced by your body and it's important for multiple aspects of maintaining an individual’s health. Nitric Oxide’s primary function is vasodilation, which is when it relaxes the inner muscles of the blood vessels, causing them to widen. This makes it crucial for those who are concerned with high blood pressure and can be a very beneficial to maintain optimal levels.

What Is Nitric Oxide Used For?

For those of you who use our product 120/Life likely already know that nitric oxide helps to relax (dilate) our blood vessels, which can both decrease our blood pressure and allow more oxygen into our bloodstream for delivery to our tissues and organs (including our lung tissue). If you're wondering how to increase nitric oxide, you can rest assured knowing that you can produce NO on your own. The body increases its production of nitric oxide is by eating certain foods that are high in healthy nitrate, like beets.

You need the nitrate and the precursors to make it happen.

One of the precursors for the production of NO is citrulline. Rather than a boring description of how it helps produce NO, let’s just say that one of the best ways to get it naturally is through our diet. And one of the best ways to get it through our diet is by eating more watermelon! Now you know why watermelon is on the cover of our eBook about high blood pressure!

Another physician, Dr. Joel Friedman MD, PhD—who is a professor in the Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine—says that as we get older it’s particularly important to do what we can to produce enough NO so that we can assist our bodies in fighting numerous conditions. He names many that we’ve discussed before, as well as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which can be a dangerous aspect of COVID-19. He suggests greatly increasing our intake of nitrate-loaded foods, such as beet juice, kale, swiss chard, spinach and celery. He also suggests curcumin/turmeric to help with NO production and to slow down an inflammatory response.

Here’s to your health!

*This is not medical advice, but rather medical hypothesis based on previously established knowledge, as well as trials that are presently underway.