Nitric oxide, a miracle molecule that we will hear a lot about!
In this post, I would like to introduce you to one important online lecture, which summarizes many findings and basically the results of the investigation of such a simple molecule as NO, nitric oxide. It is a lecture authored by Dr. Nathan S. Bryan, Ph.D and is already from 2020, yet almost all of the information in it will probably be new and surprising to you.
So right at the beginning Dr. Bryen learns about a study that shows that poor blood and oxygen supply is probably behind all chronic problems. Subsequently, he shows us that not only CO2 is necessary for the release of oxygen from the hemoglobin of red blood cells (Bohr effect), but that nitric oxide is also needed for this. This is a practically unknown function in addition to the already known vasodilation function, i.e. expansion and relaxation of the vascular muscles.
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| Both CO2 and NO are required to release oxygen from hemoglobin. |
But NO also has other functions affecting not only the cardiovascular system, but also the central and peripheral nervous system, it affects tissue regeneration, the digestive tract, perfusion rate and the effectiveness of the immune system.
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| A man is as old as his veins. |
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| With age, the ability of the vascular endothelium to produce nitric oxide decreases. |
There are supplements containing L-arginine on the market, but they cannot be effective enough, because with age the ability of the inner lining of blood vessels (endothelium) to produce NO using the eNOS enzyme decreases. Increasing L-arginine levels will not help.
The entire cycle of denitrification looks like this. In the beginning, there are leafy vegetables on the plate. Nitrates from these vegetables are normally processed in the mouth into nitrites by naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth. After swallowing, nitrites in the acidic environment of the stomach release nitric oxide, which kills pathogenic bacteria. This leads to the recommendation to eat vegetables and beets. However, the amount of NO obtained in this way is very variable and insufficient. It is stated that about 300 to 400 mg of nitrates are needed for effect to be seen, but normally you can get about 150 mg per day. The amount of nitrates in vegetables is very variable (and is monitored as harmful according to WHO from 3.7 mg/kg of body weight).
In addition, most people brush their teeth and rinse their mouth with antibacterial agents. It thus destroys the bacteria that transform nitrates into nitrites and thereby create the conditions for a lack of NO and the development of hypertension (high blood pressure). You only need to rinse the oral cavity with an antimicrobial solution for a week and that's it. This is shown by studies even on young athletes. (I personally have been using only clean water to brush my teeth for a long time. I don't see a problem with it and I don't destroy the beneficial bacteria.)
Even insulin signaling is dependent on NO production. As the activity of eNOS enzymes decreases with aging, so does insulin signaling.
And what about the formation of vascular plaque and atherosclerosis? Watch the video in the lecture for yourself. Basically, it's about maintaining NO production until old age. How to arrange it. Arginine supplements will not help us much, because the ability of the vascular endothelium to produce NO using NOS is limited in older age. This can be helped by creating NO in the digestive tract or oral cavity. Dr. Bryan has created special supplements, I will not advertise them here, I have no personal experience an it can possibly cause neuronal damage.
But what I can do is turn your attention to proper breathing. About that Dr. Bryan doesn't speak. Nitric oxide is also formed in the nasal cavities. And that is the way to get more NO into the blood by holding the breath and through the lungs without needing any dietary supplements. We can mention one such simple exercise. Inhale slightly, keep your mouth closed and close your nostrils with your fingers. Now, in such a closed respiratory system, try to grunt briefly using the diaphragm. It is about vibrating the air and cavities. Repeat this short grunt about every second for as long as you can without relaxing the nostrils. It should gradually go up to 30 times on one breath. It wants to you keep calm and well-being. When you need more air, inhale the accumulated NO and CO2 first, hold for a moment before exhaling. You can repeat this as often as you like, it doesn't cost you anything. In addition, the increased content of NO in inhaled air is likely to improve the activity of NOS and the own production of NO in the blood vessels.
Another simple option is to block one nostril, especially if you have no physical activity or if you have sedentary job. It is good to alternate nostrils every few minutes. This simple thing will slow down your breathing and ensure a better supply of oxygen to the peripheral tissues, especially the brain and eyes, both of which you definitely need for a sedentary job.
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| Oxygenation of tissues during breathing through the mouth (up to 6th minute), nose (up to 14th minute), mouth with NO supplementation (26th to 38th minute). |
Nitric oxide is simply an amazing molecule.
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