Drink Water

The Benefits of Healthy Blood Flow

High blood pressure occurs when the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is consistently too high. High blood pressure can lead to other health issues, such as heart problems and kidney problems. Consuming nitrates can help blood pressure because your body converts the nitrates to nitric oxide, which then causes blood vessels to relax and dilate, resulting in lower blood pressure. Various studies have shown nitrate to help lower blood pressure by increasing the production of nitric oxide.1,2 Additionally, it has been thought people with high blood pressure have an impaired ability to produce nitric oxide.3

Nitrates are also thought to promote endurance, and some studies suggest that endurance among athletes improved with nitrate consumption. One study found this through the consumption of beet root juice.4,5 Nitric oxide can also be important for cognition, as it was found that a high-nitrate diet increased regional cerebral blood flow to the frontal lobe in older patients.6 When you hear of nitric oxide, you may be thinking of it as a gas. The gas form is called nitrous oxide and is sometimes referred to as “laughing gas.” That’s not what we’re talking about here. Nitric oxide’s function in the human body is crucial as it’s found naturally throughout the body and is necessary for healthy blood flow. So, how is nitric oxide formed and where can it be found? Nitric oxide is synthesized and released into the endothelial cells, which is a cell layer lining all blood vessels, with the help of nitric oxide synthases that convert arginine into citrulline which helps produce nitric oxide in the process.7 L-citrulline may also help to treat erectile dysfunction by increasing the production of nitric oxide.8 A form of L-citrulline, called citrulline malate, not only increases nitric oxide production but also can help decrease muscle soreness. One study analyzed 13 eligible articles that included a total of 206 participants. The most frequent dosage used in the studies was 8g of citrulline malate. Citrulline supplementation significantly reduced the rating of perceived exertion and muscle soreness 24 hours and 48 hours after post-exercise.9

As muscle soreness can get in the way of daily activities, looking at ingredients to help soothe symptoms can help us get back to pursuing our day-to-day interests. As you can see, increased blood flow serves as a link to other areas of health, helping to promote balance and well-being in the body.

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24134873 2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4288952/ 3.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17170603/ 4.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34639501/ 5.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34243756/ 6.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018552/ 7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18236016/ 8.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21195829/ 9.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33308806/