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/

Sources to Promote Nitric Oxide Production

Did you know you produce nitric oxide by simply breathing? When breathing through your nose, your nasal passages release nitric oxide, which helps to widen blood vessels. This can help improve oxygen circulation in your body. Since nitric oxide is an unstable molecule that can degrade quickly in the bloodstream, it needs to be replenished.1 This can be done through consuming antioxidants, which is how antioxidation influences nitric oxide production. Besides breathing and antioxidants, beets are high in nitrates, which as previously mentioned, convert into nitric oxide. L-arginine is an amino acid, also known as a protein building block, naturally found in a variety of foods such as red meat, fish and dairy products. L-arginine produces nitric oxide in the body, as well as L-citrulline. L-citrulline is also an amino acid that’s found in meat and legumes. The easiest way to get these nutrients to help produce nitric oxide–besides food–is with supplements.

A Proprietary Combination of Ingredients to Improve Blood Flow

Nitric Oxide Plus improves blood flow through these ingredients: beet root powder, L-arginine, L-arginine Alpha-ketoglutarate and L-citrulline. Beet root powder is rich in nitrates which get converted to nitrite, which then gets converted to nitric oxide. L-arginine is an amino acid that stimulates the dilation of blood vessels and nitric oxide production. L-citrulline, another amino acid, has been indicated to be a second nitric oxide donor since it can be converted to L-arginine in the kidneys.2 Magnesium relaxes muscles to allow better blood flow. Magnesium is a mineral that can be found in greens, nuts, seeds, dry beans, whole grains, wheat germ, wheat and oat bran. Horse chestnut is commonly used to improve vein health, as it contains aescin, which may increase blood flow in veins and thin the blood.3 A supplement that can help support nitric oxide is important and with our latest formulation, we want to be able to give you the convenience of a powder supplement for healthy blood flow support.

References

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-increase-nitric-oxide#

2. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-015-0086-7

3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23152216/