Better Blood Pressure with Nitric Oxide

Michael Ventresca • February 2, 2023

In 1998, a Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of nitric oxide (NO), a gas produced in the body that can regulate immune, bone, brain, lungs and heart activity. Since 1998, nitric oxide (not to be confused with nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas) has been the subject of more than 140,000 research articles making it one of the most studied molecules to date. Today, I’d like to focus on one of the major ways nitric oxide enhances health called vasodilation, as well as share how I think it’s helped me.


Vasodilation is the relaxing and expanding of blood vessels. When blood vessels relax and expand, your blood flows more effectively. This can bring a whole host of benefits including reduced blood pressure and risk of heart disease, better athletic performance and improved sexual function. 



The body uses three compounds to produce nitric oxide: nitrates (found in vegetables like beets, arugula and some fruits), and the amino acids l-arginine and l-citrulline (found in meat, dairy and fruits).


A quick word on beet supplements - if you’re using a beet supplement to increase your nitric oxide, be sure to look for the amount of nitrates on the label. While beets can be a good source of nitrates, the amount of nitrates, and thus results, can vary widely.


My favorite product and the one I take daily is called M3 Ultimate Nitric Oxide Nutrition from Bionox. This comprehensive formula mixes easily in water and provides a combined 7grams of l-arginine and l-citrulline, with a potent blend of beets and other vegetables, fruits and herbs, to help maximize the production of NO along several different pathways. M3 also includes a good dose of vitamins D3 and K2. Personally, after taking M3 for roughly 6 weeks, I have seen a dramatic reduction in my systolic blood pressure, something I have struggled with for years.


If you’d like to learn more, please stop in today.


Mike Ventresca is owner of Vital Choice Health Store located at 9243 Sprague Road in North Royalton. The phone number is 440-885-9505. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.



References:

Hermann M, Flammer A, Lüscher TF. Nitric oxide in hypertension. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2006 Dec;8(12 Suppl 4):17-29. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-6175.2006.06032.x. PMID: 17170603; PMCID: PMC8109558.

Walsh T, Donnelly T, Lyons D. Impaired endothelial nitric oxide bioavailability: a common link between aging, hypertension, and atherogenesis? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Jan;57(1):140-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.02051.x. Epub 2008 Nov 14. PMID: 19054194.

Romero MJ, Platt DH, Caldwell RB, Caldwell RW. Therapeutic use of citrulline in cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Drug Rev. 2006 Fall-Winter;24(3-4):275-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1527-3466.2006.00275.x. PMID: 17214603.

Barassi A, Corsi Romanelli MM, Pezzilli R, Damele CA, Vaccalluzzo L, Goi G, Papini N, Colpi GM, Massaccesi L, Melzi d'Eril GV. Levels of l-arginine and l-citrulline in patients with erectile dysfunction of different etiology. Andrology. 2017 Mar;5(2):256-261. doi: 10.1111/andr.12293. Epub 2017 Feb 8. PMID: 28178400.

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