Nitric Oxide (NO)

Nitric Oxide (NO) can exist as a gas, but in the body can act as a neurotransmitter, an anti-microbial, or an antioxidant.

In particular, nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator (which increased blood flow), and various pharmaceutical drugs exploit this property. For example, nitroglycerine is used to vasodilate the arteries of the heart, in order to relieve angina pain. Viagra (and similar drugs) increase local tissue nitric oxide levels, thus promoting penile blood flow which produces an erection. Other drugs increase production of nitric oxide in order to create systemic vasodilation resulting in lower blood pressure.

There are three kinds of enzymes in the body that can produce nitric oxide from the amino acid arginine in different tissues:

• eNOS - benefits blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, and improves athletic performance
• nNOS - benefits brain function
• iNOS - benefits the immune system

These enzymes are subject to genetic variation.

Food sources of nitric oxide precursors include natural vegetable products, as well as meats that are preserved using chemical nitrites and nitrates (saltpeter). Generally, nitrate content is used as a standard metric for vegetable products. The nitrate content of vegetable products is highly variable, depending on soil conditions and the type of fertilizer used. Typically, organic fertilizers produce lower nitrate levels than commercial fertilizers.

There is some concern that cooking nitrate-containing foods at high temperature (e.g. barbeque) can form cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines, but it has also been claimed that vitamin C content in the food can mitigate this issue.

These are a few representative examples of high nitric oxide precursor foods:

• Green leafies: Spinach (100g has from 24 to 387mg of nitrates); Bok Choy (100g has from 103 to 309mg of nitrates); Mustard Greens (100g has from 70 to 95 milligrams of nitrates).
• Roots: Beets; Carrots (100g has from 92 to 195mg of nitrates).
• Preserved meats: Corned beef; Lunch meat; Sausage; Ham; Bacon; Liverwurst/Braunschweiger - See label for nitrate content.
• Garlic appears to improve your body's manufacturing process for nitric oxide [WebMD].
• Citrus Fruit boosts the amount of vitamin C in your body, which in turn improves your ability to absorb and react to nitric oxide [WebMD].

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