How Nitric Oxide Improves Heart Health

Cross-section view of a human artery (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cardiovascular diseases become more apparent as people age and their blood circulation weaken due to constricted arteries or arteriosclerosis. One of the major causes of arteriosclerosis is the accumulation of cholesterol that hardens into plaque against the walls of arteries. Aside from aging, a lifelong diet that's composed mostly of fatty foods contributes to the problem. Rather than wait for the symptoms to appear, people with a family history of cardiovascular diseases prefer to take preventive medicine. However, physicians rarely prescribe medicine to patients who were not considered urgent or high risk cases.

To improve heart health, clinical patients and fitness enthusiasts are often advised to take nutritional supplements that contain nitric oxide. Discovered by Dr. Louis J. Ignarro for its signaling properties in cardiovascular health monitoring, nitric oxide plays a major role in restoring the elasticity of arteries and reversing the damage caused by cholesterol buildup. The substance is also indirectly involved in the action of Viagra, a popular drug for treating erectile dysfunction. Doctor Ignarro along with two other scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998 for this discovery.

Some nutritional supplements with nitric oxide (NO) come in gel or tablet form. Other supplements designed for bodybuilders are in powder form, which they mix with their food and drinks. Most of the time, nutritional supplements have L-arginine, which is a vital amino acid that converts into Nitric Oxide (NO) once it goes into synthesis in the bod. The molecule passes through the endothelium surface of the cells and dilates the arterial walls. The plaques loosen from the walls and the arteries return to their normal size.

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