Nitric Oxide and Cardiovascular Health!

If you want to improve your overall health, and the health of your loved ones, then you need to understand the relationship between nitric oxide and cardiovascular health.  It’s absolutely critical because you could not live without nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.
You’ve most likely never been counseled by your physician about the importance of nitric oxide and cardiovascular health.  Yet there is an overwhelming amount of research that validates the tremendous role nitric oxide plays in your body.  Here is just a sample of several prominent physicians and researchers with their comments about nitric oxide and cardiovascular health:

Dr. John Cooke – Director of Vascular Medicine at Stanford University and author of the book, The Cardiovascular Cure:

This book will introduce you to the magic that is inside your blood vessels.  It comes in the shape of a molecule, one of the simplest molecules found in nature. This molecule is nitric oxide, or NO, a substance so powerful that it can actually protect you from heart attack and stroke. Best of all, your body can make it on its own.  NO is your body’s own built-in, natural protection against heart disease.”

Dr. Louis J. Ignarro – 1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine and author of the book, NO More Heart Disease:

Though NO’s structure is simple, nitric oxide is now regarded as the most significant molecule in the body, absolutely crucial to your well-being. I am convinced that nitric oxide can age-proof your cardiovascular system, keeping it much fitter than your chronological age would indicate.”

Repairing the damage wrought by cardiovascular disease without risky and often ineffective surgery had long been considered impossible.  I was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for making that thinking obsolete. Now we know we can reverse cardiovascular impairment naturally – with the body’s internally manufactured ‘wonder drug,’ nitric oxide.”

Dr. Jonathan S. Stamler – Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center:

It does everything, everywhere. You cannot name a major cellular response or physiological effect in which [nitric oxide] is not implicated today. It’s involved in complex behavioral changes in the brain, airway relaxation, beating of the heart, dilation of blood vessels, regulation of intestinal movement, function of blood cells, the immune system, even how fingers and arms move.”

Three of the most prominent doctors in America all talking about the importance of nitric oxide and cardiovascular health.  How this amazing molecule plays such a significant role in your overall health.  The production of nitric oxide is a vital function of your endothelium, which lines all of your cardiovascular system.  In fact, the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three American researchers who discovered how the endothelial cells produce nitric oxide from the amino acid L-Arginine.  Since its discovery much has been learned about nitric oxide.  For example:

  • Nitric oxide regulates the muscle tone of blood vessels to have a major impact on controlling blood pressure.
  • Nitric oxide stops blood platelet cells from grouping together in a clot to help prevent blockages in the blood vessels.
  • Nitric oxide controls the action of almost every orifice from swallowing to defecation.
  • Nitric oxide helps the immune system fight viral, bacterial and parasitic infections as well as tumors.
  • Nitric oxide causes penile erections by dilating blood vessels to help in erectile dysfunction.
  • Nitric oxide transmits messages between nerve cells.
  • Nitric oxide seems to be associated with the process of learning, memory, sleeping, feeling pain, and maybe even depression.
  • Nitric oxide has been shown to be a mediator in inflammation and rheumatism.
  • Nitric oxide promotes vascular reparative mechanisms when injury occurs.  It is one of the keys to reversing atherosclerosis.

To help you understand the significance of nitric oxide and cardiovascular health, let’s focus on two key cardiovascular issues.

Nitric Oxide and Cardiovascular Health – High Blood Pressure!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31.3 percent of the U.S. adult population has high blood pressure.  That represents almost one out of every three adults.  Add to this fact that another 25 percent of American adults have prehypertension – blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range – and you have over half the American adult population affected by this cardiovascular disease.

This represents a staggering cost in human life and a significant financial drain.  In 2006, high blood pressure was listed as the primary or contributing cause of death for 326,000 Americans.  The estimated cost in 2010 for health care services, medications, and missed days of work was $76.6 billion.

The typical treatment program for most people with high blood pressure can be a combination of diet, exercise, stress management techniques, and medication. For many who opt for the medication route, it’s estimated that 26 percent still do not have their hypertension under control. Since many medications also have some form of side effect it can be a frustrating journey trying to get your blood pressure under control.

Enhancing the body’s ability to produce nitric oxide is seldom considered yet Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis Ignarro makes the following statement regarding nitric oxide and cardiovascular health:

More effective than any other factor in the body, nitric oxide can dilate the smooth muscle of the blood vessels.  With this dilation, the vessels can relax and allow blood to flow easily through them – and quite possibly lower the blood pressure.”

Nitric oxide is the body’s most powerful vasodilator and causes the smooth muscle of the vascular wall to relax.  This regulates your blood pressure and the health of your endothelium controls this process.  Properly nourishing and repairing your endothelium so that it can properly produce nitric oxide is a natural way to help maintain normal blood pressure.

Nitric Oxide and Cardiovascular Health – Strokes and Heart Attacks!

When you have a blood clot that causes a blockage in the brain we call it a stroke and when that blockage occurs in the heart it’s called a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association’s website 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic strokes. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot forms in the bloodstream.  This blood clot then lodges within an artery of the brain causing a blockage.  This blockage reduces the necessary blood flow to that section of the brain leading to damage or death to those brain cells.  The amount of damage determines the severity of the stroke.  This same scenario applies to your heart.  Add to this the following statistics:

  • 77% of Americans treated for a first stroke had high blood pressure!
  • 69% of Americans who experienced a first heart attack had high blood pressure!

As you can see the prevention of strokes and heart attacks really centers on addressing high blood pressure and reducing the potential for the formation of blood clots.  Your body does this naturally through nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system. Nitric oxide causes two very specific events or reactions to occur.

Nitric oxide keeps blood platelet cells from sticking together. This helps to prevent blood clots from occurring in the vascular system, thereby reducing the risk for strokes and heart attacks.

Nitric oxide is your body’s most powerful vasodilator to relax the smooth muscle of your vascular wall to properly control blood pressure. This improves blood flow and directly addresses the number one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks.  Additionally, your endothelium is a critical component in the regulation of your blood pressure by controlling the response of your vascular wall to the changing pressures within your cardiovascular system.

Nitric Oxide and Cardiovascular Health – Conclusion!

While there is much more that can be said about nitric oxide and cardiovascular health it is very evident that many of the cardiovascular issues facing the American population could be addressed through the proper production of nitric oxide.

Learning how to properly nourish, heal, and support your endothelium through proper nutritional supplementation, diet, and exercise would be a much more cost effective and life enhancing way then the current approach taken today.  As stated at the beginning of this article, nitric oxide is critical to your cardiovascular health.

Together we can work to save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry, and exercise physiology.  He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicago area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information about nitric oxide and cardiovascular health has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Stroke Prevention Centers on Two Key Factors!

Stroke Prevention Centers on Two FactorsLearning how to address two key factors could make a big difference in stroke prevention. Since stroke is the number one cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States, addressing this issue of stroke prevention could be the difference between life or death and permanent disability or significant recovery. 

The health of your cardiovascular system is just as important to brain health as it is to heart health. If you have a blockage in one of the arteries of the heart we call it a heart attack. If that same blockage occurs in the brain it’s a stroke.  

In reviewing both the uncontrollable and controllable risk factors for a stroke, it’s quiet clear that the health of your endothelium and its ability to properly produce nitric oxide can play a critical role in stroke prevention. 

Why? 

Because the number one risk factor for a stroke is high blood pressure and the blockage that causes the stroke is many times related to a blood clot. 

Address These Two Risk Factors for Stroke Prevention! 

High blood pressure increases your stroke risk 4-6 times. It’s the number one risk factor for a stroke and you have the power to positively impact this area. Addressing this issue alone would make a major impact on stroke prevention. 

According to the American Heart Association’s website 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic strokes. An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot forms in the bloodstream. This blood clot then lodges within an artery of the brain causing a blockage. This blockage reduces the necessary blood flow to that section of the brain leading to damage or death to those brain cells. The amount of damage determines the severity of the stroke.  

As you can see by these two specific factors, stroke prevention really centers on addressing high blood pressure and reducing the potential for the formation of blood clots. Your body does this naturally through nitric oxide. 

Nitric Oxide is Key to Stroke Prevention! 

The 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three American researchers who discovered how the endothelium (which lines all of your cardiovascular system) produces a gas called nitric oxide from the amino acid L-arginine. Outside your body nitric oxide is considered an environmental pollutant. Inside your body nitric oxide is the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.  

A signaling molecule helps a specific event to occur. Without signaling molecules certain events cannot take place. Regarding your cardiovascular system, nitric oxide causes three very specific events or reactions to occur. They are: 

  1. Nitric oxide keeps blood platelet cells from sticking together. This helps to prevent blood clots from occurring in the vascular system, thereby reducing the risk for strokes and heart attacks. 
  2. Nitric oxide is your body’s most powerful vasodilator to relax the smooth muscle of your vascular wall to properly control blood pressure. This improves blood flow and directly addresses the number one risk factor for strokes. Additionally, your endothelium is a critical component in the regulation of your blood pressure by controlling the response of your vascular wall to the changing pressures within your cardiovascular system. 
  3. Nitric oxide, when at therapeutic levels in the bloodstream, can repair damage to the endothelium and seems to be associated with the body’s ability to reverse and eliminate plaque formations. Plaque formations, which typically result when the endothelium is damaged, cause the inside of your vascular system to narrow, which can lead to high blood pressure and the increased risk for blockages. 

Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Dr. Louis J. Ignarro refers to nitric oxide as “the body’s natural cardiovascular wonder drug.” Learning how to naturally heal and nourish your endothelium to help it properly produce therapeutic levels of nitric oxide could be a huge factor in stroke prevention. 

Learn How to Nourish Your Endothelium for Stroke Prevention! 

The easiest and fastest way to nourish your endothelium for improved nitric oxide production is to use a properly formulated nutritional supplement. Even Dr. Oz is now talking about the importance of nutritional supplementation for improved cardiovascular function. Unfortunately, Dr. Oz only talks about the amino acid L-Arginine and leaves out another critical amino acid, as well as the necessary quantities needed to achieve a therapeutic effect. 

There is a lot that could be said in this section but let me summarize the basics on how to nourish your endothelium: 

  1. L-Arginine – This amino acid is critical because it is what your endothelium uses to create nitric oxide. However, you need to consume 4-6 grams of L-arginine at one time to be able to achieve a therapeutic increase in nitric oxide. 
  2. L-Citrulline – This amino acid is considered by vascular researchers to be just as importance as L-Arginine. You need to consume 200 to 1000 mg to have a therapeutic effect. The reason why L-Citrulline is so important is that it recycles L-Arginine to turbo charge the production of nitric oxide over a longer period of time. Additionally, L-Citrulline provides an alternative pathway for the production of nitric oxide when the enzyme arginase is present. Arginase destroys L-Arginine and some population groups such as African Americans have larger quantities of arginine in their bloodstream. This can negatively effect nitric oxide production if L-Citrulline is not part of their diet. 
  3. Various Antioxidants – Whenever your body produces energy through aerobic respiration free radicals are formed. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage. Free radicals will also negatively effect nitric oxide to limit its signaling and healing capacities. Antioxidants are molecules that can stabilize free radicals to prevent cellular damage and their negative effects on nitric oxide.  

It is estimated that 750,000 Americans will experience a stroke this year. Yet according to the National Stroke Association “… 80% of strokes are preventable!” While they list other methods for stroke prevention I hope this information will help you to see and understand the importance of a healthy endothelium and its ability to properly produce therapeutic levels of nitric oxide. This really is a viable way for stroke prevention as well as improved cardiovascular function. 

If you found this information helpful then please share this on Facebook and Twitter. You can also contact me directly if you have questions or need a recommendation for a high quality nutritional supplement that can help to properly nourish your endothelium for improved nitric oxide production. 

Together we can work to save a million lives by helping to educate others about endothelial cell health and how therapeutic levels of nitric oxide can directly address two of the greatest risk factors for stroke prevention.

Dan Hammer 

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry, and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.  

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information about stroke prevention has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Prevent Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes!

Cardiovascular Complications of DiabetesDiabetes has grown to epidemic proportions and so have the cardiovascular complications of diabetes. According to the most recent statistics (2011) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes. However, what makes this “America’s largest healthcare epidemic” is that 79 million Americans are in a pre-diabetic condition, where their blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

This means that 35% of the American population is either in a pre-diabetic or diabetic condition and this is creating an enormous health challenge. Even just being pre-diabetic raises a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke. High blood sugar causes oxidative stress or damage to your endothelium resulting in the following cardiovascular complications of diabetes: 

  • Poor Circulation Leading to Lower-Limb Numbness and Amputations
  • Poor Kidney Function
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Increased Potential for Strokes and Heart Attacks  

Two Most Devastating Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes! 

While the cardiovascular complications of diabetes are staggering, there are two that pose the greatest risk to a person’s health and longevity. Statistics can change over time but these two have been pretty consistent. They are: 

  • 66% of Diabetics Have High Blood Pressure!
  • 66% of Diabetics Die From a Heart Attack or Stroke! 

Two-thirds of all diabetics are confronted with this daily reality. It is why Dr. J. Joseph Prendergast, a noted clinical expert in this area, made the following statement: 

Many people still think diabetes is a disease about sugar. It’s not the sugar! It’s the complications!” 

Dr. Prendergast is not discounting the need to control your blood sugar. That’s critically important. What he’s trying to get people and the medical profession to understand is that unregulated glucose (blood sugar) causes high levels of oxidative stress, which directly damages the endothelium and its ability to properly produce nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system. To prevent the cardiovascular complications of diabetes you must repair this damage, and any future damage, to the endothelium. 

How to Address Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes! 

To address the cardiovascular complications of diabetes you must put in place a program to repair and properly nourish your endothelium. This program is in addition to learning how to control your blood sugar levels. Both are equally important. Unfortunately little is done in the area of endothelial cell health.  

Why? Because most people have never heard of the endothelium and most physicians do not understand how to treat it. Briefly, your endothelium lines all of your cardiovascular system. It is only one-cell thick yet it regulates many of the functions of the cardiovascular system.   

This area is so important that the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three American researchers who discovered how your endothelium converts the amino acid L-arginine into nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system. 

How Nitric Oxide Impacts Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes! 

Nitric oxide impacts cardiovascular complications of diabetes in two extremely specific ways. First, nitric oxide regulates the muscle tone of blood vessels to have a major impact on controlling blood pressure. In fact, nitric oxide is your body’s most powerful vasodilator. It causes the smooth muscle of your vascular wall to relax. This helps to reduce blood pressure by improving blood flow through the vascular system.  

Since 66 percent of all diabetics have high blood pressure, by improving their ability to properly produce nitric oxide you can aid them in better regulating their blood pressure. Because high blood pressure is the major cause of a stroke you will also help them to substantially reduce this risk. 

Second, nitric oxide keeps blood platelet cells from grouping together to form a clot. This helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes. According to Nobel Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, nitric oxide:  

. . . is produced by the body specifically to help keeps arteries and veins free of the plaque that causes stroke and to maintain normal blood pressure by relaxing the arteries, thereby regulating the rate of blood flow and preventing coronaries. Nitric oxide is the body’s natural cardiovascular wonder drug.”  

This means that you can use proven and natural methods to address these two specific issues of cardiovascular complications of diabetes. Proper supplementation with therapeutic levels of the amino acids L-arginine and L-citrulline can have a profound effect on repairing and properly nourishing your endothelium for therapeutic increases in nitric oxide production. This would help millions of diabetics to reduce their risks for these cardiovascular complications of diabetes.  

Additional Resources to Help You Understand How to Address the Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes! 

To help you better understand how the endothelium impacts your cardiovascular health, please click here. 

To help you better understand how the endothelium controls blood pressure, please click here. 

To help you better understand how nourishing and repairing your endothelium will improve its ability to properly improve nitric oxide, and how this directly impacts many of the cardiovascular complications of diabetes, please click here. 

By directly putting into place a plan of action that will improve endothelial cell health and function, especially in the area of improved nitric oxide production, you can substantially reduce the risk for the two major cardiovascular complications of diabetes.  If you found this information helpful then please share this on Facebook and Twitter. 

Together we can work to save a million lives by helping to educate others about endothelial cell health and how therapeutic levels of nitric oxide can directly address the two greatest cardiovascular complications of diabetes. 

Dan Hammer 

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry, and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.  

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information about cardiovascular complications of diabetes has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

High Blood Pressure and Endothelium Part 2!

High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure

Learning how to properly repair and nourish your endothelium is foundational to helping you gain better control over your high blood pressure issues. The following statistics will help you understand why this is so critically important: 

  • 77% of Americans treated for a first stroke had high blood pressure!
  • 69% of Americans who experienced a first heart attack had high blood pressure!
  • 74% of Americans with congestive heart failure have high blood pressure!
  • 66% of Americans with diabetes have high blood pressure! 

As you can see, high blood pressure needs to be paid attention to. It is why it’s so critically important to repair and nourish your endothelium to help it properly product nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.  

Nitric oxide helps regulate blood pressure, keeps blood platelet cells from sticking together to form clots, and repairs the endothelium to reverse and prevent plaque formations and calcification of the vascular walls. It’s why Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, one of the three 1998 Nobel Laureates in Medicine, had this to say about nitric oxide, 

Nitric oxide can prevent, even reverse, heart disease and stroke!” 

These two video will help you learn how to naturally repair your endothelium so that it can properly produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide can aid you in maintaining normal blood pressure without medication or with significantly less medication. 

These Key Nutrients Can Naturally Prevent High Blood Pressure! 

Proper nutrition is key to nourishing your endothelium and aid it in the proper production of nitric oxide. In Dr. Ignarro’s 2005 bestselling book, NO More Heart Disease!, he outlined six key nutrients. They are:  

  • L-arginine
  • L-citrulline
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Folic Acid
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid 

In addition to these six nutrients, the following video also examines 5 additional nutrients that can have an impact on endothelial cell health and function. Together these 11 nutrients can help you naturally reduce your high blood pressure concerns.  

Our third educational video will help you understand how several key nutrients can help you get a better handle on your high blood pressure issues:

High Blood Pressure and Endothelium Video 3 

How ProArgi-9 Plus Can Help Those With High Blood Pressure!

Most vascular researchers will tell you that your endothelium plays a vital role in determining your blood pressure. In our last video we looked at eleven different nutrients that can provide a natural pathway towards reducing high blood pressure. Specific nutrients that have been shown to help repair and nourish the endothelium and improve its ability to properly produce nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system and your body’s most potent vasodilator.  

Many people try a piece meal approach by taking multiple supplements. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one supplement that incorporates most of the nutrients? This video discusses ProArgi-9 Plus which contains many of these nutrients and has been clinically proven to repair and nourish the endothelium for improved nitric oxide production.  

Our fourth video will help you understand how  ProArgi-9 Plus addresses high blood pressure:

High Blood Pressure and Endothelium Video 4

You Can Repair and Nourish Your Endothelium to Help Reduce the Risks for High Blood Pressure! 

Over the course of these four videos we’ve given you a lot of information about how your endothelium and nitric oxide play a critical role in high blood pressure. If you or a loved one are experiencing the challenges of high blood pressure, then please share this information with your physician. Together you can implement a natural approach to help repair this critical organ and enhance your body’s ability to create nitric oxide. Work with your physician to monitor your progress and make adjustments in medications. Over time you can reduce, maybe even eliminate, many of your high blood pressure prescriptions. 

If you found the above videos helpful, then please share this information on Twitter and Facebook so that others can benefit. 

Together we can work to save a million lives! 

Dan Hammer 

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry, and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.  

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information about high blood pressure has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

High Blood Pressure and Endothelium Part 1

 

High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure

To make significant improvements in your high blood pressure you need to repair the organ that directly controls your blood pressure. Most people think that organ is your heart. It’s not. Instead, it’s an organ that most people have never heard of and most physicians never treat. Yet, the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three American researchers who discovered how this organ produces a gas called nitric oxide. 

Nitric oxide regulates the muscular tone of your vascular system to directly impact high blood pressure. The name of the organ that produces nitric oxide is the endothelium.  

The repair and proper nourishment of your endothelium is critical to anyone who has high blood pressure! 

These two educational videos will help you understand the relationship between your endothelium, the creation of nitric oxide, and how this regulates and impacts your blood pressure.  

 You Can Prevent High Blood Pressure Naturally! 

There is a silent epidemic occurring in America. It all centers around high blood pressure. Currently, 1 in 3 American adults or approximately 70 million have some level of hypertension. High blood pressure is the 13th largest cause of death in America. It’s the leading cause of stroke and a major factor in both cardiovascular disease and the complications associated with diabetes. 

According to the famous Framingham Heart Study, it’s estimated that a 55-year old person, with a normal blood pressure, has a 90 percent lifetime risk of getting high blood pressure. This directly impacts the Baby Boomer population. Every 8 seconds a Baby Boomer turns 65 years of age. Combine this with the Framingham Heart Study and Baby Boomers are on a direct pathway to high blood pressure. 

It’s also important to note that high blood pressure can be resolved without the need for prescription drugs, which carry many unwanted side effects. 

Our first educational video will help you better understand these high blood pressure issues:

 

High Blood Pressure and Endothelium Video 1

How Nitric Oxide Impacts High Blood Pressure!

Damage done to the endothelium directly effects your body’s ability to produce nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system. Because nitric oxide is an environmental pollutant and a dangerous free radical, most researchers discounted nitric oxide as having any affect on high blood pressure.

However, the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three American researchers who discovered how your endothelial cells convert the essential amino acid L-arginine into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes the smooth muscle in your vascular wall to improve blood flow and regulate your blood pressure.

Our second educational video will help you better understand how nitric oxide regulates your blood pressure:

High Blood Pressure and Endothelium Video 2

We’ll Continue These Videos on High Blood Pressure in Our Next Post!

You must properly nourish and repair your endothelium if you want to improve your body’s ability to maintain a normal blood pressure and reduce your risk for cardiovascular issues. There are several key natural ingredients that can make a significant difference in the health of your endotheium and we’ll discuss these in the next post.

Together we can work to save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry, and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information about high blood pressure and the endothelium has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Nitric Oxide and Blood Pressure!

Blood PressureUnderstanding nitric oxide and blood pressure and the role that nitric oxide plays in helping you maintain a normal blood pressure is critical to good cardiovascular health and your overall wellness.  It is one of the reasons why most doctors and nurses will take your blood pressure every time you visit them. They are checking to make sure that your blood pressure has not increased to place you in the high blood pressure or hypertension category.  (Note: If you would like more information about the dynamics of blood pressure then please read my article “Blood Pressure Overview!”)

High Blood Pressure or Hypertension Can Be Deadly!

It’s estimated that over 50 million Americans have hypertension.  Their risk for having a stroke is seven times greater than those who have a normal blood pressure.  According to the Framingham Heart Study, 50% of all people who had their first heart attack and 66% of people who had their first stroke had blood pressure readings above 160/95 mmHg.

It’s also interesting to note that in the Framingham Heart Study two thirds of the participants who started out with normal blood pressure ended up developing hypertension.  Of the top five reasons why people visit their doctors, hypertension is either number one or number two. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 700,000 deaths per year have a hypertension component.

Because you cannot feel high blood pressure it is sometimes referred to as the “Silent but Deadly Disease!” Although it doesn’t typically produce outward signs, high blood pressure can cause major internal damage by injuring the endothelial cells that line the circulatory system.  This damage impairs the body’s ability to naturally produce Nitric Oxide.  It usually leads to inflammation of the arteries which is followed by atherosclerosis and plaque formations.  Hypertension can also enlarge the heart, damage the kidneys, and trigger a heart attack or stroke.

If you do not know what your blood pressure reading is or if you have not had it measured in the last 6 months, then visit your doctor’s office or your local pharmacy and have your blood pressure measured by a qualified health practitioner.  It’s that important!

Nitric Oxide and Blood Pressure – Effective Treatment thru Nitric Oxide!

The typical treatment program for most people with high blood pressure can be a combination of diet, exercise, stress management techniques, and medication.  For many who opt for the medication route, it’s estimated that 26% still do not have their hypertension under control. Since many medications also have some form of side effect it can be a frustrating journey trying to get your blood pressure under control.

Enhancing the body’s ability to produce Nitric Oxide is seldom considered yet Nobel Prize Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis Ignarro makes the following statement regarding nitric oxide and blood pressure:

“More effective than any other factor in the body, nitric oxide can dilate the smooth muscle of the blood vessels.  With this dilation, the vessels can relax and allow blood to flow easily through them – and quite possibly lower the blood pressure.”

Nitric Oxide is produced by many cells in the body for various functions.  Its production by the endothelial cells is critical for proper blood flow.  The endothelial cells produce Nitric Oxide from the amino acid L-arginine by the enzymatic action of Nitric Oxide Synthase or NOS. The human genome contains 3 different genes for the encoding of NOS:

  • nNOS (Type 1) – found in neurons
  • iNOS (Type 2) – found in macrophages
  • eNOS (Type 3) – found in the endothelial cells

In healthy blood vessels, Nitric Oxide is continually being produced by eNOS.  The activity of eNOS is calcium and calmodulin dependent.  Plus, there are two fundamental pathways for the stimulation of eNOS:

  1. Shearing forces of the blood flow on the endothelial cells causes a release of calcium to activate eNOS.  Thus, with each heart beat (systole) the endothelial cells of the blood vessels release a puff of Nitric Oxide.
  2. Endothelial receptors are stimulated by a variety of molecules (acetylcholine, bradykinin, adenosine, etc.) to stimulate calcium release to activate eNOS for the production of Nitric Oxide.

Once produced Nitric Oxide diffuses freely across cell membranes to relax the smooth muscles in the wall of the arterioles.  This causes the arterioles to relax to permit the surge of blood to easily pass through it.

It is interesting to note that in mice studies, where the genes for NOS have been disabled hypertension results.

Nitric Oxide and Blood Pressure – 4 Important Keys to Consider!

I’ve given you a lot of information in this blog post about nitric oxide and blood pressure.  The following 4 keys will help you understand how to produce more Nitric Oxide naturally to aid in blood pressure control.

Key 1 – Exercise! You will note from above that increases in blood flow will stimulate Nitric Oxide formation.  Exercise increases blood flow.  It is usually one of the recommendations given to people with hypertension to help them lower their blood pressure.  A simple walking program can be very effective.  As a precaution, if you are not currently exercising then talk with a qualified health professional before starting an exercise program.

Key 2 – Vitamin D3! Calcium is needed for the NOS enzymes to work properly to product Nitric Oxide.  Vitamin D3 has long been known to aid in calcium absorption.  New research shows that D3 also plays a role in healthy cardiovascular function and supports healthy inflammatory response.

Key 3 – Diet! I’m not talking about going on a diet although this can help overweight people who have hypertension.  Instead I’m referring to the type of diet most Americans consume which is refined flour, animal protein and high intake of dark colas.  This is an acidic diet which leaches calcium from your system to affect the efficiency of the eNOS enzymes to produce Nitric Oxide.  To help you understand this process, please see my article “The Acid Alkaline Balance: Does Your Body’s pH Cause Cancer and Other Diseases? Part 1”

Key 4 – L-Arginine! You body uses this amino acid to produce Nitric Oxide.  Most people’s diets are insufficient in the amount of L-arginine needed to properly support Nitric Oxide production.  Supplementation with a good L-arginine product can be beneficial.  I recommend ProArgi-9 Plus. It contains 5 grams of pharmaceutical grade L-arginine with other ingredients to aid in Nitric Oxide production while helping to repair the endothelial cells.  Additionally, this product has a large number of clinical studies (like the High Desert Heart Institute Study) to support its effectiveness.

There are multiple ways to help your body naturally produce more Nitric Oxide.  If you are currently on hypertension medication and decide to use a Nitric Oxide protocol to help you get your blood pressure under control, then work with your health care professional so that adjustments can be properly made.

Together we can work to save a million lives by helping people understand the important relationship between nitric oxide and blood pressure!

Dan Hammer

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information about nitric oxide and blood pressure has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.