NO More Heart Disease
NO Production
Your own body is the optimal resource for NO production. The manufacture of NO takes place mainly in the endothelium— which is the layer of cells lining the interior surface of the blood vessels. The endothelial tissue, which separates the blood from the smooth muscles of the vessel walls, is extraordinarily thin and fragile. When your endothelium is well nourished, NO is produced at optimal levels and blood flows unimpeded, nurturing the heart along with every other organ. During vigorous exercise, and even during certain routine physiological processes like digestion when more blood is needed, NO makes sure you get it. When the body is at rest, there is less NO, and this cuts back on blood flow.
- Nitric oxide is one of the most significant molecules in the body
- NO influences the functioning of virtually every human organ, from the heart to the lungs to the stomach.
- NO can relax your blood vessels, reduce your blood pressure, and lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
- Adequate levels of NO may play a role in preventing diabetes complications, Alzheimer’s disease, erectile dysfunction, arthritis, infections, and ulcers.
Underproduction of NO develops when endothelial tissue is damaged by age, an unhealthy lifestyle, illness, a toxic environment, or genetic propensity, and consequently, a toxic environment, or genetic propensity, and consequently NO production is impaired. Your body becomes vulnerable to virtually every major disease. A deficiency of nitric oxide contributes to the illnesses of more than sixty-two million Americans who suffer from elevated blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, or stroke. If you have deficiencies in NO, we now know they can be offset with an NO-friendly diet, supplement program, and moderate exercise.
The Heart of the Matter
- The endothelial cells are workhorses in the cardiovascular system, manufacturing the NO that guards against many common diseases. By controlling blood flow, they can help regulate blood pressure.
- Once plaque forms in the arteries, it is difficult to undo the damage. Thus, prevention is key, and NO can play and important role in keeping plaques at bay.
- By interfering with platelet aggregation, NO minimizes the risk of strokes.
- “Oxidative stress” can contribute to cardiovascular disease, but the damage caused by oxygen radicals can be reduced with the proper choice of supplements.
- You can restore the functioning of injured endothelial cells by taking select amino acid and antioxidant supplements that stimulate NO production.
- NO is not only produced by the endothelial cells in the blood vessels, but also by nerve cells and white blood cells.
Cardiovascular disease is now our leading cause of death, making heart health a pressing issue for men and women of all ages. The result of more than thirty years of research by Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, NO More Heart Disease demonstrates how you can prevent cardiovascular disease and help reverse it—without prescription drugs.