According to the American Heart Association, roughly 103 million Americans (one in three adults) have hypertension. Death from high blood pressure also rose by 11 percent between 2005 and 2015.
While risk factors for hypertension are partly hereditary, the environment and lifestyle choices also play a major role.
Fortunately, one way you can keep hypertension within safe levels is with dietary nitrates, which elevate nitric oxide production.
We’ll explore the link between nitric oxide and blood pressure, and how NO in both foods and supplements can become a healthy part of your dietary regimen.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
As we just mentioned, some factors are beyond your control. Hereditary, age, sex and race are all common factors that influence a person’s blood pressure. The risk of developing this condition dramatically increase once you reach the age of 45. Men are particularly susceptible to developing blood pressure issues. African-Americans face a higher risk, followed by Hispanics, Caucasians and Asians.
You’re not at the complete mercy of hypertension.
You can overcome some of the lifestyle factors that affect your chances of developing high blood pressure.
4 Lifestyle Changes You Can Make Today to Help Lower Blood Pressure
Controlling your weight
Obese men and women are two to six times more likely to have hypertension. You should at least be within 15 percent of your healthy body weight, according to the body mass index.
Reducing alcohol
Alcoholic beverages elevate blood pressure. If you love your booze, limit your intake to no more than one drink per day.
Getting more exercise
Sitting on a couch or in an office cubicle all day puts you at risk. Get your body moving, even if it’s just doing some deep-knee bends right where you are. You can also use one of those elevated desks that enable you to work while standing.
Making better food choices
Avoid foods devoid of nutrition such as refined sugars, trans-fats, processed deli meats, etc.
How Does Nitric Oxide Fit Into the Equation?
If you’re semi-familiar with NO, then you know it acts as a vasodilator. It dilates the blood vessels, allowing for optimum nutrient uptake and toxin removal. Most people actually take NO for increasing muscle mass and achieving the vascular look. Studies1, after all, do show that nitric oxide facilitates muscle repair and activate muscle satellite cells.
What is the nitric oxide blood pressure link, though? As it turns out, patients diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or atherosclerosis also showed signs of deficient NO pathways. Nitric oxide is vital for maintaining healthy blood pressure.
NO is a naturally-occurring gas that instructs the blood vessels to relax and expand. Wider vessels mean more unrestricted blood flow. Pressure, after all, increases when blood is forced to travel through a narrow and restricted pathway.
What the Studies Reveal...
One study found that hypertensive patients who took a NO supplement over the course of a year, saw their blood pressure return to normal levels. It should be noted that participants in the study were diagnosed with argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) and did not respond to traditional blood pressure medicine. ASA inhibits production of the argininosuccinate lyase enzyme, which is a key component in NO production.
The Journal of Clinical Hypertension also released its own report confirming the beneficial role of nitric oxide in hypertensive patients. A blinded placebo-controlled study found that NO supplementation decreased both resting systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure within 20 minutes of oral ingestion.
That’s not all; researchers also noticed a significant increase in endothelial function four hours after NO administration. The endothelium pertains to the cells that line the inner arterial wall.
A report published in the Journal of Nutrition confirmed the aforementioned studies. It found that beetroot juice, in particular, was effective in lowering blood pressure and improving artery dilation capacity by 20 percent. The hypertension-lowering effects were seen in both patients who were not taking medication and those on medication but who had yet to reach their target blood pressure. To be sure the effects were due to the nitrates and not some other compounds, the placebo group received the beet juice with the nitrates removed. No changes were observed in the placebo group.
Top 7 Foods for Boosting Nitric Oxide & Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally
#1 Beets
This red root vegetable has long been praised for its ability to almost immediately lower blood pressure upon ingestion. This is due to the heavy nitrates concentration. Studies2 show nitrates have a relaxant effect on the veins and coronary vessels, which enables them to enlarge and allow more oxygen-rich blood into the flow. Studies3 confirm nitrates lower hypertension.
#2 Watermelon
L-arginine is perhaps the most famous amino acid associated with having a vasodilation effect. While watermelon doesn’t contain arginine, it has high levels of the amino acid L-citrulline, which is converted into arginine under the right conditions. Keep in mind, though, that the bulk of L-citrulline is in the rind and outer part of the watermelon. This also happens to be the part most people avoid due to being less sweet.
#3 Garlic
This herb is so beneficial that it’s worth having a few minutes of bad breath. It supports the synthesis of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). NOS by itself doesn’t do much. However, assuming ample vitamin B2 is available as a cofactor, the NOS is able to convert arginine into nitric oxide.
Garlic is also high in the sulfuric compound allicin. Studies4 show allicin reduces inflammation and may also reduce risk of coronary disease. For best results, we recommend eating a clove or two with vitamin C. Studies show the combination of these two may lower systolic blood pressure and also elevates nitric oxide output by 200 percent!
#4 Citrus Fruits
We suggest consuming more whole oranges or grapefruits. Vitamin C is a precursor for NOS synthesis. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant known to fight harmful free radicals. In this case, it fends off the free radicals that may attack and nullify the nitric oxide. This is precisely why doctors recommend a vitamin C boost for anyone with the common cold or flu.
#5 Pomegranate
Foods high in nitric oxide include the crimson-red pomegranate. Its high polyphenol levels help convert dietary nitrates into the usable nitric oxide and also prevents the NO from converting back into nitrite. The polyphenols also fight oxidative stress, which significantly lowers the risk of heart disease. Pomegranate is especially high in a protein called monocyte chemoattractant, which helps strengthen blood vessel lining.
#6 Grass-Fed Meats
Notice that we aren’t listing a specific meat. Most meat sources, including fish, are high in a nutrient called coenzyme Q10. This compound has been shown in studies5 to increase nitric oxide synthase. Organ meat is especially high in coenzyme C10. Please do your best to stick to organic and grass-fed meat, which has the highest concentrations of CoQ10.
#7 Dark Chocolate
Yes, you can get a nitric oxide boost by eating this guilty pleasure. However, don’t exactly head over to the vending machine for the Hershey bar just yet. We are actually referring to raw cacao. Studies6 show that subjects who consumed dark chocolate for 15 days benefited from higher NO serum levels and reduced systolic blood pressure.
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- Christopher Walker, Founder of UMZU
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