Say YES to NO: Nitric Oxide and other Good stuff for Sex and Circulation
1/23/17
NATURE HEALS'
by Michelle Edmonds, M.A., M.Ed
Author|Nutritional Consultant
@ Serenity Weight Loss and Detoxification Program
Read more about our program here: https://serenitywellnesswarriors.eventbrite.com
GM Team and friends:
During the last episode of the NATURE HEALS broadcast on Serenity Radio Network (SRN) we focused on herbs for the reproductive system for women and men. Nitric Oxide, also known as " NO" is all about improving circulation and circulation is what you need to have good sex. If there are cardiovascular issues, swelling in the ankles, knees or high blood pressure, you do not have great circulation. Here's your new mantra:
"No circulation, NO Sex, No... N.O, No sex!
Got It! . "
1. Eat Foods that Boost Nitric Oxide
When you eat foods that contain natural nitrates, the bacteria in your tongue converts them into nitritines…
…and once you swallow the food, the bacteria in your gut converts the nitritines into nitric oxide
Very simply, the more nitrates you eat, the more nitric oxide your tongue and gut will produce and convert. Additionally, nitrate-rich foods are easy to obtain and they’re also quite cheap…
…Here’s a list of few great foods that are natural vasodilators:
Spinach, beets, celery, arugula lettuce, iceberg lettuce, carrots, parsley, cabbage, radishes, collard greens, etc. Remember, though, if you are challenged with weight issues, go easy on cabbage and all cruciferous veggies.
2. Grape Seed Extract
Grape Seed Extract (GSE) is simply an extract derived from grape seeds. The extract itself is great for testosterone production, as it’s one of the few natural substances that can block the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. In other words, GSE is a potent aromatase enzyme blocker. But on top of that, grape seed extract is also great at increasing nitric oxide levels. Studies on humans show that it drops blood pressure and heart rate, and animal studies show that it activates the natural nitric oxide synthase of the body and increases NO levels by 138% when taken at doses of 100mg.
The problem with GSE is that you can’t get enough of the active compounds (procyanidins) just by eating grapes, and most of the supplements on the market are quite weak too. Pretty much the only GSE supplement that I can honestly recommend is this one.
3. Vitamin C + Garlic
It’s a well known medical fact that vitamin C increases nitric oxide production in the body, and that it also protects the molecules.
Garlic, on the other hand, is a natural vasodilator and filled with natural nitrates, and it also contains a compound called quercetin, which is linked to increased NO levels in various studies
There are many studies have also found that garlic is more effective at dropping high blood pressure than most drugs on the market.
So that’s why a researcher by the name of Adam Moussa, decided in this study, to give his human subjects some vitamin C (2 grams), along with 4 garlic tablets (6 mg of allicin and 13.2 mg of alliin) for 10 days to see if it had any impact on their blood pressure and/or nitric oxide levels
The results were quite impressive:
a) The endothelial nitric oxide output increased by a staggering 200%.
So the next time you’re thinking about paying $50 for a shiny pre-workout blood flow booster at your local supplement store, remember that you can get significantly better results and a massive pump with some plain old garlic caps and vitamin C.
4. Citrulline
L-Arginine will then convert into nitric oxide by the actions of the nitric oxide synthase enzyme (eNOS). Meaning that supplementation with L-citrulline is a solid way to increase NO levels naturally (study, study).
Why not supplement with direct L-arginine then?
Answer: For some odd reason, L-citrulline is better at increasing serum arginine content than L-arginine itself. This doesn’t mean that L-arginine doesn't work, it’s just that citrulline is better at increasing the nitric oxide boosting arginine than the actual amino acid. You can get some citrulline by eating watermelons, HOWEVER, for those that know me as a coach, you know what I am going to say, before I say it, so here it goes: To get any noticeable effects, supplementation with the amino acid is recommended. There is no way you can eat nor should eat enough watermelon to ensure sufficient levels of NO through citrulline, let alone therapeutic dose levels. Therefore, consider direct supplementation with citrulline in combination with Arginine. Seek assistance from a coach. I will help you . vcita.com/v/michelleedmonds However, the best bio-available form is citrulline malate.
5. Arginine
Remember, L-citrulline is more effective at increasing arginine content than L-arginine alone which is odd, but sometimes this can happen because arginine produced by the kidneys is superior to man-made. However, even though citrulline is better, it doesn’t mean that arginine would be useless. It’s still the staple ingredient in almost all of the pre-workout boosters out there.
Several studies have found that arginine increases nitric oxide levels
But again, citrulline is superior. If you want to try arginine, get a product that combines them both. You can also get arginine through various foods, from Brazil nuts as an example.
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6. Exercise
Now ladies, this is about exercise! lol Exercising and staying active is amazingly awesome for pretty much everything. After all, we were never meant to sit around all day. We should be constantly on the move, walking, climbing, etc. Please remember though, movement is more important than rigorous, structured exercise.
Pretty much any kind of exercise (all the way from walking into furious strength training) has been shown to increase nitric oxide levels, both, temporarily and the baseline Also if you go to the gym regularly, nitric oxide production will increase as your muscles increase in size. In a way, your body notices that the muscles need more blood, oxygen, and nutrients, so it increases the baseline nitric oxide synthase and thus, your baseline nitric oxide levels will increase too…
7. Pycnogenol
Pycnogenol is a formulation of maritime pine bark extract, one that has been standardized to contain 65-75% procyanidin (same active ingredient as in grape seed extract).
Pycnogenol also has some anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits…
But what’s really exciting about Pycnogenol, is the fact that there’s plenty of science backing up it’s effects as a blood flow enhancer.
Just take a look at these studies:
a) Pycnogenol was found to relax the inner lining of arteries.
b) In this study, 40mg and 120mg of oral Pycnogenol was able to significantly improve the quality, achievability, and duration of erections in subjects with erectile dysfunction (most likely due to the increase in blood flow).
c) Several studies have found out that Pycnogenol increases nitric oxide, improves blood flow, and reduces the symptoms of venous leakage
See your Serenity coach for brand recommendations
8. Sunlight
…But what most people don’t know, is that the natural sunlight will also trigger the skin to synthetizes more nitric oxide (provided that you don’t use those lame sunscreens that block the natural awesomeness that the sun has to offer).
Furthermore, they concluded that sunlight exposure can significantly increase your life-expectancy by cutting the risk of stroke.
“We suspect that the benefits to heart health of sunlight will outweigh the risk of skin cancer. The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to fully compensate for lack of sunlight.”
So stop worrying about skin cancer, sunlight is essential for life, and you can’t get it out of a bottle. Besides, you’re 80 times more likely to die from a stroke than by skin cancer.
9. Ginseng
Panax ginseng, or the ‘real Korean ginseng’
It contains the active compounds called ‘ginesonides’ which are structurally very similar to androgens, such as testosterone.
What makes ginseng interesting, is the fact that several human studies show how it increases testosterone, increases nitric oxide, improves circulation, promotes sleep quality, relaxes arteries, and boosts libido
Ginseng is one very popular herb, and that also means that there’s plenty of fake products on the market. Also note that we’re talking about Korean red ginseng (panax) here, not the American or Siberian alternatives.
Speak to your Serenity coach for brand recommendations https://www.vcita.com/michelleedmonds10. Quercetin (See Cell Shield formula, below)
Quercetin is one of the most researched flavonoids out there, and even though it’s not that effective when taken as a supplement without any other bioflavonoids in synergy with it, doesn’t mean that it would be useless.
You see quercetin works extremely well with other similar compounds, such as resveratrol, procyanidin, tannins, tea catechins, and genistein to increase nitric oxide levels
That’s why I recommend that you get your quercetin from food sources (or if you supplement with it, remember to eat plenty of flavonoid-rich foods with it).
Foods highest in quercetin are onions, garlic, chives, apples, grapes, and red wine.
Also if you’re keen on supplements, consider this one from Solgar, it’s a trustworthy brand at least. However remember to eat plenty of grapes, red wine, onions, and garlic once you take the supplement so that it’s actually effective.
11. Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is a molecule that’s found in the mitochondria of cells. It produces energy, which keeps your body running.
It’s extremely important for basic human survival, but your body can synthesize it, which means that supplementation is not necessary (even though it can be quite beneficial).
Many conditions can be caused by low CQ10 levels, such as male infertility, low testosterone, cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, etc. Also, several drugs can deplete baseline CQ10 levels, such as statins. However, this post is about nitric oxide, and coenzyme Q10 can definitely help to improve NO levels and circulation in general.
We can make this statement because in human subjects research has shown that CQ10 increases nitric oxide, protects the actual molecule, relaxes arteries, increases blood flow, and drops blood pressure
However, supplementation with coenzyme Q10 can be quite expensive. If you do not have a diagnosis of one of the medical conditions described, rely on foods high in CQ10 such as from salmon, grass fed red meat, animal organs, egg yolks, Brazil nuts, and spinach. If you do have a medical condition that CQ10 is known for, then invest in this awesome supplement with the assistance of a wellness coach.
12. Toss out the Mouthwash
Remember in the tip number #1 how I said that the bacteria in your tongue converts nitrates into nitritines, and then your gut continues the process by converting the nitritines into NO? Well, that process never occurs if you’re a ‘heavy user’ of mouthwashes. Listerine and the likes, tend to destroy all of the bacteria in your mouth (remember not all bacteria is bad) so that the nitrates can’t convert into nitritines.
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