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Transcript
by Kurt Dowdle
Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................5
A History of Nitric Oxide..................................................11
The Nobel Prize..............................................................12
The High Desert Heart
Institute Study...............................................................16
The Case Western Reserve
University Medical Center Study........................................19
The University of Florida Study.........................................23
130,000 Studies and Counting..........................................27
Introduction
Did you know NASA launched a successful manned mission to Mars at
the end of the 20th Century?
Did you know these astronauts are still on Mars, broadcasting data and
research back to earth every day?
Did you know that one of their discoveries could solve Earth’s global
fresh-water shortage in just a few months?
Did you also know that they discovered a molecule that could extend
the average life-span on earth by years, even decades?
OK. These things didn’t happen. Wait a minute…the last one did
happen!
You haven’t heard about it? It was so monumental, it won the 1998
Nobel Prize in Medicine. Scientists really did discover a molecule
that could not only extend the length of your life by years but also
dramatically improve the quality of your life; except it didn’t happen
on Mars, it took place right here on earth.
Still haven’t heard of it? Three scientists were credited for discovering
that our bodies create the gas Nitric Oxide, a signalling molecule that
functions like a hall monitor, telling your other cells where to go and
what to do.
Nitric Oxide affects every system in your body, including your heart,
blood vessels, skin, kidneys, lungs, brain, etc. To put it more concisely,
every cell in your body depends on Nitric Oxide; and when your cells
5
don’t get enough, they don’t function properly, and neither do you.
Bluntly, that means you get old. You slow down, ache, and get sick and
tired easier than before. Studies on Nitric Oxide and aging are starting
to pour in; and the results are astounding. The research is so new it
isn’t any wonder you haven’t heard about it. However, you may be
asking yourself; Why hasn’t my doctor heard about this?
In defense of your doctor, even breakthroughs such as this take time
to work their way through the system.
Information Avalanche
Information is a lot like a fresh powder day for skiers. After a lull
between snowstorms, mountains can usually sustain a moderate layer
of snow and powder on top of the old layer without any problem.
However, if the next storm dumps too much snow on top of the icy
crust of older snow, perfect powder can turn into a deadly avalanche.
From a distance, it may appear to be moving slowly, however, even the
best skier can’t outrun your typical avalanche.
The current avalanche of information has long since buried your
doctor’s ability to keep up. To give you an example of how the
information age has overwhelmed your doctor, consider this; in 1950,
medical information was doubling every 50 years. By 2000, it was
doubling at a mind-boggling speed of every 13 months. It is now
approaching a time-warping speed of doubling every 73 days.
I don’t know about you, but I want my doctor to know everything; I
especially want my cardiologist to know about the latest discoveries
6
that will keep me playing tennis and improving my golf swing. But with
this much overwhelming information, who is going to stand in front
of the avalanche, sort through the data, and create the protocols that
would apply the latest conclusions?
A New Direction
The 20th Century model for health care, where a single organization
became the repository of all proven medical information and protocols,
may have met its match with the information explosion. Even with the
aid of super computers, it has not only become impractical but virtually
impossible to accumulate, analyze, and then disseminate medical
knowledge within the control and regulation of a single organization.
In this vacuum a different model has emerged; one created with
the help of the pharmaceutical industry. They pay close attention to
research in order to be the first to market with medication that takes
advantage of the latest discoveries.
After the lengthy and expensive process of testing and obtaining
approval, pharmaceutical companies create a media blitz where they
encourage patients to ask their doctor for the purple pill, or the little
blue pill, or the latest depression medication. Mind you, it still requires
a doctor to obtain these medications, but they urge you to be proactive
and essentially “bring your doctor up to speed” on the latest science.
What color was that pill again?
7
The drug companies then send out their representatives to make sure
that doctors have plenty of the latest color of pills on hand. This way,
when you ask your doctor for a specific medication (prescribed for you
by a television commercial) the doctor will be able to supply you with a
sample. If the medication works, and it usually does, you will tell your
doctor and everyone is happy. (In theory)
Still, the model has flaws and some organizations want to ban the
practice of marketing prescription drugs directly to the consumer
altogether. However, it is an effective way to educate the public on
new options while forcing your overworked doctor to catch up with the
science and research that created the new drug in the first place.
But what happens when research doesn’t result in the next billion-dollar
drug? Let’s look at what happened to the 1998 Nobel Prize research.
Doctors Ignarro, Furchgott, and Murad’s research led to the
discovery that an unheralded molecule, Nitric Oxide, held the key to
cardiovascular health; hence Ignarro’s book “NO More Heart Disease.”
However, the formula to increase Nitric Oxide in the human body
doesn’t require a drug. Big Pharma couldn’t come to our rescue
because they aren’t in the supplement business, they are in the highlyregulated drug and medicine business.
Dr. Valentin Fuster, former president of the American Heart
Association, claimed “the discovery of nitric oxide and its function
8
is one of the most important in the history of cardiovascular
medicine.” Yet, even though he made this statement in 1998, doctors
of cardiovascular medicine in 2016 are still not armed with the
information that would help you take advantage of this landmark
discovery. Many people may complain about “Big Pharma” and its
influence over modern medicine but for now they are the only link
between the latest research and your doctor.
What you can do
The purpose of this book is to make the connection between the more
than 130,000 studies conducted on Nitric Oxide in the last 20 years and
you. Are we cutting out your doctor and the drug companies? In a way,
we are. There isn’t time nor funding to buck the current system. As one
researcher put it, “the chasm between bench (research) and bedside
(doctors) gets wider every year.” And when science discovers a natural
solution to any disease, that chasm becomes the Grand Canyon. The
only solution then is to take the research to the individuals who
need it directly. That is what we are doing right now.
This treatise will show you the vital role Nitric Oxide has in your
body and what happens when you don’t have enough to get the job
done. We will show you how to increase your body’s own Nitric Oxide
production to youthful levels. We give you access to the science
that will one day breach the above chasm and play a major role in
institutional cardiovascular care.
I am also writing this book, because this approach to personal health
care saved my life.
Here is my story
A few years ago, when I had an “acute myocardial infarction,” (a heart
attack) the doctor didn’t offer much hope for my future. There I was at
40-years old, washed up and waiting to die. My wife didn’t waste much
time with this step, she started planning my funeral. And why wouldn’t
she? She lost her Dad to the same condition. This was a dagger to her
heart that felt all too familiar to her.
9
After a few months, I decided that waiting to die was too boring
and started looking for an alternative to my doctor’s prognosis. I
networked like crazy until a friend called me and said, “I think I have
something for you.”
He introduced me to an L-Arginine/L-Citrulline/Vitamin D/Super AntiOxidant formula that he claimed would boost the Nitric Oxide in my
blood stream. Of course, I looked at him and said, “Nitric What?”
He claimed Nitric Oxide would help my heart heal, reduce my blood
pressure and help me to not feel twice my age. It had been nearly 10
years since the Nobel Prize and here was my friend introducing me to
something my doctor had failed to mention.
Long story short, my friend was right; boosting my Nitric Oxide gave
me my life back. Now I am offering you a chance to look and feel
young again; to recover from what ails you, or if you are like my
more athletic friends, shave precious minutes and seconds from your
best marathon time. I encourage you to see how a tiny molecule you
didn’t know even existed will transform your life. All it takes is giving
your body what it needs to make the plentiful amount of Nitric Oxide
it made when you were young. If it could have been made into a pill
your doctor would be prescribing it to you right now. But, not to worry;
we will show you how to boost your Nitric Oxide without a prescription.
10
A History of Nitric Oxide
1847
Italian
chemist
Ascanio
Sobrero
invented
nitroglycerin while at the University of Turin.
School-mate Alfred Nobel became intrigued with
the formula and created a stable form of the
compound, calling it dynamite. Nobel’s explosives
and armament factories made him very wealthy.
Alfred Nobel left his fortune to fund his “Nobel
Prizes” to be awarded in Chemistry, Literature,
Peace, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine. The
prize was in response to a newspaper headline
referring to Alfred as The Merchant of Death.
Wanting his name known for something positive he
created the prize. His plan worked; 120 years later,
his name is nearly synonomous with “peace.”
Alfred B. Nobel
1879
After noticing that the handling of Nitroglycerine created positive health benefits, Dr. William
Murrell began testing a formula that would
recreate these benefits without causing the
splitting headaches associated with high doses of
the compound. Nitroglycerine became a mainstay
for the treatment of angina and heart failure and
remains so 140 years later.
As Alfred Nobel laid dying of heart disease,
his physician prescribed nitroglycerin to treat
his condition. Alfred refused the treatment
and mused on the irony that his doctor would
recommend that he ingest the very explosive
that created his fortune.
Nitroglycerin Pills
1978 - 1996
Robert F Furchgott discovered a substance in the
endothelial lining of blood vessels that caused them
to relax. He called the substance EDRF (Endothelial
Derived Relaxing Factor). He postulated that it was
Nitric Oxide but couldn’t prove it. Nitric Oxide in
higher mammals had not been previously considered.
Ferid Murad also speculated that Nitroglycerin
and other vasodilators released Nitric Oxide into
the blood stream. Like Furchgott he was unable to
create a model that would prove his hypothesis.
Louis J. Ignarro showed in several studies that
EDRF and Nitric Oxide demonstrated the exact
same properties, leading to the conclusion that our
bodies produce Nitric Oxide in the endothelium.
11
The Nobel Prize
The irony that the Nobel Committee would award a Nobel Prize for
medical discoveries surrounding Nitric Oxide was not lost on the
participants in the proceedings of that December day in 1998. During
the presentation speech at the Award Ceremony, Professor Sten
Lindahl of the Noble Committee stated,
“Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, a product in which the
explosion-prone nitroglycerin is curbed by being absorbed
in kieselguhr, a porous soil rich in shells of diatoms. When
Nobel was taken ill with heart disease, his doctor prescribed
nitroglycerin. Nobel refused to take it, knowing that it
caused headache and ruling out that it could eliminate chest
pain. In a letter, Nobel wrote: “It is ironical that I am now
ordered by my physician to eat nitroglycerin.” It has been
known since last century that the explosive, nitroglycerin,
has beneficial effects against chest pain. However, it would
take 100 years until it was clarified that nitroglycerin acts by
releasing Nitric Oxide gas.”
In their press release, the Nobel Committee declared,
“The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has today
decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
for 1998 jointly to Robert F. Furchgott, Louis J. Ignarro and
Ferid Murad for their discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a
signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.”
12
The body of the press release further clarified the discovery and its
claims with the following:
(Begin Quote)
“Nitric oxide protects the heart, stimulates the brain, kills
bacteria, etc.”
“We know today that NO acts as a signal molecule in the
nervous system, as a weapon against infections, as a
regulator of blood pressure and as a gatekeeper of blood
flow to different organs. NO is present in most living
creatures and made by many different types of cells.”
“When NO is produced by the innermost cell layer of the
arteries, the endothelium, it rapidly spreads through the
cell membranes to the underlying muscle cells. Their
contraction is turned off by NO, resulting in a dilatation of
the arteries. In this way, NO controls the blood pressure
and its distribution. It also prevents the formation of
thrombi.”
“When NO is formed in nerve cells, it spreads rapidly
in all directions, activating all cells in the vicinity.
13
This can modulate many functions, from behaviour to
gastrointestinal motility.”
“When NO is produced in white blood cells (such as
macrophages), huge quantities are achieved and become
toxic to invading bacteria and parasites.”
Importance in medicine today and tomorrow
“Heart: In atherosclerosis, the endothelium has a reduced
capacity to produce NO. However, NO can be furnished
by treatment with nitroglycerin. Large efforts in drug
discovery are currently aimed at generating more powerful
and selective cardiac drugs based on the new knowledge of
NO as a signal molecule.”
“Shock: Bacterial infections can lead to sepsis and
circulatory shock. In this situation, NO plays a harmful
role. White blood cells react to bacterial products by
releasing enormous amounts of NO that dilate the blood
vessels. The blood pressure drops and the patient may
become unconscious. In this situation, inhibitors of NO
synthesis may be useful in intensive care treatment.”
“Lungs: Intensive care patients can be treated by
inhalation of NO gas. This has provided good results and
even saved lives. For instance, NO gas has been used to
reduce dangerously high blood pressure in the lungs of
infants. But the dosage is critical since the gas can be toxic
at high concentrations.”
“Cancer: White blood cells use NO not only to kill
infectious agents such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites,
but also to defend the host against tumours. Scientists
are currently testing whether NO can be used to stop the
growth of tumours since this gas can induce programmed
cell death, apoptosis.”
“Impotence: NO can initiate erection of the penis by
14
dilating the blood vessels to the erectile bodies. This
knowledge has already led to the development of new
drugs against impotence.” (Viagra)
“Diagnostic analyses: Inflammatory diseases can be
revealed by analysing the production of NO from e.g. lungs
and intestines. This is used for diagnosing asthma, colitis,
and other diseases.”
(End Quote)
Aftermath of the Nobel Prize
During the discovery of the presence and function of Nitric Oxide,
scientists observed the processes of how Nitric Oxide is created in
the body. They observed that certain amino acids, L-arginine and
L-citrulline, would convert to Nitric Oxide in the blood vessels and that
nitrate-rich foods would convert to nitrites and eventually into Nitric
Oxide in the gut.
These both suggested a dietary solution to reversing the decrease of
Nitric Oxide production associated with age. Excited about the prospect
of being able to increase Nitric Oxide through supplementation,
scientists rushed to the pharmaceutical companies with their
discoveries only to be met with yawns and seeming ambivilence. As
mentioned before, the business model for drug companies doesn’t
support non-regulated supplements that don’t require a prescription
from a doctor.
Not deterred though, several companies began experimenting with
different formulas for improving natural Nitric Oxide production
in adults. Eventually, specific blends of amino acids, Vitamin D,
antioxidants, and other anti-inflammatory ingredients worked the best,
with new improvements on proportions occuring from batch to batch.
What these early formulas provided was a way for a growing group
of people to experience the benefit of increased Nitric Oxide for
themselves. It also opened up the opportunity to study the effects of
increased Nitric Oxide in a clinical setting. And that is what led to the
High Desert Heart Institute Study
15
The High Desert Heart
Institute Study
The year was 2009—11 years after the Nobel Prize.
One of the companies mentioned above had developed, under the
direction of Dr. J. Joseph Prendergast, a reliable formula to boost
Nitric Oxide levels in the endothelium. They had remarkable results
with healthy adults and especially among adults with cardiovascular
disease. But they wanted to verify their findings with a clinical study.
Doctors Siva Arunasalam of the High Desert Heart Institute and J. Joseph
Prendergast agreed to create and run the study. Here is what happened.
One of the most prevalent and debilitating heart conditions today is
Congestive Heart Failure, or as it is now called, just Heart Failure. It is the
most common reason for hospitalization for adults 65-years and older.
The scary part of that statistic is that 20% of that group are return
customers; meaning, they have been admitted before for the same
reason. Half of those diagnosed with Heart Failure will die within 5
years. Some in that group will die suddenly, while others will slowly
drown in their own fluids.
16
The High Desert Heart Institute, located in Victorville California, is
one of the most prestigious heart institutes in the US. Because of the
liability of conducting studies on critically ill patients that have other
treatment options, their study was conducted with 33 congestive heart
failure patients that had exhausted their pharmacological and medical
treatment options.
Their only remaining option at that point was a heart transplant.
(eight of the individuals in the study were on the register to receive a
transplant, should one become available)
During the 90-day extensive study, each patient received regular
diagnostic testing to determine and measure results in as many
areas as possible. They would eventually generate nearly 7,000
points of data.
Therapeutic effect of the 90-day study
During the study, each patient received 20 grams of pharmaceutical
grade L-Arginine combined with other ingredients, including L-citrulline,
vitamin D, and other ingredients that support Nitric Oxide production
and heart health.
Dr. Siva Arunasalam’s comments after the study were as follows:
“There was nothing else for us to try, we had tried everything with
these patients. All patients showed a tremendous improvement in
many, many objective data points...”
“...but what we ended up seeing was remarkable positive remodeling
of the heart, positive pulmonary artery changes, pulmonary vascular
changes in terms of pulmonary pressures, changes in the cardiac
dimensions, changes in heart function...”
Of the 33 patients, each walked out of the clinic after the study. Many
returned to their normal activities and the heart-transplant candidates
no longer needed the procedure.
17
Following the success of the study, the High Desert Heart Institute
continues using a Nitric Oxide Boosting protocol for their CHF patients.
It’s important to note that this study took place only a few years ago (2009).
Current protocols for CHF across the country still produce the same hopeless results
that these 33 study participants were experiencing before the Nitric Oxide Study.
Study’s Findings
The following results were observed after the study:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
18% increase in HDL Cholesterol
40% decrease in triglycerides
8% Glucose reduction
25% decrease in c-reactive proteins
11% reduction in creatine levels
35% increase in magnesium levels (even though
there is no magnesium in the product) magnesium
is very important in improving heart health
Decreases in platelets in the blood
Albumin decreased by 70%
Bilirubin decreased significantly
Vitamin D levels increased by 183%
Systolic BP decreased by 13%
Diastolic BP decreased by 17%
Peripheral blood flow increased to the feet (an
ankle reading) by 16%
CASP (Central Aortic Systolic Pressure) decreased
by 6%
Pulmonary Hypertension dramatically improved
Quality of life measurements significantly
improved for all participants
18
The Case Western Reserve
University Medical Center Study
Previous to The Case Western Reserve University Medical Center
Study, published on April 10, 2015, the age old belief that red blood
cells coursed through our veins and arteries, swapping life-giving
oxygen for the by-product carbon dioxide was an undisputed fact. The
process had been observed by countless scientists over the years.
Red blood cells loaded with oxygen acted as trillions of little delivery
vehicles, dropping off oxygen to every cell in the body and then picked
up the trash (carbon dioxide) before heading back to the lungs and
heart to drop off and pick up and make the run again. It seemed a
pretty straightforward operation...
However, Case Western’s press release announcing the results
of their study boldly claimed “Molecular and Functional Basis
Established for Nitric Oxide Joining Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
in Respiratory Cycle Discovery Could Lead to Treatment Focus
on Red Blood Cell Dysfunction in Cardiovascular Diseases and
Blood Disorders.” They explain further;
19
“Stamler, MD, a Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine and Cardiologist at University
Hospitals Case Medical Center, led a team that showed that
nitric oxide must accompany hemoglobin to enable blood vessels
to open and then supply oxygen to tissues.”
“Professor Jonathan Stamler’s latest findings regarding nitric
oxide have the potential to reshape fundamentally the way we
think about the respiratory system – and offer new avenues to
save lives. It may be time to rewrite the textbooks.”
“Scientific dogma has the respiration process involving only
two elements — oxygen and carbon dioxide. Specifically, the
delivery of oxygen from lungs to tissues, and the removal of the
waste product, carbon dioxide, through exhaling.”
“Recently published online in the journal Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Stamler and colleagues
demonstrate that nitric oxide is essential for the delivery of
oxygen to the cells and tissues that need it.”
This discovery explains the pathology of patients who experience all
of the symptoms of heart failure even though their blood oxygenation
levels may register in the high 90% range. These patients gasp for air
like a drowning swimmer, even though they are resting in their easy
chair with oxygen tubes up their nose. Until this study, doctors had no
way of explaining this phenomenon. We now know that Nitric Oxide
must accompany the oxygen inside the red blood cell, essentially
holding the door open for oxygen and carbon dioxide to trade places.
The measure of a healthy respiratory cycle has traditonally been
pinned on the amount of oxygen in the red blood cell. However, we
now know this oxygen is dependent on Nitric Oxide to not only assist
with actual blood flow but to release the oxygen into needy cells. The
collective frustration of oxygen deprived cells “watching” oxygen rich
blood go by without stopping translates into system-wide panic as the
patient experiences the sensation of drowning on dry land.
Stamler’s previous experiments had already shown that red blood cells
carry and release Nitric Oxide but had yet to determine Nitric Oxide’s
function. His new study identified Nitric Oxide’s function.
20
“In this most recent research, investigators uncovered the key
role of nitric oxide in controlling the blood flow in small vessels
within tissues responsible for delivering oxygen (known as
“blood flow autoregulation”) – a process whose molecular basis
had been a longstanding mystery in medicine.”
Mind you, this last study concluded in April of 2015. It seems incredulous
that such a vital function could remain a mystery for so long.
To further point out the vital role of Nitric Oxide in the body Stamler
states, “Lacking Nitric Oxide in red cells, oxygen deficiency
could not induce vasodiltion, which is essential for sustaining
life as we know it.”
Doctors before, had assumed that when tissue was suffering oxygen
deprivation, the condition would stimulate vasodilation. This study
shows that the Nitric Oxide inside the red blood cell creates the
vasodilation. Without it, severe hypoxia is the result.
To further rewrite medical textbooks, the study continues to astonish
with this claim;
“Historically, the control of blood flow has been thought to be
the purview of blood vessels and their endothelial linings, while
the role of the red blood cell went unappreciated. Blood flow
deficits that cause heart attacks and strokes were thought not to
be linked to red blood cells.”
“Within the tissues, the tiny vessels and the red blood cells
together make up the critical entity controlling blood flow,”
Stamler said. “Red blood cell dysfunction is likely a hidden
contributor to diseases of the heart, lungs, and blood such
as heart attack, heart failure, stroke and ischemic injury to
kidneys.”
In case you missed that, it’s not just your veins and arteries that
control the flow of blood. Completely unlike water flowing through a
garden hose, the blood cells that comprise your blood are an integral
component of the function of your entire cardiovascular system.
21
And the molecule that keeps it all functioning properly?
Nitric Oxide!
Nitric Oxide deficiency creates red blood cell dysfunction “a hidden
contributor to diseases of the heart, lungs, and blood such as
heart attack, heart failure, stroke...etc.”
Stamler makes another critical observation about our blood supply that
the medical community needs to pay attention to.
“...blood transfusions, which have recently been shown to be
deficient in nitric oxide, are associated with increased morbidity
and mortality, including heart attacks. The effects of blood
transfusions are suspiciously similar to effects seen in the mice,
Stamler said. They both lack nitric oxide.”
“It’s not enough to increase the oxygen content of blood by
transfusion; if the nitric oxide mechanism is shot, oxygen cannot
make it to its destination,” he said. “We know that blood in a
blood bank is deficient in nitric oxide, so infusing that blood may
cause plugging of blood vessels in tissues, making things worse.
Essentially, blood flow cannot autoregulate (increase) without
nitric oxide. In terms of developing future therapies, the goal
must be restoring red blood cell function, complete with nitric
oxide delivery capability. As for the nation’s blood supply, the
blood should be replenished with nitric oxide.”
After the Nobel Prize winning research, scientists were calling Nitric
Oxide the “Miracle Molecule” and The American Association for
the Advancement of Science proclaimed Nitric Oxide “Molecule of
the Year.” These designations were nearly 20 years before the Case
Western Reserve research which essentially puts Nitric Oxide on
top of the food chain in necessity to life in humans.
Agreeing with this assessment, Stanford University, in partnership
with the health app company Azumio, now recommends that adults
regularly check their Nitric Oxide levels as a baseline for determining
overall health.
22
The University of Florida Study
Diabetes complications rooted in faulty cell repair
Published: January 24 2006
“University of Florida researchers say primitive cells that act
like molecular maintenance men — traveling throughout the
body to repair damaged blood vessels — become too rigid to
move in patients with diabetes, fueling the disease’s vascular
complications. But they have found a way to restore the cells’
flexibility, at least in the laboratory, according to findings
published in the January issue of the journal Diabetes.”
Anyone who has experience with diabetes, either as a patient or as a
caretaker, know that some of the ailments associated with the disease
are what makes the disease so debilitating and feared. Heart disease,
stroke, blindness, and kidney failure are the usual result of chronic
diabetes. These complications are the result of damaged blood vessels.
According to Mark S. Segal, the purpose of the University’s study was
23
to determine what is going on inside the body on a molecular level that
would cause these life-threatening problems. Why are diabetics more
at risk?
The study found that the problem was in the how the body normally
responds to vascular injury. Typically, the body creates specialized cells
in the bone marrow that aid in repairing any damage to blood vessels.
What they found was that sometimes these cells don’t show up for duty.
Segal comments further;
“Part of the defect we think is occurring in diabetic patients is
these cells do not carry out appropriate repair, and therefore
these patients are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and
other complications.”
“The inability of the cells to repair the peripheral vasculature,
the large vessels of the body, is similar to their inability to repair
the small vessels within the eye, he added. In the vasculature it
leads to atherosclerosis, and within the eye it leads to diabetic
retinopathy.”
Researchers isolated these repair cells in diabetics and found they
were unable to move about naturally; but when Nitric Oxide gas was
added the cells became less rigid and began to move about normally.
Nitric Oxide occurs naturally in the body but diabetic typically have low
levels of this vital molecule.
Nitric Oxide helps these repair cells move out of the bone marrow and
directs them to where they are needed. When Nitric Oxide interacts
with these cells they are able to effect the necessary repairs on the
endothelium and possibly prevent atherosclerosis.
The study suggested both an in vivo and ex vivo approach to providing
these cells with sufficient Nitric Oxide. Certain drugs and supplements
are available to increase Nitric Oxide in the body. Researchers also
suggested the possiblity of a therapy where Nitric Oxide is added to
isolated cells and then reinserted into the body.
Regardless of the future therapy, the study showed that Nitric Oxide is
the key to activating these cells.
24
Subsequent Studies
Multiple studies in the ten years since the Florida study have identified
the “primitive cells” referred to in their study as “Endothelial Progenitor
Cells,” or EPC for short. They function like specialized stem cells where
they are able to morph into the type of cell needed to effect the
repairs on the vascular structure.
Wherein, the adage, “You are only as old as your arteries,” is still true,
this process of marshaling EPC’s to effect vascular repair is critical in
the fight against the damage caused from aging and the ravages of
diabetes. Since these cells are dependent on the signaling properties of
Nitric Oxide for instructions, addressing Nitric Oxide levels in the
body should become a primary area of research and concern.
In fact an article in the American Physiological Society, titled “You’re
Only as Old as Your Arteries: Translational Strategies for
Preserving Vascular Endothelial Function with Aging” addressed
the issue of vascular health and came up with several solutions. Not
surprisingly most recommendations referred to their effect on Nitric
Oxide production (eNOS).
Their recommendations include;
Aerobic exercise (1)
Weight loss
Diet (2)
Pharmaceutical drugs.
Nutraceutical compounds (3)
Inorganic nitrite
Antioxidants and other Common Supplements
Anti-inflammatory Agents
Endogenous antioxidant-enhancing compounds (4)
Just a note on the items in red;
1) Aerobic exerise increases eNOS (Nitric Oxide Synthase) expression
and activation.
2) Diet can be a very important in maintaining and expressing Nitric
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Oxide production. L-Arginine-rich foods such as fish, chicken, beef,
lamb, milk, cheese, and beans will boost eNOS while nitrate-rich foods
such as kale, lettuce, spinach, beets, beetroot powder, and watermelon
will boost the production of Nitric Oxide through the Nitrate/Nitrite
pathway. Watermelon is doubly good for Nitric Oxide production
because it is also high in L-Citrulline which converts into L-Arginine in
the body.
3) Nutraceutical compounds that contain the requisite amino acids,
nitrates, anti-oxidants, and other support compounds have shown to
be extremely effective in boosting Nitric Oxide production.
4) Endogenous antioxidant-enhancing compounds such as curcumin
are the most effective antioxidants. Taken in conjunction with fruit and
vegetable antioxidants and polyphenols they help scavange the oxygen
free radicals that are part of the Nitric Oxide process.
Note: If you think we are saying that Nitric Oxide improvement only
helps you age gracefully on the inside, think again. Improved blood
flow on the capillary level boosts collagen production and helps the
skin retain elasticity and its youthful, oxygen-rich glow.
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130,000 Studies and Counting
I will admit that I haven’t read all 130,000 studies, in fact I am taking
the word of a leading science organization’s word for that number. I
have personally only located 113,000 studies involving Nitric Oxide
and I have only read a few hundred; resorting to skimming the rest of
them. What I have seen however, is exciting, to say the least.
Some of the studies offer conclusions that could result in relatively
quick implementation and benefit to patients. However, most of the
studies are the first or second step on a very long path leading to
expensive treatments and costly drugs. Of course that would be the
case. Studies and clinical trials cost money; research hospitals and
pharmaceutical companies finance these studies. In the end, though,
they are looking for answers the same as anyone and it is nice they
are willing to share the information.
So, without going through every study, (and skipping the obvious ones
on blood pressure and cardiovascular health) here are a few highlights
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that should make you want to make sure you have a quality Nitric
Oxide Booster on hand...
...unless...
unless you are a young (20-30 years old) person in perfect health, who
gets plenty of exercise, eats right, has no family history of early onset
diabetes or heart disease, who doesn’t smoke, or doesn’t drink to excess.
There is actually a study that suggests that if you are indeed this Addonis
of Aphrodite figure of a person, you don’t need to boost your Nitric Oxide,
you most likely have plenty. Nitric Oxide is like Oxygen, when you have
enough, that’s enough. Too much does you no good.
However, you do need it for...
Brain Injuries
If you bump your head and suffer a brain injury, you will need more
Nitric Oxide to help your brain deal with the injury. It will keep your
arteries open and send Endothelial Progenitor Cells to repair your
damaged capillaries. Depending on your injury, it will take some time.
Not only is the brain very complicated, it consumes 20% of your body’s
oxygen and nutrients.
Anti-Aging
Another study showed how Nitric Oxide helps keep your telomeres
long, longer. Telomeres are the protective sleeve at the tips of your
DNA. When they get too short the cell can’t divide or it may turn
cancerous. Long telomeres translate into aging slower.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Another study showed how Nitric Oxide should be considered for
rheumatoid arthritis therapy since those with the condition take
so many NSAID’s that it damages their cardiovacular system. The
study showed that additionally Nitric Oxide relieves the inflammation
and pain associated with osteo-arthritis. The study suggested a
medication which combined a moderate NSAID and a drug which
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boosts Nitric Oxide production. The study admits that no such drug
currently exists but there are nutraceutical options available until then.
Macular Degeneration
Because Nitric Oxide wears so many hats in the body, scientists have
often become confused about the presence of Nitric Oxide in different
maladies. Nitric Oxide delivers oxygen, relaxes the blood vessels, and
is a necessary signalling molecule but it is also a lethal Ninja against
infection and even cancer cells. Consequently, the presence of Nitric
Oxide can signify serious infections and other problems.
For example, one treatment for macular degeneration that is used
today is a Nitric Oxide inhibitor designed to prevent damage caused
by iNOS or Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (The Ninja Nitric Oxide)
New studies, however, show that the presence of Nitric Oxide in the
eyes may be the result of eNOS, endotheial Nitric Oxide Synthase
which opens up the capillaries in the eye preventing the eye from
overproducing blinding numbers of capillaries.
Conclusion
It seems implausible that a discovery of this magnitude and simplicity
could be possible in this day and age. Did I say simple? I apologize, the
body is anything but simple; it’s just that improving one’s Nitric Oxide
production has so many life-changing advantages, it begs the question
why we aren’t promoting these supplements through more chanels.
However, as gauche as it may seem, it is still about money. But as
I mentioned earlier, few have the money, time, or political clout to
buck the current system. Since you have read the book this far, you
deserve an answer to how you can boost your Nitric Oxide naturally
and inexpensively.
The company that offered you this book has a supplement that
will boost your Nitric Oxide through both the Arginine/Nitric Oxide
Synthase pathway and the Nitrate/Nitrite pathway. Contact them today
and discover a new level of health and fitness you may have thought
was long gone.
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©Kurt Dowdle - Red Suede Media 2016
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