Nitric oxide plays a major role in the dilation of blood vessels. It is vital for maintaining healthy blood flow, blood pressure, and platelet function. The problem is that internal nitric oxide production decreases with age. Low nitric oxide is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline, and dementia. Nitric oxide has a short half-life. It gets metabolised and quickly eliminated from the bloodstream.
For the body to produce nitric oxide, no compound is more important than the amino acid L-arginine. It is the direct precursor nutrient that blood vessels use to make nitric oxide. In a clinical trial, patients with high blood pressure were given either a placebo or a single dose of L-arginine. Measurements were taken of flow mediated dilation, how much a blood vessel dilates (widens) in response to an increase in blood flow. Participants who received the placebo had no change. But those given L-arginine had an average improvement in flow-mediated dilation from 1.7% to 5.9%.
There are many supplements on the market to assist in increasing nitric oxide. The best natural sources are beetroot juice, garlic, leafy greens high in nitrates, dark chocolate, chicken and red meat.
Christine Bardajian 
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