The Benefits of Nitric Oxide

Your Body's Nitric Oxide Could Save Your Life

by Doug Evans, Osteopath at Hopewood Heath Retreat

Nitric oxide is a molecule naturally found in the body and produced by cells that line your blood vessels and heart.  Its main function is acting as a vessel to convey information between cells.  It plays a major role in keeping blood flowing through the body and keeps it going to vital areas such as the brain.

Essentially nitric oxide works by lubricating the veins and arteries in your body.  It makes the inner surface of blood vessels smooth and slippery helping them to move through the body with ease. 

An added benefit of the ‘slipperiness’ of cells with healthy levels of nitric oxide is they are much less likely to clot together. This also reduces friction and speeds up blood flow.  Good blood flow is vital to good health—if your heart can’t get fresh blood to all areas of your body, that’s very bad news!

Nitric oxide is also proven to help increase blood flow by dilating the blood vessels.  It is often given to heart patients for this reason.  As with vitamins, it is better to get nitric oxide naturally from a healthy diet.

It’s all well and good knowing about the importance of nitric oxide but how do we enrich our body’s natural levels?  There are a number of simple changes you can make to your diet which will ‘turn on’ the production of nitric oxide in your body.

• Eating more arginine rich foods such as legumes. All plant foods will boost nitric oxide production but legumes are especially useful.
• Do more aerobic activity.  This has the added bonus of helping your heart by stimulating nitric oxide production and also strengthens your heart muscles.
• Ensure you are eating a rich antioxidant diet daily.  You can get these from fresh plant foods.
• Eat a diet which is low in fat and animal proteins.

Just as there are simple ways to turn the production of nitric oxide on, there are also simple things you may be doing which hinder production.  To prevent your body slowing production of nitric oxide, it is important to avoid

• Most fats and oils.  Eliminate these from your diet wherever possible.
• Insulin resistance from poor diet and sedentary activity.
• Smoking.  We probably don’t need to explain how bad this is for your heart! 

You can see from the things to avoid list, these are some of the highest causes of cardiovascular attacks known.  Stimulating nitric oxide production helps give your body extra protection from a heart attack.  Nitric oxide is your body’s way of ‘heart attack proofing’ itself!

The Benefits of Nuts

WHY ARE NUTS GOOD FOR YOU?

BY Doug Evans, Osteopath at Hopewood Health Retreat

Nuts are an excellent source of essential nutrients without many of the drawbacks you get from most animal products.  There is less saturated fat and no cholesterol in nuts which makes them an excellent and healthy option.

While they are low in saturated fats they are a great source of essential fatty acids like omega 3 and 6.  Even better, they are in a form which has not been damaged by processing or refining! Every cell in your body requires a little Omega 3, unfortunately the modern Australian diet is low in Omega 3 oils, more nuts = a healthier you!

Nuts are high in fibre and rich in protein, they also have a good level of the amino acid arginine which helps relax and open blood flow.  Your heart will thank you for eating more nuts.  Almost all the B vitamins are present in nuts (only B12 is missing), there are also high levels of vitamin E, calcium, iron and zinc to be found in nuts.

For maximum benefits nuts need to be raw, fresh and most certainly unsalted, because nuts are so calorie dense too many nuts can cause weight gain.  Enjoy nuts responsibly!

Nuts provide benefit to almost all your body.  Everyone knows nuts are high in vitamin B and essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, most people don’t realise nuts are also high in fibre and rich in protein with a good level of arginine which helps relax and open blood flow.

For maximum benefits nuts need to be raw, fresh and definitely unsalted. Because they are calorie dense too many can cause weight gain

It is important to note peanuts and coconuts are different to most nuts and the information does not apply to them.  Peanuts contain a mould that can be damaging to the liver in high doses so care is advised when eating them. Coconuts are very high in saturated fats (85%) and unlike most nuts they are a poor source of Omega 3.