What if one molecule controls your blood flow, oxygen delivery, metabolism, immunity, sexual function, and cognitive performance — and most people are critically deficient in it? In this episode of Metabolic Matters, Dr. Nasha Winters sits down with Dr. Nathan Bryan, one of the world’s leading experts in nitric oxide biochemistry and a pioneer whose discoveries have reshaped cardiovascular and metabolic health.
With 20+ years of groundbreaking research, dozens of patents, multiple biotech companies, and clinical trials spanning heart disease, Alzheimer’s, chronic wounds, and COVID-related inflammation, Dr. Bryan has done more to advance nitric oxide science than nearly anyone alive.
If you want to understand the real root cause of many chronic diseases — and the molecule that could help reverse them — this is an episode you cannot miss. Watch now and explore the future of nitric oxide–powered health.
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Nitric Oxide: The Molecule Every Man Needs to Know About
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health regimen or starting any new supplements.
There's a tiny molecule working inside your body right now that controls whether you can get an erection, how high your blood pressure runs, whether you develop diabetes, and even how sharp your mind stays as you age. Most men have never heard of it. But understanding nitric oxide could be the key to unlocking better health at any age.
Dr. Nathan Bryan has spent nearly 30 years studying this remarkable molecule. He's worked alongside Nobel Prize winners and made groundbreaking discoveries about how nitric oxide affects everything from your heart to your brain. What he's learned could change the way you think about your health.
What Is Nitric Oxide and Why Should You Care?
Nitric oxide is a gas that your body produces naturally. It's made by cells lining your blood vessels called endothelial cells. When these cells release nitric oxide, your blood vessels relax and widen. This allows blood to flow more easily throughout your body.Think of it like this: your blood vessels are highways, and nitric oxide is what keeps those highways wide open. When you have plenty of nitric oxide, traffic flows smoothly. When you don't, you get traffic jams that can lead to serious health problems.
The discovery of nitric oxide's role in the body was so important that it led to a Nobel Prize in 1998. Since then, scientists have learned that this molecule is involved in almost every system in your body.
The Five Warning Signs of Nitric Oxide Deficiency
Your body gives you clear signals when nitric oxide levels are dropping. According to Dr. Bryan, there's a predictable pattern that most men follow as their nitric oxide production declines. Recognizing these warning signs early can help you take action before more serious problems develop.Warning Sign One: Erectile Dysfunction
The first sign that your nitric oxide levels are dropping is often trouble in the bedroom. An erection requires a massive increase in blood flow to the penis. This happens when nitric oxide signals the blood vessels to relax and open up.If your endothelial cells can't produce enough nitric oxide, you won't get adequate blood flow. Dr. Bryan calls erectile dysfunction "the canary in the coal mine" because it's usually the first signal that something is wrong with your vascular system.
Here's the important part: if you have endothelial dysfunction in the blood vessels feeding your sex organs, that same dysfunction is happening in the blood vessels feeding your heart and brain. It's a systemic problem, not just a bedroom problem.
Warning Sign Two: High Blood Pressure
The next sign is rising blood pressure. This makes perfect sense when you understand the physics of blood flow. You have a fixed amount of blood in your body at any given time. When nitric oxide keeps your blood vessels dilated, blood flows easily with each heartbeat.But when you can't make enough nitric oxide, your blood vessels constrict. Now you're pushing the same volume of blood through smaller pipes. Simple physics tells us that pressure goes up. Two out of three Americans have blood pressure that's too high, and nitric oxide deficiency is a major reason why.
Warning Sign Three: Metabolic Problems
The third warning sign involves blood sugar and metabolism. Dr. Bryan's research team discovered that nitric oxide plays a crucial role in how your cells respond to insulin. When insulin attaches to its receptor on a cell, it triggers a chain reaction inside the cell. But that chain reaction depends on nitric oxide to work properly.Specifically, nitric oxide activates a transporter called GLUT4. This transporter moves glucose from your blood into your cells where it can be used for energy. Without nitric oxide, glucose stays stuck in your bloodstream. This is what doctors call insulin resistance, and it's the first step toward diabetes.
Warning Sign Four: Exercise Intolerance
As nitric oxide levels continue to drop, you'll notice that exercise becomes harder. You can't work out as long or as intensely as you used to. Your muscles feel weak and you get winded easily.This happens because exercise requires a huge increase in blood flow to your working muscles. Your coronary arteries need to dilate to feed your heart. The arteries supplying your leg and arm muscles need to open up too. Without adequate nitric oxide, this doesn't happen efficiently, and exercise becomes a struggle.
Warning Sign Five: Brain Fog and Cognitive Decline
The final stage of nitric oxide deficiency shows up in your brain. You might notice brain fog, trouble concentrating, or memory problems. In more advanced cases, this can progress to mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or even Alzheimer's disease.Your brain needs constant blood flow to function. The neurons in your brain also have their own nitric oxide synthase enzyme that plays a role in memory formation and neurotransmission. When nitric oxide production fails, both the blood supply and the neural signaling in your brain are compromised.
Why Your Doctor Might Not Know About This
If nitric oxide is so important, why isn't your doctor testing for it and treating deficiency? There are several reasons this crucial molecule remains overlooked in mainstream medicine.First, doctors typically focus on what they can easily measure. Nitric oxide is a gas that disappears in less than a second after it's produced. There's no simple blood test that tells you exactly how much nitric oxide your body is making. Unlike cholesterol or blood sugar, there's no number that doctors can point to.
Second, there aren't currently any FDA-approved drugs that directly boost nitric oxide production for the conditions most men face. The medical system is built around making diagnoses and prescribing medications. Without an approved drug therapy, many doctors simply don't know what to recommend.
Third, new discoveries take a long time to become standard practice in medicine. It typically takes about 17 years for research findings to make their way into everyday clinical care. We're now more than 26 years past the Nobel Prize for nitric oxide, but adoption has been slow.
Common Medications That Destroy Your Nitric Oxide
Some of the most commonly prescribed medications in America directly interfere with your body's ability to make nitric oxide. Understanding which drugs cause problems can help you have informed conversations with your doctor about your treatment options.Proton Pump Inhibitors: A Hidden Danger
Proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole, lansoprazole, and esomeprazole are among the most prescribed drugs in America. They reduce stomach acid and are used for heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers. But they have a devastating effect on nitric oxide production.One pathway your body uses to make nitric oxide requires stomach acid. When you take PPIs, you shut down this pathway completely. Studies now show that people who have been on proton pump inhibitors for at least three years have a significantly higher rate of heart attacks, strokes, and Alzheimer's disease.
These drugs were only approved for short-term use of three to five days. Yet millions of Americans take them every day for years. If you're on a PPI, talk to your doctor about whether you still need it and what alternatives might be available.
Cholesterol-Lowering Medications
Statin drugs are another common medication that can impair nitric oxide production. Cholesterol plays several important roles in your body that affect nitric oxide signaling. The membrane of every cell in your body contains cholesterol, which helps maintain proper cell function.Endothelial cells, the cells that produce nitric oxide, need cholesterol in their membranes to maintain what scientists call "lipid rafts." These structures are essential for proper signal transduction. When cholesterol drops too low, endothelial cells lose their ability to produce nitric oxide efficiently.
Additionally, cholesterol is the building block for testosterone, estrogen, and vitamin D. When cholesterol levels are driven very low by medication, production of these essential hormones can be compromised.
Everyday Products That Kill Your Nitric Oxide
Beyond prescription drugs, several common consumer products interfere with nitric oxide production. You might be surprised to learn that your morning routine could be sabotaging your health.The Mouthwash Problem
Your mouth contains beneficial bacteria that play a crucial role in nitric oxide production. These bacteria convert nitrate from your food into nitrite, which your body then uses to make nitric oxide. It's an important backup system for producing this essential molecule.Antiseptic mouthwash kills these beneficial bacteria along with the bad ones. Two out of three Americans use mouthwash regularly. Studies show that using antiseptic mouthwash twice daily can significantly raise blood pressure within just a few days because it disrupts nitric oxide production.
Fluoride Toothpaste Concerns
Most commercial toothpastes contain fluoride, which can also disrupt the oral microbiome that helps produce nitric oxide. According to Dr. Bryan, the vast majority of Americans are using products that damage the bacteria in their mouth, on their skin, and in their gut.Consider switching to fluoride-free toothpaste and limiting or eliminating mouthwash use. Your oral health depends on the right balance of bacteria, and that same balance affects your nitric oxide production.
The Truth About Beet Supplements and Arginine
Walk into any supplement store and you'll find dozens of products claiming to boost nitric oxide. Most contain either beet extract or the amino acid arginine. But according to the research, these products often fail to deliver results.Why Beet Products Usually Don't Work
Beets are often marketed as a natural way to boost nitric oxide because they contain nitrates. In theory, your body can convert these nitrates into nitric oxide. But there are several problems with this approach.First, many commercial beet products don't actually contain significant amounts of nitrate. When Dr. Bryan tested available products, many had little to no detectable nitrate. Second, even if a product does contain nitrate, you need the right bacteria in your mouth to convert it. If you use mouthwash or fluoride toothpaste, those bacteria are gone. Third, you need adequate stomach acid to complete the conversion, but if you're taking antacids or PPIs, that pathway is blocked.
The result is that many men spend money on beet supplements and see no improvement in their symptoms. They then conclude that nitric oxide doesn't work for them, when the real problem is the product they're using.
The Arginine Problem
Arginine supplements are another popular choice, but they come with their own issues. Your body uses arginine as a raw material to make nitric oxide. The theory behind arginine supplements is that providing more raw material should increase production.But here's what most people don't realize: you're almost never deficient in arginine. Your body makes plenty of it from protein breakdown, and there's already far more arginine in your cells than needed to saturate the enzyme that produces nitric oxide. Taking more arginine when you already have enough is like adding more gasoline to a car with a broken engine.
Even worse, arginine can actually cause harm in certain situations. When the nitric oxide synthase enzyme isn't working properly, adding arginine can cause the enzyme to produce harmful free radicals instead of nitric oxide. Studies in heart attack patients and peripheral artery disease patients have shown that arginine supplementation can make things worse, not better.
Lifestyle Changes That Support Nitric Oxide Production
While supplements often disappoint, there are proven lifestyle strategies that can help maintain healthy nitric oxide levels. These changes address the root causes of deficiency rather than trying to patch over the problem.Control Your Blood Sugar
Sugar is one of the biggest enemies of nitric oxide production. Glucose is sticky, and when blood sugar stays elevated, it literally sticks to proteins throughout your body, including the enzymes that produce nitric oxide. This is measured by the hemoglobin A1C test, which shows how much sugar has attached to your red blood cells over time.When glucose sticks to the nitric oxide synthase enzyme, it can't change shape the way it needs to in order to function. The enzyme becomes locked in one configuration and can't produce nitric oxide. Reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet can help keep this pathway working.
Choose Better Fats
The type of fat you eat affects the membranes of your cells, including the endothelial cells that produce nitric oxide. Seed oils and highly processed vegetable oils can change membrane structure in ways that impair cell signaling.Focus on getting quality fats from sources like olive oil, avocados, nuts, and fatty fish. These support healthy cell membranes and proper signal transduction.
Exercise Regularly
Physical exercise is one of the most powerful ways to stimulate nitric oxide production. When you exercise, blood flow increases and puts pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. This physical stimulus, called shear stress, signals your endothelial cells to produce more nitric oxide.Regular exercise trains your endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide more efficiently. It's like any other muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Aim for at least 45 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week.
Practice Nasal Breathing
Your sinuses contain their own nitric oxide synthase enzymes. When you breathe through your nose, you inhale nitric oxide along with the air. This nitric oxide travels to your lungs, where it helps dilate blood vessels and improve oxygen delivery throughout your body.Mouth breathing bypasses this system entirely. If you breathe through your mouth, especially during sleep, you're missing out on this natural nitric oxide boost. Many men find that practicing nasal breathing throughout the day and addressing any nasal obstruction issues helps improve their energy and blood pressure.
Consider Intermittent Fasting
Dr. Bryan practices an 18-hour daily fast, eating his first meal at noon and his last meal at 6 PM. The research on intermittent fasting shows benefits for metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and vascular function.Fasting gives your body time to repair and reset. It improves insulin sensitivity, which helps the nitric oxide pathway involved in glucose uptake. Many men find that incorporating some form of time-restricted eating helps with weight management and overall metabolic health.
The African-American Health Connection
Nitric oxide deficiency may help explain some of the health disparities seen in African-American communities. Research has shown that African-Americans often have lower baseline nitric oxide production due to a combination of genetic factors and lifestyle influences.A landmark clinical trial called the A-HeFT (African-American Heart Failure Trial) demonstrated this connection dramatically. A medication that enhances nitric oxide availability showed exceptional results in African-American heart failure patients who hadn't responded well to standard treatments. The results were so striking that the trial was stopped early so that all participants could receive the active treatment.
This research suggests that addressing nitric oxide deficiency could be particularly important for improving cardiovascular health, reducing diabetes risk, and preventing other chronic diseases in populations that face greater health challenges.
The Future of Nitric Oxide Therapy
Dr. Bryan and his research team are working on several exciting developments in nitric oxide therapy. New drugs are currently in clinical trials for conditions ranging from heart disease to Alzheimer's to diabetic wound healing.One particularly promising area is wound care. Diabetic ulcers and non-healing wounds affect millions of people, and current treatments often fail. Dr. Bryan's team has developed a topical nitric oxide delivery system that has shown remarkable results in healing wounds that wouldn't respond to other treatments.
New oral formulations are also being developed that deliver nitric oxide directly rather than relying on the body's damaged pathways to produce it. These represent a significant advance over current supplements that depend on functioning enzyme systems that may already be impaired.
What You Can Do Right Now
Understanding nitric oxide gives you a new lens for viewing your health. If you're experiencing any of the warning signs discussed in this article, the first step is recognizing that these symptoms may all share a common root cause.Start by examining your current medications with your doctor. Ask whether any of them might be interfering with nitric oxide production. Discuss alternatives where appropriate. Review your use of mouthwash and fluoride toothpaste.
Focus on the lifestyle factors you can control. Reduce sugar and processed foods. Get regular exercise. Practice nasal breathing. Consider implementing some form of intermittent fasting. These changes support your body's natural nitric oxide production rather than trying to force a broken system to work.
Be skeptical of supplements that promise easy solutions. Many arginine and beet products on the market won't deliver results. If you want to try nitric oxide supplementation, look for products developed by researchers who understand the biochemistry and have clinical evidence to support their formulations.
Take Charge of Your Health Today
Your body has an incredible ability to heal and optimize itself when given the right support. Nitric oxide is foundational to that process. It affects your sexual function, your cardiovascular health, your metabolic function, your exercise capacity, and your cognitive performance.Don't wait until you're dealing with serious disease to take action. The warning signs your body sends, starting with sexual dysfunction and progressing through high blood pressure, metabolic problems, exercise intolerance, and cognitive decline, are opportunities to make changes that can reverse the damage.
Schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider who understands functional and integrative medicine. Bring this information with you and ask for a comprehensive evaluation of your metabolic and cardiovascular health. Ask about your current medications and whether alternatives might be available. Get your blood pressure checked, your blood sugar measured, and your hormones evaluated.
Knowledge is only valuable when you put it to use. The information in this article can change your life, but only if you take action on it. Your health is worth the effort.
Final Medical Disclaimer: The information presented in this article comes from interviews with medical researchers and is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another. Always work with qualified healthcare professionals who can evaluate your individual situation before making changes to your health regimen. Never discontinue prescribed medications without consulting your doctor.
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