How Can I Boost Nitric Oxide in My Body?

Nitric oxide aids in dilating blood vessels, decreasing cholesterol, and reversing chronic pain. Boost nitric oxide in the body by eating leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dark chocolate, and red wine.

Have you ever wondered why health experts advise eating a diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables? It’s not just because they’re loaded with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Many plant-based foods help your body produce nitric oxide — a gas that delivers “messages” to nearly every part of the human body to help it run more efficiently.

Nitric oxide aids in dilating blood vessels, decreasing cholesterol, and reversing chronic pain. Learn more about the importance of nitric oxide and gain a few tips for boosting this important substance in your body. 

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the term “nitrates” and “nitrites,” and “nitric oxide” is often lost in these conflicting definitions. Nitric oxide is a gas made from a molecule of nitrogen combined with one of oxygen. You should keep in mind that, despite their similar names, nitric oxide is not the same as nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” which contains two molecules of nitrogen and one of oxygen. 

Similarly, natural nitrates from fruits and vegetables are also not the same as the preservatives in food that may cause nitrate poisoning — or the inorganic nitrates used in plant fertilizer. Inorganic nitrates often make their way into soil, sewer systems, and local well water. It’s especially dangerous for babies to drink nitrate-heavy water mixed with their baby formula.

Scientists used to think that nitrates and nitrites in the diet caused cancer, but they have since learned that certain forms of these chemical compounds can benefit the human body and act similarly to nitric oxide. 

Nitric oxide has many responsibilities in the human body. First, consider the pathway of nitrates (in food) to nitric oxide (in your body) so that you can better understand the importance of eating a healthy diet full of foods that contain dietary nitrates:

• First, you consume foods like leafy green vegetables that contain nitrate (NO3).
• Next, this dietary nitrate is converted to a compound called nitrite (NO2) by way of oral bacteria or gut bacteria.
• Finally, nitrite is converted to nitric oxide in your stomach (NO).

It’s normal (and healthy) for us to have nitric oxide, a compound our bodies mostly create from the dietary nitrate we consume, in our bodies. Increasing the levels of this compound through diet and supplementation can help our body function during periods of stress and overcome illness. 

Ideal levels of nitric oxide can help your cells communicate more efficiently with each other. Researchers investigate nitric oxide pathways, and the way cells “signal” to each other, to discover potential treatments for cancer and heart disease. Nitric oxide studies frequently involve the development of antimicrobial drugs and new strategies for wound treatment as well.

In general, there are two ways to directly affect your body’s nitric oxide production. The first is eating foods that contain dietary nitrate or supplementing with nutrients that help your body make more nitric oxide, like L-arginine, folic acid, or ascorbic acid (vitamin C). This method only works for those whose bodies are capable of producing nitric oxide through the normal pathway. Unfortunately, this pathway's ability to function declines as we age.

The second way is to supplement directly with nitric oxide — either by inhalation, within a nitro-fatty acid supplement, or through other methods that you probably wouldn’t likely be able to access without the help of a doctor or another medical professional. 

Most people get about 1.2 to 3 milligrams of nitrate per day through their diets. If you wish to increase your nitric oxide levels, take a good look at the foods you’re eating — and the foods you need to consume more often. The following food groups directly affect your body’s ability to produce this compound.

Eat leafy green vegetables

A great starting point for making your body healthier overall — while prompting your body to begin more nitric oxide production — is increasing your consumption of leafy green vegetables like kale, Swiss chard, spinach, and romaine lettuce. It’s important to eat them raw. Cooking or drying them alters their ability to turn into nitric oxide in your body.

Focus on citrus fruits

Citrus fruits that contain large doses of vitamin C are helpful in the nitric oxide production pathway. Other fruits, like raspberries, cherries, and bananas — while definitely good for you in several ways — don’t do much for your body’s production of nitric oxide.

Indulge in dark chocolate

High-quality dark chocolate — the type without a lot of additives, food coloring, or sugar — has several health benefits. One of the gains you might experience from eating dark chocolate daily, according to a trial that followed 16 participants for 15 days, is an elevation of nitric oxide levels.

Switch to red wine

If you drink alcohol, think about switching to red wine (in moderation) to boost your nitric oxide levels. Researchers who conducted a study of human endothelial cells — the type of cells that line human blood vessels and the heart — concluded that endothelial cells, when introduced to a red wine treatment, were able to produce as much as three times more nitric oxide than the untreated cells.

Athletes are often encouraged to consume extra protein and take nitric oxide-boosting amino acids like L-arginine supplements. Research shows that L-arginine supplementation — even at low doses of 1.5 to 3 grams per day taken over a long period of time — can be beneficial for improving performance during aerobic and anaerobic exercise. 

But there isn’t much data on the use of long-term L-arginine to boost nitric oxide for people who aren’t athletes. The pathway that allows L-arginine to increase nitric oxide production isn’t as effective as you age. While L-arginine is well-tolerated and safe for most adults, experts don’t recommend experimenting with this amino acid for increasing nitric oxide if you’re over the age of 40.

Boosting your nitric oxide levels can improve several aspects of your health. Start by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables and ask your doctor if you have questions about supplementation.