Our bodies are made up of intricate systems all working together to keep us functioning at our best. But did you know that your body produces a miracle molecule that plays a role in the function of nearly every organ? This molecule is called nitric oxide.
Here’s why nitric oxide is a game-changing molecule when it comes to your health (and how we can produce more of it):
What is Nitric Oxide?
Before we can dive into the functions of nitric oxide, also known as NO, let’s go over how we first came to understand it. A group of American researchers were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for the discovery that nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels.
This discovery led to the production of vasodilators such as Viagra. However, NO isn’t just responsible for improving sexual performance -- it plays a much larger role in the body.
Nitric oxide is a signalling molecule known to regulate our bodily systems. It can be found in nutrient-rich foods, but it also exists naturally within the nose and paranasal sinuses.
While NO plays a role in virtually every organ within the body, here are a few ways it works to improve health as a super molecule:
- Balances hormones
- Regulates stress responses
- Improves circulation
- Boosts heart function
- Decreases blood pressure and improves blood flow by preventing blood clotting
- Boosts immunity
- Improves cognitive function
- Regulates the binding and release of O2 to hemoglobin
- Decreases inflammation
- Boosts athletic performance
- Helps aid in weight loss
- Improves digestion
- Decreases anxiety and depression
- Enhances memory
- Decreases neuropathic pain
- Protects the skin from radiation
- Regulates bladder function
NO has a large responsibility to help maintain bodily systems. Without it, the body can’t operate at peak efficiency.
Low Nitric Oxide = Increased Risk of Disease
As you may have guessed, there is a link between low levels of nitric oxide and disease. Think of NO like the oil in a car: without it, it won’t run correctly (and multiple parts can break).
Since NO helps to maintain so many systems within the body, it only makes sense that low levels of NO are associated with diseases and health conditions such as high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
The quickest way to lower your NO levels? Breathe through the mouth rather than the nose.
How Mouth Breathing Lowers Nitric Oxide Levels
Mouth breathing is bad. In fact, it's the “incorrect” method of breathing. We weren’t designed to take in oxygen through the mouth instead of the nose.
Why? For starters, mouth breathing actually takes more effort. Have you ever heard someone breathing loudly next to you? Nine times out of ten, they’re breathing through their mouth rather than their nose.
This action causes the blood vessels to constrict rather than dilate, leading to fatigue. With mouth breathing, less oxygen is delivered throughout the body when compared to nasal breathing.
Mouth breathing leads to hyperventilation, reduced circulation, and more. Beyond that, it can cause a slew of health conditions such as snoring, sleep apnea, and heart disease.
When you mouth breathe, you lose carbon dioxide, which is vital for helping oxygen release from red blood cells and deliver themselves to our organs. Nasal breathing, on the other hand, helps us retain carbon dioxide and deliver oxygen more efficiently. This process is known as the Bohr Effect.
NO is not produced during mouth breathing, but it is produced during nasal breathing. Furthermore, the nose filters, humidifies, warms, and cleans the air before it enters the body.
Luckily, placing a focus on nasal breathing to keep NO levels high helps to ensure that you are as healthy as you can be.
How to Produce More Nitric Oxide
The top three ways to produce more nitric oxide:
- Eat foods high in NO, such as beets, garlic, pomegranate, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and cabbage.
- Exercise, which improves endothelial function, or the function of a thin layer of cells that line the blood vessels and produce NO.
- Breathe through your nose and make nasal breathing a priority during waking and sleeping hours.
You’re probably thinking, “How do I make sure I am breathing through my nose while I’m asleep?” The answer? SomniFix Mouth Strips.
How SomniFix Mouth Strips Help
During the day, it’s easy to check in with yourself periodically to make sure you’re practicing nasal breathing. At night, however, it’s not that simple.
SomniFix Mouth Strips help to guarantee that you keep nasal breathing even while you dream. Our hypoallergenic mouth tape can be worn with a mouthguard, CPAP mask, or a nasal strip.
They don’t only keep your mouth closed to help you produce more NO, but they also help to prevent snoring!
Beyond that, they’re not just for sleep. You can wear them during your workouts to boost your performance and get more out of every session.
Moreover, each strip costs less than 75 cents per day. You have nothing but sleepless nights to lose and improved health and nitric oxide levels to gain!
