"The discovery of Nitric Oxide by Lou Ignarro, and the role that it plays in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, is as important as the discovery of penicillin and insulin."
- David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition
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Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, a Nobel Laureate in Medicine, has compiled the history of a discovery that continues to be proven to "Prevent-Even Reverse-Heart Disease and Strokes" and specifically describes "A Proven Program for Boosting Production of the Body's Own Wonder Drug" in "NO MORE HEART DISEASE", St. Martin's Press 2005, 248 pages.
Dr. Ignarro's preliminary research explained that there was a naturally occurring substance that C-Laureate Dr. Robert Furchgott called "endothelium-derived relaxing factor" (EDRF). Dr "I" identified Nitric Oxide (NO) between 1978 and by 1986 proved that "nitric oxide's role in the body was definitely a signal molecule, which performed crucial cardiovascular functions." Arterial plaque he illustrated, "if you think of the living healthy wall cells as being slick like Teflon, while an unhealthy cell is sticky like Velcro, causing plaque to attach" then you've got his idea. His program titled, "Say Yes to NO" recognizes that "red meat fish, olive oil, nuts and pomegranate juice enhance the body's ability to produce NO. Unfortunately he cautions, you would have to eat one hefty steak all three meals a day to maintain a beneficial level of NO. Therefore he recommends a NO boosting blend of amino acid supplements: L-Arginine, L-Citrulline plus Alpha Lipoic Acid, C, E, and Folic Acid and adds, "the acceleration of blood that occurs during exercise can stimulate the production of the enzyme NO synthase, which is important to the body's production of NO." That means it works better if you exercise!
Although this 2005 book publicizes NO's effect it doesn't include John P. Cooke MD Ph.D, the head of Stanford's Medical Research team as the first to include L'Arginine in a candy bar to tempt the American public to get NO every day and only mentions co-Laureate Ferid Murad, the Houston pharmacologist who conducted the earliest studies on nitric oxide.
Some will try to get enough L-arginine and L-Citrulline from foods but the short list only includes: almonds, dark chocolate, garbanzo beans, melons, peanuts, red meat, salmon, soy and walnuts. The good news for choco-holics, a prodigious Penn State U study concluded, "that the cocoa/dark chocolate diet interfered with the oxidation of LDL cholesterol." So, Dr. I suggests consuming in moderation - "divide it in small pieces and eat them throughout the afternoon and evening, one bite at a time." Therefore, next time you're asked to go for coffee, choose cocoa (hot chocolate) because the poly phenols Harvard Med School and Brigham Woman's Hospital showed that the "antioxidants in cocoa support NO synthesis." Or, drink a glass or two of red wine because it's rich in polyphenols that "markedly stimulate NO production." Purple grape or pomegranate juice may even be better than wine, and don't forget to eat some blueberries because they contain pectin, which is best known for its cholesterol lowering fiber.
To get all the best results, when should you boost your body's production of NO?
"Once a day before bedtime or twice a day - in the morning and before bedtime," and when combined with a minimum dose of 200 mg L-Citrulline, "a synergistic effect occurs," Dr. I prescribes. For those who may be concerned, he assures "no side effects have been reported in the medical literature."
The most important news Dr. I has for a diabetic is that NO can, "halt the development and progression of diabetic complications . . . reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy. NO can make a difference in your quality of life." The same is true for Cancer - NO can inhibit the growth of cancer cells."
Sensible people with any of these maladies would be well advised to go online to discover that Argenix in an easy to take liquid with both arginine and citrulline. Or wait until a white coat Doctor does a double blind study.
© 2006 Dan Kassell
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