Nitric Oxide and Erectile Dysfunction
Nitric oxide (N-O), a free radical also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a molecule that the body produces naturally and which provides significant benefits for health and performance. Specifically, as nitric oxide is helpful for blood vessel health and optimal circulation, it is especially critical for proper erectile function and optimizing other vascular activities. N-O is produced in many cells throughout the body - particularly the endothelium and cavernosal nerves (nerves in the penis which facilitate erections).
By age 40, men produce about 50% of the nitric oxide they did in their teens and twenties. And it continues to decline with age.
Nitric Oxide - Benefitting Men’s Health
This important molecule has been reported to:
Relax the muscles in the penis, resulting in a healthy erection
Relax the blood vessels, causing them to widen – thereby increasing oxygen and blood flow levels
Reduce inflammation
Improve athletic performance and strength
Improve sleep quality
Improve memory by enhancing the health of nerve cells in the brain
Support the immune system
Decrease muscle soreness and tension following exercise
Nitric Oxide - Benefits for Cardiovascular Health and High Blood Pressure
Nitric oxide is critical to healthy blood pressure levels. By relaxing blood vessels, promoting arterial dilation and increasing blood flow, N-O helps regulate blood pressure and optimizes cardiac function.
People with high blood pressure appear to have an impaired ability to use N-O in their bodies. Without adequate levels of nitric oxide, the flow of oxygen and blood in the body is impeded because the inner surfaces of the blood vessels are incapable of relaxing or fully widening.
Nitric Oxide Enhances Energy
Along with increasing circulation and oxygenation of the blood, N-O is able to improve one’s natural stamina and energy. Because of this, many professional athletes look to nitric oxide - whether through dietary nitrates in whole foods or through supplements - to boost their performance. But everyone can benefit from ensuring their nitric oxide is enhanced. With optimized N-O, the body:
Delivers more oxygen to muscles
Becomes more efficient
Delivers key nutrients
Eliminates away toxins
How Nitric Oxide Helps with Erectile Dysfunction
As men get older, nitric oxide production in the body can decrease. This is especially common for those with low activity levels or a poor diet because arterial plaque and circulatory disorders can increase - interfering with the healthy production of N-O. This correlates with studies showing that, as men age, their chances of experiencing erectile dysfunction increase.
Erectile Dysfunction can be caused by a number of physical and sometimes emotional issues, but chief among them is vascular or circulatory decline. Adequate levels of N-O is required for the muscles in the penis to relax which in turn allows the chambers within the penis to fill with and trap blood, making the penis erect. PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra facilitate erections by enhancing nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation in the corpus cavernosum (the spongy vascular tissue that creates an erection). In other words, these PDE5 inhibitors slow the breakdown of N-O in the tissue.
It is important to note that healthy N-O levels in the body are necessary for these kinds of medications to work optimally.
Tips & Tools to Boost Nitric Oxide
There are a number of behavior modifications, supplements and treatments that can help optimize nitric oxide:
Diet: Because of the dietary nitrates (which are metabolized into N-O in the body) found in green, leafy vegetables and beets, a diet rich in these whole foods is optimal for good cardiovascular health. On a side note, the microbiome continues to pop up as an important determinant of good health. For instance, using antiseptic mouthwash can destroy all the good bacteria in the mouth that are responsible for reducing dietary nitrate into nitric oxide - often leading to N-O deficiency.
Exercise: Physical exercise may be the most potent stimulator of nitric oxide production - when you don’t exercise, your body’s signal to produce more N-O disappears, often leading to nitric oxide insufficiency. Multiple studies have shown that 160 minutes of moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise per week improves erectile function.
Supplements: As we age, diet and exercise alone may not be enough to stimulate adequate levels of nitric oxide. For this reason, many turn to supplements. One of our favorite N-O boosting supplements is Neo40 Professional which works to boost the body’s production of N-O. We like this supplement because it is backed by eleven significant clinical research studies. Nitric oxide-boosting supplements often contain some blend of beet root powder, arginine, hawthorn berry extract, L-Citrulline, and sodium nitrate.
Treatments: Our clinic provides low-intensity shockwave treatment for ED which has been shown through multiple studies to boost nitric oxide levels in the tissue.
If you have any questions about nitric oxide, erectile dysfunction or would like more information about treatments for optimizing erectile function - just give the office a call at 425-209-1060.