Nitric Oxide, the Signaling Molecule of Aging & Longevity

Today we’re going to touch upon a fascinating topic which we will be hearing a lot about in the near future, it’s called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide (NO) turns out to be a signaling molecule that’s involved in dilating the smooth muscle that line our blood vessels and increases blood flow. As we age, decreasing NO may have a role in cognitive decline. Nitric oxide may signal insulin to guide glucose energy into cells including the brain. When NO levels are low, brain cells are not getting enough glucose due to lack of insulin signaling causing a “starved brain” which then may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s. This is why some are calling Alzheimer’s type 3 diabetes, a type of insulin resistance in the brain. Nitric oxide also dilates your brain vessels which allows more oxygen to flow to the brain, decreasing risk of stroke and improving brain health.

When Dr. Peter Michalos was a young medical student, his Biochemistry professor Dr. Robert Furchgott kept talking about this nitric oxide compound. At the time Dr. Furchgott’s medical students didn’t quite understand the significance of this compound.  Dr. Furchgott explained when people are having chest pain and heart attacks, nitroglycerin helps to dilate blood vessels because nitroglycerin gets converted in the body to NO. It turns out that nitric oxide is a gas made inside the walls of our arteries.  We have a lining in our vessels called endothelium and it makes this gas, NO, which makes your vessels dilate and controls blood pressure.  In 1989, Dr. Furchgott shared the Nobel Prize in medicine for the discovery of Nitric Oxide (NO) being produced by human endothelium.  Today, there are many NO producing medications, one of the most popular is Viagra, otherwise known as the little blue pill.  Viagra dilates vessels and allows better blood flow, taking care of erectile dysfunction transiently.

Nitric oxide production starts in our mouth. The bacteria of the oral microbiome in our mouth helps make nitric oxide. A study in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology showed that an antiseptic compound found in mouthwash destroys friendly oral bacteria that help maintain healthy nitric oxide levels. The study took young volunteers and had them use mouthwash every day after which they checked their blood pressures. The study found that when the volunteers used alcohol- containing mouthwash regularly the good nitric oxide producing bacteria was killed which resulted in higher blood pressure. That was a fascinating study showing the role of the oral microbiome and its effect on blood pressure control. We use more natural mouthwashes that we believe do not affect the nitric oxide producing bacteria, such as OLAS mouthwash, which contains sea components like ocean algae, chamomile, thyme, sea salt and other natural ingredients. Another way of keeping your oral microbiome healthy is by cleaning your tongue with a copper tongue cleaner, this gets rid of a lot of bad bacteria. Using a prebiotic plant-based toothpaste may also help feed the good oral bacteria. Celebrity Dentist, Dr. Robert Sicurelli and Periodontist Dr. Adam Bear often remind us of the importance of a healthy oral microbiome and it’s direct affects on the heart and overall health.  Eating a healthy balanced dominantly plant-based diet is very important. For example, when you drop a sugary drink on the counter you see how it sticks to everything it touches, same can be said for your mouth, the sugar sticks on our teeth, gums and oral enzymes, blocking the production of nitric oxide. Good bacteria convert nitric oxide from green leafy vegetables, beets, and arginine containing foods. Another benefit of nitric oxide is promoting wound healing because it dilates blood vessels, allowing blood flow to increase, and therefore carries more oxygen and nutrients to the wound site, which improves healing.

You can now test the level of your nitric oxide by placing a test strip in your mouth and allowing your saliva to interact with the strip for one minute. Results will tell you if you have low levels or adequate levels of nitric oxide. If your NO levels are low, try eating a nice beet salad, taking a beet root capsule, or supplements that increase NO levels. And always discuss all medical interventions with your doctor before starting anything.

Finally, Nitric oxide directly effects longevity by interacting with telomerase, the enzyme that affects telomeres, the end caps of our chromosomes. Telomerase  protects telomeres from getting shorter.  When telomerase is inhibited it cannot protect telomeres, and they become shorter. The shorter the teleomeres, the shorter our lifespan. We will be hearing more on this topic in the future, as this is a fascinating area of longevity and aging research.

Dr Magdalena Swierczewski, M.D. is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Anti-aging Medicine, Hormone and Peptide Therapy and specializes in anti-aging and Integrative functional medicine. Dr Peter Michalos, M.D. is a clinical Associate Professor at Columbia University Collage of Physicians and Surgeons and Chairman of the Hamptons Health Society.

Always consult your physician before beginning any new medical treatment or fitness program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional.