Your body’s nitric oxide production is cut in half by the time you hit 40 — no wonder things can feel a little sluggish these days. The good news? Certain foods can help your body make more of it, naturally. Rally breaks down what actually works (hint: it’s not just beets) and shares a few easy swaps for better blood flow and more energy.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Hey there, Beautiful People. Welcome to the Silver Beast podcast. Rally Preston here, 71 years old. And thanks for dropping by.
So remember how much energy you had when you were, say, 20?
Yeah, well, that’s been a minute for me too. And I had lots of energy way back when. Same for you I bet.
So maybe we can give that a boost again. Yeah, even at our age. And you know, it’s pretty easy.
So, a little setup here.
There’s a molecule your body used to pump out like crazy. A nice little combo of nitrogen and oxygen. And it’s still around. It’s just a lot slower these days. But, you know…what isn’t, right?
Anyway, this molecule is nitric oxide. Now this is not to be confused with nitrous oxide – laughing gas. That one’s more fun, yeah, but won’t do your circulatory system much good.
Your body naturally produces nitric oxide. It helps widen your blood vessels. And that gives you better blood flow. Which means more fresh oxygen and nutrients getting to your brain, your heart, your muscles. Kind of like a little boost for your body’s plumbing. And your heart doesn’t have to pump as hard. And that then lowers blood pressure. And all of that means you’ll feel more energized.
And here’s why this matters to us now. Our nitric oxide production drops as we age. And it’s already cut in half by the time you’re 40. So that can easily mean higher blood pressure. Slower recovery from – well, basically anything. And maybe even some brain fog – and man, we don’t need that.
So I found this article pushing nitric oxide supplements – that’s what got me started on this. But the guy they quoted in it, in this article, runs a supplement company. Just saying, that’s always a red flag – not that he was wrong, but obviously pushing his pills.
So I looked into nitric oxide some more. And yeah, there’s real science here to upping your nitric oxide levels – but with real food.
So there’s this study out of a university in the UK. They gave older folks and younger ones beet juice. Actual beets, not a powder or anything. And it was just a shot glass size I think — a couple of times a day. So beets are rich in nitrate, which your body then turns into nitric oxide.
And in this study, it lowered their blood pressure, but it didn’t do much for the younger adults; they were thirty-somethings in this same study. This one worked best for the older adults.
So why’s that? Well, it looks like drinking beet juice changes your mouth bacteria; it did in both groups.
But in the older folks, it shifted things toward the good kind of bacteria — the kind that’s better at turning nitrates into nitric oxide. In the younger group, that shift just didn’t pan out the same way.
And I know, it sounds weird. Your mouth bacteria doing you a favor this time. Well, who knew? So we’ve got the edge on the kids on this one.
Oh, and by the way, they say avoid antiseptic mouthwashes if you want the full benefits. Of converting nitrates from food into nitric oxide your body can use.
And the reason being, the breakdown of nitrates actually starts in your mouth with your saliva — well, more accurately I guess, your tongue. But anyway, bacteria there triggers a biochemical reaction. So what starts off as a nitrate turns into nitrite, then turns into nitric oxide in your stomach. It’s very complicated, right? And maybe this is TMI?
But my whole point here was, antiseptic mouthwashes wipe out the good bacteria you actually need to do this — to get the chemistry right. So I’d avoid those. Skip the Listerine.
Now look, I’m not saying chugging beet juice can do miracles either. Another study here showed four weeks of it didn’t move blood pressure much in some older adults with hypertension. So there’s that.
But it looks like, overall, this holds up. Nitrate-rich foods help your body make more nitric oxide. And that’s a fact. And like we said, that matters more as we get older.
Which, by the way, is kind of the theme of this whole show. A lot of times, the things that mattered only a little when you were young – most of those start to mean a little more now. Sleep. Water. Exercise. And yeah, beets, apparently.
And now beets. Okay, does anybody like beets? That could be a problem. And they’re not my favorite. And I’ll give you some alternatives to beets in a second, so don’t worry.
But if you go the beet route, peel them first – that gets rid of a lot of the earthiness in beets that turn people off. And probably the best way to go is juice them – and stick them in the blender with something else, like a fruit.
So you just chop up raw beets and try throwing in some chopped green apples, or grapes, pineapple, mango — something sweeter. Blend that together. Or maybe grapefruit or oranges – that should brighten the taste.
Okay, let’s talk about nitrate-rich foods that are not beets. You got good options here.
So arugula is packed with nitrates. One of the highest concentrations of all the veggies. Even more than beets. And my favorite here would be spinach — very high in nitrates too. I try to eat a fresh baby spinach salad every day for lunch. And it’s boring, I know, but really good for nitric oxide production. And a few others here worth mentioning: celery, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy. All really good sources of nitrates too.
So to get your blood pumping better, more efficiently, you don’t need to change your whole diet. Drinking beet juice is just one option. Just work more nitrate-rich foods into your diet a few times a week. And that’s it. It’s an easy one here.
And, you know, moving your body helps too. Just walking gets your blood flowing. And doing that, lo and behold, triggers more nitric oxide production. So that walk around the block? Well, that’s doing double duty for you there.
Now, a big, flashing caution sign here. There are nitric oxide supplements —well, they’re boosters really, out there. Pills, powders. They don’t contain actual nitric oxide; that’s a gas anyway. What you’re getting in these is either amino acids like arginine, or concentrated nitrate extract — basically beet juice in a capsule or powder form. So these give your body a nudge in making more nitric oxide on its own.
Okay, but if you’re on blood pressure medication already, or heart medication with nitrates already in it, mixing those together with nitric oxide supplements can be risky business. We’re talking dizziness, fainting here, maybe. And that’s from your blood pressure dropping way too low. It could happen. So please, talk to your doctor before adding any supplement like that here. Food is the safer, better-researched route to go anyway here.
Alright, let’s get you some Silver Beast Action Steps to beef up your nitric oxide production.
Alright, number one. Eat more nitrate-rich foods. Beets, spinach, arugula, celery, kale. A few times a week is plenty. Oh, and just a side note here I should have mentioned earlier: things like deli meats, bacon, hot dogs, etcetera, contain nitrate as a preservative — those kind of nitrates won’t help you at all. Not what you want.
Okay, number two. Get moving daily. Even a short walk counts. It boosts your blood flow, which boosts nitric oxide.
Number three. I’d say skip the supplements for right now, unless your doctor’s good with it. Especially if you’re on blood pressure or heart medication.
Alright, number four. Breathe through your nose when you can. I saw some research that says it helps with nitric oxide production too. So just throwing that one out there.
So yeah, that’s about it. Very simple stuff. No pills or powders required. Just real food, rich in nitrates.
Now look, I’m no doctor. So talk to an expert here before making any changes, especially around your medications and any supplements you might be thinking about. Get a pro’s opinion first.
So here’s the thing, Beasties. Your body still knows how to do this. How to relax those blood vessels and improve your circulation. Richer oxygenated blood — it just needs a little more help these days than it used to.
Alright, you’ve got this. Eat nitrate-rich foods, avoid those antiseptic mouthwashes, walk more and exercise too, and enjoy a little extra energy.
That’s it for today. Say yes to N.O. — nitric oxide.
Alright, thanks so much for dropping by the Silver Beast Podcast today…and you take care!