Dr. Louis Ignarro: The Importance of Nitric Oxide for Optimal Functioning

Did you know nitric oxide plays a fundamental role in the optimal functioning of your body? Nitric oxide not only has an anti-microbial effect (it kills bacteria and viruses), but also has a series of preventive functions, such as hypertension, inflammation, and coronary-artery disease and heart attack.

Dr. Louis Ignarro is the 1998 Nobel Peace price winner in Physiology Medicine for discovering nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. And in this episode, he shares the knowledge he has cultivated from his 50 years of research on the topic.

So how can we boost this important molecule in our bodies? It’s surprisingly easy: by intaking antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and breathing through our nose! As Dr Louis said, inhaling has been thought of for thousands of years as being important, especially by yogis, but only about 15-18 years ago the physiological significance was discovered: as we breathe through our nose Nitric Oxide is carried to the lungs.

What we dicuss:

• [00:05:52] Dr. Louis Ignarro’s diet
• [00:07:17] Dr. Louis Ignarro’s academic and professional background
• [00:10:21] The background story on NO, what it is and how it works 
• [00:11:56] Functions of NO
• [00:12:59] Why NO is the most important molecule in the body for cardiovascular health
• [00:13:50] Boosting NO by eating antioxidants in fruits and vegetables
• [00:15:18] Viagra works by increasing NO in erectile tissues
• [00:16:15] How NO is made in the body  
• [00:17:55] How different ways of breathing impact the production of NO
• [00:21:31] Antimicrobial effects of NO and how it’s relevant to the Coronavirus treatment 
• [00:42:43] What types of salt are good for us
• [00:24:22] NO in our nasal cavities - the importance of inhaling through the nose
• [00:26:17] Does wearing masks constantly affect our health?   
• [00:28:30] Why we should listen to science during COVID times
• [00:30:13] Do our bodies produce enough NO? COVID cases
• [00:33:12] Dr. Louis Ignarro’s story about his Nobel Prize

Find more from Dr. Louis Ignarro

Website: http://www.drignarro.com/

Instagram: @dr.louisignarro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrIgnarro