7 Things Destroying Your Nitric Oxide (Doctor Explains)

https://www.dralexnewsletter.com/ Join the community by signing up to my daily newsletter! Practical health advice, straight to your inbox, every morning. Could the mouthwash you use every morning be quietly pushing your blood pressure up? Nitric oxide is the molecule that lets your arteries relax and widen with every heartbeat, and when your levels drop, your circulation and heart health slowly pay the price. Low nitric oxide is linked to stiffer arteries, high blood pressure, poor blood flow to the brain and a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. In this video I go through seven everyday things that lower your nitric oxide, starting with small ones like long stretches of sitting and a bit of lost sleep, and finishing with the two I think do the most damage by a long way. I also explain the two ways your body makes nitric oxide, including the pathway that starts with bacteria on your tongue. We also cover smoking and vaping, sleep apnoea and overnight oxygen dips on your smartwatch, and why VO₂ max and diet matter so much. I answer your questions from the last video too, from beetroot and kidney stones to arginine and citrulline supplements. In this video you'll learn: -How nitric oxide keeps your arteries flexible and your blood pressure in check -Why breaking up long periods of sitting protects blood flow in your legs -What a small, steady loss of sleep does to the lining of your blood vessels -Why antiseptic mouthwash can raise blood pressure, and why brushing is still fine -How smoking, vaping and secondhand smoke affect your arteries, and what happens when you stop -The warning signs of sleep apnoea and what low overnight oxygen readings mean -Why a low VO₂ max is such a strong predictor of heart health and lifespan -How ultra processed food works against nitric oxide, and the best vegetables for dietary nitrate -Whether arginine, citrulline and beetroot supplements are worth your money Whether you want to lower your blood pressure, protect your heart and brain as you age or simply feel fitter, these are changes you can start making today. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction 02:32 – Sitting for hours 05:38 – Too little sleep 07:01 – Mouthwash 09:37 – Smoking and vaping 12:51 – Low oxygen overnight 15:01 – Low VO₂ max 16:55 – Ultra-processed food REFERENCES Effect of prolonged sitting and breaks in sitting time on endothelial function https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25137... Mild sleep restriction increases endothelial oxidative stress in female persons https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37717... Association between sleep duration and hypertension incidence: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39008... Physiological role for nitrate-reducing oral bacteria in blood pressure control https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23183... Cigarette smoking is associated with dose-related and potentially reversible impairment of endothelium-dependent dilation in healthy young adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8222109/ Passive smoking and impaired endothelium-dependent arterial dilatation in healthy young adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8531969/ Acute Effects of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Inhalation on Vascular Function Detected at Quantitative MRI https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31429... Effect of CPAP therapy on endothelial function in obstructive sleep apnoea: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26073... Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646... Exercise modalities and endothelial function: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25281... Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31105... Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients: a randomized, phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25421... Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23596... Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38418... Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong and consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality among adults: an overview of meta-analyses representing over 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38599... Disclaimer: This is not personal medical advice and does not override what your doctor says. #dralex #doctoralex #nitricoxide #bloodpressure #hearthealth #longevity