Nitric Oxide Destroyers to Avoid

Nitric oxide destroyers deplete aspects that are critical to our health and well-being. With a myriad of essential cellular functions and responsibilities, nitric oxide supports the strength and function of our immune system.

Nitric oxide helps regulate blood flow and decreases elevated blood pressure, preventing the onset of high blood pressure and protecting against heart disease. It also helps oxygenate the organ systems, skeletal muscles, peripheral nerves, and smooth muscles. 

Nitric Oxide also supports neuron function in the brain, improving memory, regulating moods, and stabilizing behavior.

As crucial as nitric oxide is to our bodies, its levels steadily decrease yearly, drastically decreasing our health.

What is Nitric Oxide?

The body naturally produces nitric oxide through endothelial cells of the inner walls of blood vessels and nasal cavities. Nitric oxide has been shown to:

• Decreases inflammation
• Reduces Nerve Pain
• Improves healing
• Improves brain function
• Decreases blood pressure
• Decreases blood clots
• Kills Bacteria and parasites
• Helps Erectile dysfunction
• Improves heart function
• Diminishes depression and mood disorders

Nitric oxide widens or dilates blood vessels, which helps establish healthy blood pressure levels. Furthermore, it increases oxygen and nutrient delivery to peripheral nerves to aid repair and regeneration. 

Why Does Nitric Oxide Declines with Age?

Your ability to produce nitric oxide diminishes as you age. When men hit 40, nitric oxide usually decreases by 50%. In women, they only experience a 15% decrease by 40, but catch up to men within the next decade.

By their 50s, both men and women experience up to 70% decrease in nitric oxide production. By 70 years old, the body has little to no nitric oxide production. 

Lifestyle habits play a more critical role in the  these decreases rather than chronological age. There are many ways to identify aspects of your life that kill your nitric oxide production, possibly preventing nerve recovery.

Nitric Oxide Destroyers to Avoid

Lifestyles habits directly affect our nitric oxide production, leading nitric oxide reduction.

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #1: Physical Inactivity

Lack of regular physical activity reduces the body’s ability to produce nitric oxide. Exercise in any form stimulates the endothelium of blood vessels. 

If you are struggling with neuropathy, we highly recommend light exercises that are easy on your body while still providing benefit. We have a couple of videos covering the subject, including Neuropathy Exercises with Narration and Neuropathy Exercises without Narration. 

Start slowly with one or two exercises and add on as needed. 

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #2: Sleep Deprivation

The second nitric oxide destroyer is sleep deprivation or insufficient sleep. Many people struggle to sleep due to bad habits or sleep hygiene prior to going to bed. 

Some examples include:

• Staying up late watching TV and falling asleep with the TV on
• Working on a computer, laptop, or tablet late at night
• Sleeping with a smartphone or computer in your bedroom
• Not getting at least seven hours of sleep

Now, these do not include those struggling with sleep because of their neuropathy symptoms. If your symptoms are causing sleep disturbances, we recommend keeping the house warmer by 1-2 degrees while you sleep. While we usually recommend cooler rooms, research shows that cold temperatures worsen certain types of neuropathy pain and symptoms.

We also recommend applying topical, non-toxic pain creams to your skin before bed and taking a dose of pain medication right before bed. 

Finally, stop all screen time at least 1 hour before bed and avoid bright lights in the house or room. If you struggle with neuropathy, these habits make you more vulnerable to waking up from neuropathy symptoms. 

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #3: Chronic Stress

Chronic stress contributes to inflammation, leading to damaged cells. These include blood vessels and the immune system. Glucocorticoid hormones, like cortisol, negatively affect nitric oxide production, plummeting levels.

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #4: Bad Fats

When referring to bad fats, we refer to trans fats, also known as hydrogenated fats, and seed oils, such as vegetable oils, corn oil, canola oil (rapeseed oil in the UK), soybean oil, sunflower or safflower oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, and palm kernel oil.

These oils are omega-6 fatty acids, which we get in a disproportionate amount. This results in inflammation, damage to blood vessels, and heightened immune responses (like autoimmune diseases).

We recommend avoiding these oils at all costs. 

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #5: Processed Foods and Beverages

Nitric oxide destroyer number 5 is processed foods. Not all processed foods refer to junk food. Any food from a box, carton, or can may qualify as processed food containing sugars, preservatives, MSG, and artificial sweeteners. 

Sugar, for example, spikes from carbs and processed foods, deactivating nitric oxide molecules and enzymes and leading to a steep decline in production. Sugar, along with any other toxic ingredients, leads to a rise in inflammation, resulting in blood vessel damage, autoimmune responses, cytokine storms, and mitochondrial damage.

Any of these symptoms diminishes the body’s capacity to generate nitric oxide. With two or more of the symptoms, it destroys nitric oxide production. 

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #6: Mouthwash

Oral bacteria, the bacteria in your mouth, plays a crucial role in nitric oxide production. Commercial mouthwashes wipe out the oral microbiome and limit the nitric oxide production created by healthy mouth bacteria. 

Now, essential oils, like peppermint oil, are bactericidal but do not have the same damaging effects as commercial mouthwash. Studies show that using an essential oil, like peppermint oil, or povidone-iodine mouthwash, barely affects oral nitrate production. 

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #7: Alcohol Consumption

Chronic alcohol consumption, whether weekly or daily, reduces nitric oxide production. 

Outside of nitric oxide, research shows that consuming 1-2 glasses of wine or beer daily for one year or more can result in peripheral nerve damage. 

Nitric Oxide Destroyers #8: Smoking and Vaping

Research shows both smoking and vaping are nitric oxide destroyers. Both smoking and vaping introduce chemicals into the body that do extensive damage to endothelial cells of blood vessels, impairing the body’s ability to generate nitric oxide.

The difference between recovery and relapse of peripheral neuropathy lies in our lifestyles. Peripheral nerves are the slowest-healing tissue in the body, so it’s critical to remove as many obstacles as possible and arm your body for a successful recovery.

Struggling with Neuropathy?

Dr. Coppola and Dr. Monteiro’s dedication to combating neuropathy is deeply personal, stemming from Dr. Monteiro’s experience with her mother’s severe chemo-induced neuropathy. This personal journey fueled their commitment to develop a systematic, drug-free approach to reversing neuropathy.

They founded the San Antonio Neuropathy Center, where they’ve successfully treated over 18,000 patients over the past two decades. Their acclaimed book, “Defeat Neuropathy Now in Spite of Your Doctor,” along with their neuropathy product line, stands as a testament to their expertise and innovative solutions.

Recognized as leading neuropathy specialists in America, Dr. Coppola and Dr. Monteiro offer a beacon of hope for those diagnosed with this challenging condition. If you or a loved one is seeking relief from neuropathy, reach out to us at 844 400-0101 or email us through our contact page – Click here.

Your path to healing can start today.