What Does Nitric Oxide Do?



Posted: Wednesday, January 05, 2011

by Ben Mester
Plan B Publishing

I've recently been running across the compound nitric oxide, or NO, quite often in my studies of the human body. It seems that nitric oxide is being used in a variety of different fields regarding the human body. Not only has it been used in the treatment of hair loss, but it has also been used as a bodybuilding supplement. So what is it? Nitric oxide is what's known as a vasodilator, meaning that it opens the veins and arteries, causing more blood to flow in certain areas. So really, it can have applications in many different areas of the human body.

For example, there have been correlations gathered that have shown that people with male pattern baldness also seem to have a lack of blood flow to a certain area of the scalp. So nitric oxide is sometimes used by persons with hair loss in an attempt to keep blood flowing to all areas of the scalp, and thereby to help the scalp rejuvenate itself. Though there hasn't been a direct connection established, many people use nitric oxide in this fashion.

But probably more notably, people have been using nitric oxide supplements more and more in the field of bodybuilding. The way this works in bodybuilding is that whenever a person works out a muscle group, blood flows heavily to the area, bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients to help muscles work and repair. So it stands to reason that the more plentiful supply of blood to the muscles, the longer they'll be able to work, and the quicker they'll repair. That's essentially how nitric oxide works for bodybuilders. Though this can come with some potentially serious side effects, many testimonials have shown that nitric oxide is a very powerful bodybuilding supplement.

Because of its growing usefulness, nitric oxide was actually proclaimed molecule of the year in 1992. Proper blood flow seems linked in many ways to overall health. Much of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is centered around stimulating the proper flow of both blood and energy within the body. TCM claims that when energy and blood become stagnant or trapped in particular regions of the body, not allowed to flow naturally, that sickness and illness begin to set in. Perhaps that's why nitric oxide is becoming more and more useful in our modern world. Because of its vasodilating effects nitric oxide promotes greater blood flow throughout the body, the positive effects of which aren't fully known. Nitric oxide is something I'm going to be keeping a close eye on in the months and years to come. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if we start seeing nitric oxide appearing in many different types of health related products. There are however, some nitric oxide side effects that have been reported. As you can imagine, anytime someone begins to tamper with blood pressure and blood flow, there might be some unwanted side effects that can follow. These side effects have been clearly documented, and I encourage anyone who's interested to do some more research into the matter.

Nitric oxide benefits haven't yet fully been discovered. If you're interested in finding out more about nitric oxide, be sure to understand the nitric oxide side effects that have also been discovered.
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