Your Body's Missing Link | Dr. Nathan Bryan

Q: For those who may not be familiar, what is nitric oxide—and why is it so important for our health?
A: Nitric oxide is a naturally produced gas that regulates many important biological functions such as regulation of blood pressure, circulation, oxygen delivery, mobilization of stem cells as well as brain, sexual and athletic performance.

Q: You’ve said nitric oxide may be one of the most overlooked molecules in the human body. Why hasn’t this been more widely talked about in mainstream medicine?  
A: Unfortunately, doctors and practitioners do not treat or consider what is not measured. Because nitric oxide is a gas that is gone is less than one second once produced, it is not measured clinically and therefore not part of the conversation or any therapeutic solution. However, we know that loss of nitric oxide contributes to every major age related disease and is too often overlooked or not considered.

Q: What are some of the biggest health issues that can be traced back to a deficiency in nitric oxide?  
A: There are many symptoms that arise from a deficiency in nitric oxide. The first to show up is erectile dysfunction in both men and women. Loss of nitric oxide also leads to an increase in blood pressure. Since nitric oxide is involved in insulin signaling, loss of nitric oxide also leads to metabolic disease, insulin resistance and diabetes. People become exercise intolerant and will eventually lead to dementia and Alzheimers’ disease if not corrected. Cardiovascular disease which is the number one cause of death worldwide, is caused by a loss of nitric oxide production.

Q: Many people struggle with things like high blood pressure, fatigue, or brain fog. How is nitric oxide connected to these everyday health concerns?  
A: High blood pressure arises when the blood vessels become chronically constricted. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that causes blood vessels to dilate. When we lose the ability to produce nitric oxide, vessel become smaller, more constricted and stiff. Fatigue is a lack of energy. Nitric oxide improves mitochondrial function, the energy producing organelles in our cells. If we cannot produce nitric oxide, our mitochondria do not effectively produce energy and we get fatigue. Brain fog is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain that can be measured by SPECT scans and MRI. Without nitric oxide, the body is unable to increase blood flow to the brain and brain fog occurs. If we can restore the production of nitric oxide, we can correct many things like high blood pressure, fatigue and brain fog.

Q: At what age do nitric oxide levels begin to decline—and what impact does that have on the body over time? 
A: The published clinical data show that we lose about 10-12% of our nitric oxide production per decade starting in our early 20’s. We know that the functional loss of nitric oxide is the earliest event in the onset and progression of all age-related chronic disease. Today, we know that we can slow, prevent and reverse the age-related loss of nitric oxide production or we can accelerate it. We have seen people in their 20’s that have the average nitric oxide production of people in their 60’s.  Conversely, we see people in their 50’s and 60’s with the nitric oxide production of a normal 20–30-year-old. If we can prevent or slow the age related decline in nitric oxide production, we can prevent age-related disease.

Q: What are some of the most common lifestyle habits that actually destroy nitric oxide production without people realizing it? 
A: The most damaging contributor to nitric oxide production is the consumption of sugar and simple carbohydrates. An elevation in blood sugar causes severe loss of nitric oxide production by the enzyme in the lining of the blood vessels and also change the oral microbiome leading to a loss of nitric oxide production. Fluoride toothpaste, antiseptic mouthwash and use of antacids (proton pump inhibitors) all lead to a loss of nitric oxide production.  

Q: There’s a lot of conflicting information about supplements. How can people discern what actually works when it comes to supporting nitric oxide?  
A: That is the major problem with the field of nitric oxide. You have many companies out there selling products marketed as nitric oxide, but do not understand the true science of nitric oxide. If you don’t understand the science and how the body naturally produces nitric oxide or what leads to a loss of its natural production, then you can’t nor should develop or sell a nitric oxide product. I have tested nearly every nitric oxide product on the market and more than 95% of them do not affect or improve nitric oxide production or signaling. People should look for science based products that are developed by actual scientists who have conducted research who can also show the products actually work. Beets are not nitric oxide and L-arginine/L-citrulline based products are not effective. Nitric oxide is a gas. It is not a pill that you swallow and you do not get it from most beet products on the market.

Q: You’ve also been vocal about issues within the healthcare system. Why do you believe preventative, root-cause solutions like this aren’t more widely embraced? 
A: I think there are many contributors but firstly, physicians and medicine in general does not treat things it cannot measure or monitor. Since nitric oxide is a gas that, once produced, is gone in less than once second, it is not measured clinically. Since it is not measured or used as a diagnostic, it is not treatable. However, what counts is not always counted and what is counted does not always count. This highlights the fact that quantitative data (numbers, metrics) does not always measure qualitative value (importance, meaning, quality). Secondly, there is no money is cures or addressing the root cause of chronic disease. Drug companies make the most money by treating disease for the entire life of their customers. There is enormous economic opposition to root cause solutions because it is very disruptive. However, it is the only logical solution to our health care problem.

Q: How does nitric oxide play a role in immune health and the body’s ability to fight off infections? 
A: Nitric oxide is part of our innate immune system. Once our body detects an infection it sends our immune cells to the site of attack and our immune cells then go and produce nitric oxide at the site. The nitric oxide produced locally by our immune cells shut down bacterial respiration and inhibit viruses from replicating. However, if your body is compromised in its ability to produce nitric oxide, the blood vessels do not dilate to rapidly get our immune cells to the site of infection and the bacteria grow and viruses rapidly replicate and propagate throughout the body. It is know that well vascularized tissues (tissues with sufficient nitric oxide production) are resistant to infections. To the contrary, poorly vascularized tissues (low nitric oxide) are more prone to infections. This explains why diabetics have poor wound healing response because diabetic patients do not produce sufficient nitric oxide.

Q: For someone who feels overwhelmed by health information, what is one simple step they can take today to begin improving their nitric oxide levels?  
A: There are several but one simple step is to eliminate sugar and simple carbohydrates from your diet. Sugar is a poison and completely shuts down nitric oxide production from the enzyme in the blood vessels. Sugar also causes dysbiosis in the mouth and gut, further shutting down nitric oxide production. Eliminate any food that causes a rapid increase in blood sugar. 

Q: In your own daily routine, what are a few habits you personally prioritize to maintain optimal health? 
A: I have a daily routine that I do every single day no matter where I am in the world. I start my day before sunrise with gratitude and prayer. I take my nitric oxide supplements then do a 15-20 minute high intensity interval workout. After my workout, I take chorella and spirulina tablets, sit in an infrared sauna for 30 minutes at 170 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great detoxification and the red light is activating my mitochondria. The chorella and spirulina act as binding agents to help mobilize and excrete toxins in my body. After my sauna, every 2-3 days I will do a cold plunge or contrast therapy where I sit in water that is 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes. After that I take my creatine and amino acids, followed by organ meat, salmon row capsules. About this time the sun is coming up and I walk out and look directly into the rising sun. This is another chance for prayer, gratitude and meditation. I don’t eat my first meal until noon in order to complete an 18 hour daily fast. This routine helps me stay balanced in my physical, emotional and spiritual health and keeps me in shape to perform at my best.  

Q: If there’s one message you wish everyone understood about their health and their body’s ability to heal, what would it be?  
A: People get sick for only two reasons. Their body is missing something that it needs, or it is exposed to some toxins that is preventing their body from working at its best. If we can identify and replete missing nutrients and remove from the body any toxins, the body can heal itself and perform as intended. However, we need good circulation and blood flow to deliver nutrients and excrete toxins. Without nitric oxide, there is poor circulation and toxins accumulate. Start with nitric oxide as a foundation for your help and then focus on good diet, exercise and detoxification.