Eliminating Heart Disease Naturally Thru Nitric Oxide Therapy

Archive for Endothelium

Vitamin D and Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/15/2020

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about CoVid19 and Vitamin D Deficiency. Today I want to focus on vitamin D and heart health.

Additional studies are showing how optimizing your vitamin D intake can help to prevent both heart disease and stroke. And it seems to do this by:

Improving endothelial function
Reducing arterial stiffening

Vitamin D does this by increasing your endothelium’s ability to create nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels to improved blood flow.

Additionally, vitamin D helps to decrease the destructive chemical compound called peroxynitrite, which can cause inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

Researchers at the Nanomedical Research Laboratory at Ohio University conducted a study that examined this relationship between nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. For simplicity, please remember the following:

Nitric oxide is good
Peroxynitrite is bad

In their study, the researcher introduced a human hormone called angiotensin-II. This hormone causes endothelial dysfunction. The result was a decrease in nitric oxide and an increase in peroxynitrite.

When vitamin D3 was introduced, this was significantly reversed. There was a 10 fold increase in nitric oxide and a 10 fold decrease in peroxynitrite.

This study suggests that by maintaining normal levels of vitamin D in your blood stream, you can help to maintain normal endothelial function. This helps your body to properly produce nitric oxide for improved blood flow.

And, normal levels of vitamin D help to prevent the destructive peroxynitrite, which can cause vascular inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

So the question becomes:

How much vitamin D to you need to take to see a benefit? Read More →

Blueberry Polyphenols Reduce Heart Disease

Posted by Dan Hammer //

04/22/2020

Several recent studies have shown how blueberry polyphenols reduce heart disease risk factors. Specifically these polyphenols inhibit the formation of foam cells that lead to atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque that narrows the arterial wall. The vast majority of heart disease is associated with this process. In fact, here is a simple overview of what happens:

The process starts when monocytes (a type of white blood cell) adheres to the endothelial cells that line your arterial walls.
These monocytes invade this one cell thick lining and develop into macrophages.
Macrophages are used by your body to engulf oxidized LDL cholesterol.
The accumulation of oxidized LDL particles in the macrophages form foam cells.
Foam cells then stimulate the body to produce smooth muscle cells and excess connective tissue, which leads to the narrowing of the inside of the artery or atherosclerosis.

If these foam cells are stable, then the risk for a stroke or heart attack is lower. But if these foam cells are inflamed, then the risk for a heart attack or stroke is significantly increased.

Given the above progression, there are two key points to stop the formation of plaque. One is to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This is where a diet high in antioxidants can play a major role.

And blueberries are high in antioxidants.

The second area is were the polyphenols come in. Blueberries are rich in two types of polyphenols: Read More →

NO More Heart Disease Book Review

Posted by Dan Hammer //

02/08/2020

The book NO More Heart Disease by Nobel Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis J. Ignarro was key to helping me understand the power and effectiveness of nitric oxide therapy.

Back in 2008 I first came upon this concept of using nitric oxide to improve blood flow.

While my background is exercise physiology, I had never heard of what has become know as “The Miracle Molecule.”

I had been told that nitric oxide would help me improve my workouts and athletic performance. At that time I still played competitive indoor soccer at the age of 55. He was in a men’s over 40 league. And when I consistently used ingredients that would help me optimize my nitric oxide production, what I experienced was greater endurance on the soccer court.

More importantly I didn’t have soreness the next day after a competitive match.

I then got my wife to address her high blood pressure with nitric oxide. Prior to taking ingredients that would help optimize this Miracle Molecule, her blood pressure averaged 160 over 90. Within one week her blood pressure lowered to 112 over 68 and has been at this level ever since.

My experience, and the experience of my wife, prompted me to learn about this remarkable molecule for vascular health.

Enter NO More Heart Disease

The book that was recommended to me (and I recommend it to you) was Dr. Ignarro’s book called NO More Heart Disease. It was originally published in 2005 but I feel it is still the best book written to date to help people understand how significant this molecule is to their health.

In fact, Dr. Ignarro makes no bones about it. He firmly believes nitric oxide is key to your health.

If you look at the cover of his book, then you will see the subtitle, which states: Read More →

To Stent Or Not To Stent

Posted by Dan Hammer //

11/22/2019

To stent or not to stent has recently become public news with the release of the ISCHEMIA study. This study has create headlines like this one from The Washington Post:

“Stents and bypass surgery are no more effective than drugs for stable heart disease, highly anticipated trial results show”

or this headline from CBS News:

“Medication and lifestyle changes could be as effective as surgery for heart disease, trail finds”

This newly released trial was led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Stanford University. They looked at over 5,000 patients who had heart blockages but were stable. And what they found can be summarized as follows:

Placing a stent in a patient with stable blockages could improve a patient’s quality of life by reducing their symptoms like chest pain.
But when compared to taking medications or implementing lifestyle changes, stenting didn’t lower their risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Needless to say this study has caused a significant reaction in the medical community. According to Harvard Medical School “about 600,000 people in the United States undergo an angioplasty to widen a narrowed coronary artery, nearly always with a tiny wire mesh tube (stent) left inside the artery to keep it open.”

This is not an inexpensive procedure.

To Stent or Not To Stent – The Numbers

The average cost for this procedure (angioplasty with the placement of a stent) is around $29,000.

This means that this medical procedure is a 17.4 billion dollar industry. It’s a major income stream for both interventional cardiologist and hospitals.

In response to the release of this study Elliot Antman, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital made the following statement:

“The ISCHEMIA trial shows that an early invasive approach does not protect patients against death or the overall chance of a heart attack, but does effectively relieve chest pain – the more chest pain a patient has, the more likely they are to benefit.”

Now before we demonize interventional cardiologist and hospitals it’s important to note the following key words that apply to this trial:

“. . .who had heart blockages but were stable.”

Stable heart blockages is the key piece of information.

Going back to the Harvard Medical School they estimate that approximately “two-thirds of these procedures are done in people experiencing a potentially life-threatening event – a heart attack or unstable angina, defined as severe, worsening chest pain during exertion or stress, or chest pain that happens at rest.”

One-third of 600,000 is 198,000 people who might find other alternatives like medications and lifestyle changes to be as effective as stenting in keeping themselves alive. That could be a 5.7 billion dollar savings per year.

To Sent or Not To Sent – What is Stable Heart Blockages

Most vascular blockages are due to a process called atherosclerosis. This usually starts with very low density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) being oxidized by free radicals. This creates inflammation and damage to the endothelium resulting in plaque formation. Over time this plaque continues to grow, which narrows the inside of the artery.

There is usually a fibrous cap to this plaque. This fibrous cap provides structure to the plaque.

However, unstable plaque or vulnerable plaque has a thin fibrous cap usually formed from a collection of white blood cells and lipids like bad cholesterol. And if free radical damage is continuing to occur, then the resulting inflammation makes this cap even more vulnerable for a rupture.

This rupture can then form a blood clot, or release cellular debris, that can then lead to a blockage resulting in a heart attack or stroke. If you remember Tim Russert from Meet The Press, then his heart attack and death would be a good example of this process.

There are certain biomarkers that can help you and your physician determine the increased probability of plaque being unstable. They are:

c-Reactive Protein

Oxidized LDL

Both of these are due to inflammation. Oxidized LDL is usually due to free radical damage.

Which gives a strong clue to lifestyle changes that can address this. One lifestyle change would be to significantly increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and herbal extracts that are powerful antioxidants.

As well as eliminating as many omega 6 fatty acids from your diet and replacing them with omega 3 fatty acids.

Sugar and highly processed foods also contribute to vascular inflammation.

These 3 lifestyle changes can significantly improve your health while reducing the potential for oxidized LDL and vascular inflammation. All of which can help to stabilize any plaque in the vascular system.

And as I’ve share multiple times in previous articles, nitric oxide therapy can help to vasodilate the vascular system for improved blood flow. This would then help those who are experiencing chest pain and angina.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer

Avocados Lower Bad Cholesterol

Posted by Dan Hammer //

11/08/2019

The recent headline about how avocados lower bad cholesterol caught my attention. And the reason why is that the key to vascular health is addressing inflammation.

Vascular inflammation typically leads to plaque formation. This can significantly increase your potential for a heart attack or stroke.

Anything you can do to prevent vascular inflammation can help to reduce your risk for strokes and heart attacks.

One of the key contributors to vascular inflammation is bad cholesterol, which the medical community labels as LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein.

But the real cause of vascular inflammation is not LDL but oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and small, dense LDL particles.

By itself LDL does not damage the lining of your vascular system. What is call the endothelium.

Unfortunately, dietary choices create the environment for what are called free radicals. These are unstable molecules that are missing an electron in their outer orbit. To stabilize themselves they steal an electron from another molecule.

This process than creates another free radical, which continues this process until eventually damage is done to your cellular tissues. The result is inflammation.

In a recent 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the participants who ate one avocado per day, while following a moderate-fat diet, had an average 13.5 mg/dl drop in bad or LDL cholesterol.

Avocados Lower Bad Cholesterol

Penn State University just released information to support how avocados lower bad cholesterol. Read More →

6 Key Ingredients That Optimize Nitric Oxide Production

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/22/2019

There are 6 key ingredients that can help you optimize nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is key to your vascular health as it helps you enjoy the following benefits:

Improved Blood Flow By Relaxing the Smooth Muscle of the Vascular Wall

Reduce Your Risk for Strokes and Heart Attacks by Keeping Blood Platelet Cells From Sticking Together

Helps to Initiate Repair Mechanisms to Heal Damage to Your Vascular System

All of these benefits are important to your cardiovascular health. Which means learning how to optimize nitric oxide production also helps you harness these benefits for improved health.

To help you learn which 6 ingredients are key to nitric oxide production, I’ve recorded a video that will walk you through this process. Enjoy!

And for those who prefer to read the information, I’ve summarized it below the video.

Endothelial Health Equals Cardiovascular Health!

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/15/2019

When was the last time anyone ever asked you about your endothelial health?

NEVER!

It’s estimated that there are approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the adult body. These blood vessels include arteries, veins, and capillaries. They’re all protected by a microscopic inner lining of endothelial cells. What is commonly called the endothelium.

It’s important to note that these cells line the entire circulatory system. From the inside of your heart all the way down to your smallest capillary. When added up, the volume of these endothelial cells would cover the surface area of 4 to 8 tennis courts depending upon the size of the individual.

That’s amazing since the endothelium is only one cell thick and can’t be seen by the human eye.

Once discovered, the endothelium was classified as an inert membrane whose primary function was to keep the blood in the circulatory system and out of the body’s tissues and organs.

Research over the last 25 years has shown that your endothelium is an active, multi-functional tissue that plays a vital role in metabolic, immunologic, and cardiovascular health.

Or is your endothelium an organ? Read More →

Heart Health and Walnuts

Posted by Dan Hammer //

08/08/2019

Who would have thought there could be a connection between heart health and walnuts. Yet recent research shows that not only is there a strong connection between heart health and walnuts but that this connection also benefits the endothelium, which lines and regulates your cardiovascular system.

If you’ve been following my articles you know that I’m a firm believer in endothelial health and function for improved cardiovascular health. Now organizations like WebMD and Life Extension are highlighting the benefits of heart health and walnuts. Here are excerpts from recent publications from these two outstanding organizations.

What WebMD Says About Walnuts and Heart Health!

“Walnuts are the No. 1 nut for heart health, says a researcher who presented his findings Sunday at the American Chemical Society annual meeting. That’s because walnuts were found to have more antioxidants – and better-quality antioxidants – than other popular nuts tested, says Joe Vinson, PhD, a researcher at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.”

According to Dr. Vinson, “Twenty-eight grams of walnuts (an ounce) have more antioxidants than the sum of what the average person gets from fruits and vegetables.”

According to Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, “Studies show that walnuts improve cardiac risk factors and enhance blood flow.”

Click here to read the complete WebMD article entitled “Walnut May be Top Nut for Heart Health”

What Life Extension Says About Heart Health and Walnuts!

In the August issue of Life Extension, William Faloon discusses the health impact of walnuts in his editorial entitled “FDA Says Walnuts Are Illegal Drugs!” Specific to walnuts and heart health, William Faloon had this to say:

“The March 4, 1993, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine published the first clinical study showing significant reductions in dangerous LDL and improvement in the lipoprotein profile in response to moderate consumption of walnuts. Later studies revealed that walnuts improve endothelial function in ways that are independent of cholesterol reduction.

One study published by the American Heart Association journal Circulation on April 6, 2004, showed a 64% improvement in a measurement of endothelial function when walnuts were substituted for other fats in a Mediterranean diet.

As most Life Extension members are aware, the underlying cause of atherosclerosis is progressive endothelial dysfunction. Walnuts contain a variety of nutrients including arginine, polyphenols, and omega-3s that support the inner arterial lining and guard against abnormal platelet aggregation. These favorable biological effects explain why walnut consumption confers protection against coronary artery disease.

The US National Library of Medicine database contains no fewer than 35 peer-reviewed published papers supporting a claim that ingesting walnuts improves vascular health and may reduce heart attack risk.”

For the complete editorial by William Faloon from the August 2011 issue of Life Extension please click here.

Walnuts – An Ideal Snack!

Given the above information it makes sense to use walnuts as a heart healthy snack. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture an ounce of walnuts contains 185 calories, 4 grams of protein, nearly 2 grams of fiber, and 18 grams of “heart-healthy” fat.

The most popular snack in America is potato chips. According to the Fat Secret website one ounce of potato chips contains 155 calories, 1.86 grams of protein, 1.2 grams of fiber, and 10.6 grams of fat.

Comparing the two snacks, walnuts are going to give you twice as much protein, almost twice as much fiber, and healthy fats that benefit cardiovascular health. Plus the extra protein and fiber will help to hold your appetite over a longer period of time. This will result in better energy and less hunger going into your next meal.

I also want to thank Life Extension for confirming what I’ve been talking about for a very long period of time.

According to William Faloon of Life Extension, “the underlying cause of atherosclerosis is progressive endothelial dysfunction.”

Atherosclerosis is the development of plaque formations in the interior of the vascular system leading to a narrowing of the vascular pathway. This can reduce blood flow and increase the potential for blood clots to form. It’s one of the major contributing factors for cardiovascular disease.

Implementing a nutrition program that nourishes and supports a healthy endothelium is critically important to your overall health and wellness. Your nutritional program needs to increase your endothelium’s ability to properly produce nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.

As the saying goes “an apple a day will keep the doctor away”. Well, maybe “an ounce of walnuts a day will keep the cardiovascular surgeon away!” Don’t minimize the value of walnuts and heart health. They could help reduce your risk for the number one killer of men and women worldwide, which is cardiovascular disease.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer

Health Benefits of Pomegranate

Posted by Dan Hammer //

04/15/2019

This article is going to give an overview of the health benefits of pomegranate. This amazing fruit is recognized in the Bible as one of the Blessings the Promised Land would provide for the Israeli people as they entered into this land. Here’s the Scriptural context:

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey.” Deuteronomy 8:7-8

As modern day science continues to study this fruit, their research is showing that the health benefits of pomegranate center on two primary health issues:

Cardiovascular Health
Cancer Prevention

Let’s look at each so that you can see why this amazing fruit should be part of your daily diet.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate – Cardiovascular Health

Your cardiovascular health centers on the function of a tissue that lines all of your cardiovascular system. That tissue is called the endothelium.

This is a one-cell thick layer that lines the inside of all of your blood vessels. Your capillaries are just extensions of this endothelium. In fact, it is the largest tissue in your body. Let me give you a point of reference:

If you took your endolhelium out of your body and laid it flat out, depending on the size of the adult individual, it would cover the surface area of 3 to 6 tennis courts.

And the healthier your endothelium, the healthier your capillary function for improved blood flow.

Damage to your endothelium increases your risk for all types of cardiovascular disease. There are 4 main factors that damage your endothelium:

High Blood Pressure
High Blood Sugar
LDL Cholesterol or more specifically oxidized LDL Cholesterol
Nicotine

The health benefits of pomegranate focus mainly on preventing oxidized LDL cholesterol, reversing plaque formations that result from oxidized LDL, and enhancing the ability of the eNOS enzymes of the endothelium to produce higher levels of nitric oxide to dilate your blood vessels for improved blood flow.

Most statin drugs work to lower cholesterol and do a good job in accomplishing this objective. The problem is they do not work effectively in reducing the cause of plaque, which is oxidized LDL cholesterol. Oxidized LDL cholesterol creates inflammation that then leads to the formation of plaque. As this plaque grows over time, the inside of your vascular system narrows.

This narrowing then increases your risk for a stroke or heart attack.

Your body has natural mechanism to protect you from this sequence. And this is where the health benefits of pomegranate extract show up:

Protect LDL molecules from being oxidized
Moderate the effects of inflammatory white blood cells and their role in plaque formation
Boost your natural antioxidant systems to protect your endothelium from free radical damage
Initiate vascular repair systems to help remove oxidized LDL from your arterial walls
Enhance eNOS enzymes for greater production of nitric oxide

Additionally, a 2014 study showed that the combination of pomegranate extract with the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin significantly lowered both oxidized LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

For more details on the health benefits of pomegranate on cardiovascular health please click here.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate – Cancer Prevention

New studies are expanding the health benefits of pomegranate to cancer prevention. Pomegranate contains these key compounds:

Punicalagin
Luteolin
Ellagitannins
Polyphenols

These compounds help to initiate multiple pathways in cancer prevention. Primarily because they inhibit inflammation. But it goes beyond this.

Research in the health benefits of pomegranate, as it applies to cancer cells, has shown the following:

Block cell cycle – pomegranate can help to shut off the cancer cell’s ability to divide by targeting specific cancer genes needed for cell replication. But doesn’t effect healthy cells.

Induce cell death – compounds in pomegranate directly cause programmed death of cancer cells.

Blocks blood vessel formation that feed cancer cells – blood vessels are needed to support cancer growth in tumors. Pomegranate selectively blocks the needed growth factors to help limit the formation of new blood vessels in a tumor.

Preventing the spread of cancer – pomegranate helps to inhibit multiple factors, which then helps to prevent the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.

Two specific cancers that have promising studies in helping to prevent them and their spread are prostate and breast cancer.

And there are ongoing studies on how pomegranate can help in the prevention of leukemia, bladder, brain, cervix, colon, liver, lung, skin, and thyroid cancers.

Plus, there are additional studies that show pomegranate aiding conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy. These ongoing studies seem to indicate that pomegranate enhances the cancer-killing effect of the drug while helping to protect normal cells.

For more details on the health benefits of pomegranate on cancer prevention please click here.

Personally, I’ve been using pomegranate fruit extract for over 10 years. I use it to help me enjoy the benefits as it applies to cardiovascular health. It’s good to know that it’s also helping me with cancer prevention.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer

Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid!

Posted by Dan Hammer //

04/01/2019

I’ve written about the health benefits of lipoic acid in the past. But new research is showing how powerful this organic compound can be in multiple areas of your overall health and wellness.

Because of this I’ve decided to update my previous article with the current list of health benefits of lipoic acid.

Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid – Slowing Down the Aging Process

Sometimes referred to as alpha lipoic acid this vital “co-factor” for enzymatic reactions is critically important for optimizing energy conversion in your mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the energy factories of your cells. They play a huge role in the aging process. At least in theory.

First proposed in 1972 by Denman Harman, the mitochondrial theory on aging centers on accumulated damage to the DNA of mitochondria. This leads to increased free radical stress coupled with a decrease in cellular energy production.

Researchers have been working to delay mitochondrial aging through a variety of nutrients. One of those nutrients is lipoic acid and the following health benefits of lipoic acid have been noted:

Lipoic acid helps to optimize mitochondria function and reverses cell aging.
Lipoic acid may help to prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetic complications.
Lipoic acid protects against nerve and brain cell damage.

Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid – Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Inflammation

One of the recent discoveries shows how lipoic acid enhances the effects of insulin. This benefits glucose metabolism by lowering blood sugar levels. Thus helping diabetics better control their blood glucose levels.

Lowered blood glucose levels have two potential benefits on cardiovascular health.

First, when you reduce blood glucose levels you reduce the potential for oxidative stress or damage to the endothelium, which lines all of your cardiovascular system.

Second, it reduces the potential for the pathological cross-linking of glucose and protein to form Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). These AGEs have been shown to accelerate many of the aging processes, especially those associated with cardiovascular disease.

A meta-analysis of 18 studies showed that lipoic acid can have a profound anti-inflammatory benefit. Specifically, it is associated with a reduction in C-reactive protein. This is an important bio-marker associated with vascular inflammation.

Additionally two other inflammatory markers were reduced: tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. Both are produced by excessive fat tissue. And they contribute to chronic inflammation that has been associated with obesity.

Lipoic acid’s ability to suppress inflammatory cell-signaling molecules helps to protect the endothelium, which lines all of your cardiovascular system, from plaque formations.

It’s these plaque formations that lead to the disease process known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis results in the narrowing of the vascular opening, which leads to an increased risk for strokes and heart attacks.

Research also shows how lipoic acid lowers total cholesterol and LDL or bad cholesterol. Both of these actions help to reduce the size and number of potential atherosclerotic plaque formations.

Additionally, lipoic acid enhances the effectiveness of endothelial nitric oxide synthase or eNOS. That’s a long word for the enzyme that the endothelium uses to create nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire cardiovascular system.

Nitric oxide keeps blood platelet cells from sticking together to prevent strokes and heart attacks. Nitric oxide also relaxes the smooth muscle of the vascular wall to keep your blood pressure in a normal range. Thus, nitric oxide is the body’s natural pathway for the prevention of high blood pressure.

When you add it all up, lipoic acid’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering capabilities make it an ideal nutritional supplement to help protect the endothelium while enhancing the endothelium’s ability to properly produce nitric oxide.

All of this results in helping to improve blood flow while reducing the risk for multiple health issues.

Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid – Neuropathy and Cognitive Function

Neuropathy is damage to nerves and can be a significant health issue for those with diabetes. In multiple human studies, several of the health benefits of lipoic acid have centered on improving the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.

It does this by helping to increase the velocity of nerve impulses in peripheral nerves. In some studies nerve-signal velocities for both motor and sensory nerves were increased in 30 days.

This then had a positive effect in reducing the symptoms associated with neuropathy like muscle weakness, numbness, and pain.

In both human and lab studies the use of lipoic acid has helped to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by helping to suppress inflammation and by preventing free radical damage.

Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid – How to Supplement Your Diet

The consumption of lipoic acid can occur naturally if we choose the right types of food.

If you’re looking for animal sources rich in lipoic acid then you need to choose those organs that are high in metabolic activity such as the heart, liver, and kidney. I don’t know about you but I’ve never eaten any of these sources and I don’t ever want to. If you’re not into organ consumption, then steak would be another good option but the leaner the cut the better.

Another alternative is to choose plant-based sources like spinach, broccoli, garden peas, brussels sprouts, and rice bran. These are better food sources since they also help you with other antioxidant properties, which can make a big difference in the aging process.

If you choose to use supplementation to obtain additional lipoic acid then make sure you use the “Right” form of lipoic acid. Lipoic acid comes in what are termed “mirror image” forms labeled “R” and “S.” Only the “R” form is produced and used by the body. However, inexpensive chemical manufacturing will produce equal amounts of “R” and “S” lipoic acid, which is then packaged as either “R/S Lipoic Acid” or “Alpha Lipoic Acid.”

Product manufacturers now have newer precision techniques that allow for the pure “R” lipoic acid to be produced. This has a much higher potency and provides twice the active ingredient as you would find in alpha lipoic acid.

If you decide to supplement then make sure that you choose a manufacturer that provides you with only the active “R” molecule. This will allow you to use a lower dose and get better results.

There is no set dosage for this nutrient. Most of the clinical studies used 600 mg. And most of the research in this area would suggest that 300 – 600 mg is both safe and sufficient.

Blessing Lives Through Nitric Oxide Therapy!

Dan Hammer