Last week I was doing research for a new video on a product called e9 and I came across information on how vitamin C improves endothelial health. This was new information for me. Since I’m a firm believe in the benefits of Nitric Oxide Therapy and how it can naturally address cardiovascular health issues, I decided to explore further.
Below are a list of scholarly articles that I came across that really show how significant this is. But before I give you a summary of each article let me first give you a brief overview of nitric oxide therapy.
Nitric Oxide Therapy – Cliff Notes Version
In 1998 three American researchers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for 
discovering how your endothelium, which lines all of your cardiovascular system, converts the amino acid L-arginine into nitric oxide – the master signaling molecule of your entire vascular system.
Out of this discovery has come Nitric Oxide Therapy as a way to naturally address cardiovascular health issues.
Nitric oxide has three primary benefits. First, it relaxes the smooth muscle of the vascular wall causing vasodilation for improved blood flow. This can help bring blood pressure back into a normal range.
Second, nitric oxide keeps blood platelet cells from sticking together to naturally reduce the risk for strokes and heart attacks.
Third, at high enough levels over a long enough time, nitric oxide can initiate reparative processes to heal damage done to the endothelium. This could result in the reversal of plaque formations and calcification of the vascular system. This improves blood flow and lowers the risk for strokes and heart attacks.
So anything that can help your body improve the health of your endothelium and its ability to properly produce nitric oxide is a benefit to your health.
Vitamin C Improves Endothelial Health
Here are some of the scholarly headlines I came across. I’ve tried to summarize them so that you and I can better understand their findings. (I’ve linked the titles to the actual abstracts.)
Antioxidant Vitamin C Improved Endothelial Dysfunction in Chronic Smokers
Smoking damages the endothelium leading to poor vascular health for the heart and lungs. Vitamin C improves the health of the endothelium in smokers, which in turns improves the vascular health of their heart and lungs.
Demonstration of Rapid Onset Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction After Hyperhomocysteinemia
Elevated levels of homocysteine cause endothelial dysfunction resulting in plaque formation or atherosclerosis. This process can be prevented by vitamin C.
Vitamin C Inhibits Endothelial Cell Apoptosis in Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure patients see an increase in damage to the endothelial cells leading to endothelial dysfunction. The administration of vitamin C suppresses this process leading to better vascular health.
Diabetes causes a reduction in blood flow due to damage done to the endothelium from elevated blood sugar levels. When vitamin C was used blood flow increased by helping the endothelium do a better job in the production of nitric oxide.
Four Studies – What’s It All Mean
According to the American Heart Association 73% of all cardiovascular disease is related to endothelial dysfunction in the form of either plaque formation, which is atherosclerosis or calcification, which is arteriosclerosis.
In all the studies above there is a component (nicotine from smoke, high blood sugar, homocysteine) that causes oxidative damage and inflammation of the vascular system. Typically to the endothelium. This damage causes white blood cells to migrate and stick to the walls of the endothelium.
Once this process begins, your vascular wall thickens and loses its elasticity leading to the disease called atherosclerosis.
Vitamin C seems to prevent this oxidative damage, which then reduces the risk for plaque buildup. This is most likely due to Vitamin C being a powerful antioxidant.
It seems that the antioxidant power of vitamin C can help prevent every step in the progression of atherosclerosis. From inflammation to preventing endothelial dysfunction to maintaining proper lipid profiles to prevent white blood cells from sticking to the endothelium.
And vitamin C is especially effective in combating the oxidative damage caused by smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke.
This means that supplementing with vitamin C goes well beyond just helping to prevent the common cold. It actually plays a significant role in maintaining the integrity of your endothelium. And when properly nourished with L-arginine, maintain beneficial levels of nitric oxide for improved blood flow.
Blessing Lives Thru Nitric Oxide Therapy
Dan Hammer
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