How to Boost Nitric Oxide Levels Through Healthy Eating

Nitric oxide is an essential molecule that promotes vasodilation and proper circulation. It enhances physical performance, brain function, and lowers blood pressure. And when it comes to supporting neuropathic treatments? Nitric oxide reduces inflammation and oxidative stress, and it can support better therapeutic outcomes.  ​

But do your patients know how to improve their nitric oxide levels through diet? If not, it’s time to inspire them! After all, nitrates are naturally occurring in a wide variety of foods.  And the human body uses these nitrates to generate nitric oxide. Here’s a starter manual to nitrate-rich foods to complement treatment for neuropathy. ​

The Healthy Dozen: What Your Patients Need to Know

Most of your patients have heard of the so-called “dirty dozen.” This list of 12 vegetables and fruits contain the highest concentrations of pesticides in the produce section. But did you know that there’s also a “healthy dozen?” These foods come with countless health-boosting properties, including improved nitric oxide production. Here’s an article to pass along to them about how nitric oxide levels impact health. 

What are the “healthy dozen”? They include leafy greens such as arugula, bok choy, spinach, lettuce, and swiss chard. Bite for bite, these foods offer a power-packed punch of nitrates necessary to support your body’s production of nitric oxide. What are some other foods worth incorporating into your diet for nitric oxide? They include celery, red beet roots, Chinese cabbage, endives, and mustard leaves. 

Delicious Recipes That Support Nitric Oxide Production

Arugula boasts chart-topping nitrate levels. Yet, it remains a versatile green your patients can work into a wide variety of dishes. For example, a simple yet delicious arugula salad with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon, and olive oil is both tasty and ups nitrate levels. But don’t stop there. Encourage them to incorporate arugula into other dishes, too. From casseroles to sauces, pasta dishes to rustic pizzas, delicious options abound. 

What are some other ways your patients can incorporate more nitrate-rich foods into their daily routine? Encourage them to mix it up with a spinach and goat cheese frittata. Or add leafy greens to a burrito bowl. Like arugula, kale and spinach also make exceptional toppings for pizza. Check out this delish spinach and purple kale pizza recipe for inspiration.

Green smoothie and juice combinations also prove easy yet tasty ways to get more nitrates in your patients’ diets. Check out this five-star-rated green smoothie recipe to inspire your patients. Of course, these represent just a few recommendations for getting more nitrate-healthy produce onto your patients’ plates. Ultimately, it’s all about small, consistent changes that work towards demonstrable differences over time.

How to Boost Nitric Oxide Levels

How to boost nitric oxide levels? It’s easier than your patients may realize once they learn ways to incorporate the “healthy dozen” into their diet. Besides teaching your patients about nitrate-boosting foods, what else can you recommend? To support better neuropathy treatment results, create an office protocol that involves testing patients’ nitric oxide levels when they visit. Also, provide them with healthy and effective options for nitrate supplementation. 

While few people can increase nitric oxide levels consistently and fully through diet alone, eating healthy still represents a great start. We also recommend testing and supplementation to complement each patient’s Neurolight Treatment plan. That way, you can set your patients up for better outcomes backed by nutritional science. Learn more about the supplements and test strips we offer.