Have you noticed that as you get older, things don’t work as well as they used to? This isn’t just in your head. One of the main reasons for this is a decrease in an important molecule called nitric oxide. As nitric oxide levels decline with age, it can lead to a whole host of problems that affect your heart, brain, muscles, and even your reproductive health. This fact has not gone unnoticed by predatory supplement brands, who are desperate to take your money by spinning a story that their magic pill will stop the decline. But I’m here to tell you that there is a better way. They’re cheap, incredibly effective, and most importantly, they don’t line the pockets of supplement companies.
Before we dive in, it’s important to understand that we can’t just swallow a nitric oxide pill. Nitric oxide itself is an incredibly unstable gas. Instead, we need to find smart strategies to help our bodies produce more of it. For years, the market has been full of options, from prescription medications to over-the-counter amino acids, all claiming to be the solution. But many of these items fail, either because the body builds up a tolerance to them or because they simply don’t work as advertised. In this article, we’ll cut through the hype, take a look at the science behind the most popular options, and reveal a simple, evidence-based nitric oxide booster that I personally use. (Based on insights from Dr. Brad Stanfield)
Key takeaways
- Common nutritional supplements fall short: Popular ingredients like L-arginine and L-citrulline have shown disappointing results in clinical trials for boosting nitric oxide or improving performance.
- Beetroot has potential but problems: Beet juice can effectively lower blood pressure, but the nitrate content in supplements is highly inconsistent, and whole beets are high in oxalate, which may be a problem for some individuals.
- Watercress is a superior choice: Watercress (or watercress) is one of the highest plant sources of nitrates, surpassed by beets, but it is low in oxalates, making it a safer and more effective whole food option.
- Whole foods instead of grains: The food-based approach provides a reliable, safe, and inexpensive way to boost nitric oxide without the risks and inconsistencies of nutritional supplements or the tolerability issues of prescription medications.
1. The problem with most nitric oxide supplements
Walk into any health store, and you’ll likely see shelves full of products marketed as nitric oxide boosters. One of the most common ingredients you’ll find is L-arginine, an amino acid that is an essential building block in the body’s primary pathway for producing nitric oxide. It seems logical: Give the body more raw materials, and it will make more of the final product. However, science doesn’t fully back this up. Several human studies have examined L-arginine supplements and found that although they increase blood levels of L-arginine, this does not reliably translate into higher nitric oxide levels or improved athletic performance.
This led researchers to another option: L-citrulline. Your body converts L-citrulline into L-arginine after you take it. Interestingly, research has shown that taking L-citrulline is actually more effective in raising blood levels of L-arginine than taking L-arginine itself. So, could this be the key? Unfortunately, the research here has also been disappointing, especially when it comes to performance. For example, a 2023 study tested L-citrulline in healthy young men to see if it would increase time to exhaustion during exercise, and found no effect. While a 2019 meta-analysis found that L-citrulline appears to lower blood pressure slightly, it requires very high doses of at least 6 grams per day. For most people, these options simply aren’t worth the money or effort.
2. What about beets? A promising but flawed option
More recently, there has been increased excitement around nitrate supplements, which target a completely different production pathway Nitric oxide. This is important, so pay close attention. Nitrates (with the letter “a”) are found naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables. When you eat these foods, bacteria on your tongue convert nitrates into nitrites (with an “i”). This nitrite is then further modified through the digestive process to eventually produce nitric oxide in the blood vessels. Beets are rich in nitrates, so they have become a popular source of these types of supplements.
Do they work? Clinical trials are encouraging. A landmark 2014 study tested daily doses of beetroot juice on patients with high blood pressure. They found that it significantly lowered blood pressure by about eight points, an effect size similar to some prescription medications. The study also found that beetroot juice improves blood vessel function and reduces blood vessel stiffness. Another study found that consuming beetroot juice daily for just one week improved endurance in elderly patients with heart failure. This all sounds great, but here you have to be careful. The actual nitrate levels in beet products are all over the map. Testing company ConsumerLab.com found that the nitrate content in the products it tested ranged from a solid 500 mg to a useless 4.3 mg per serving. Any company that tries to sell you nitric oxide booster pills is stealing your money; You simply cannot put an effective dose into a capsule. To get the minimum dose of 300mg that is necessary for health effects, you need juice or concentrated powder. Furthermore, beets have a downside: They are one of the highest dietary sources of oxalate, which can inhibit the absorption of other nutrients and may lead to kidney stones in susceptible people.
3. The hype about tadalafil: Is it too good to be true?
You may have heard buzz about an off-patent drug called tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis) as a potential nitric oxide solution. Its mechanism is very smart. Instead of trying to add more raw materials like nitrates, it amplifies the signal sent by the nitric oxide already present in the blood. Nitric oxide works by creating a messenger molecule called cGMP, which tells blood vessels to relax. However, your body also produces an enzyme called PDE5 that destroys cGMP almost as quickly as it is made. Tadalafil works by blocking the PDE5 enzyme. By stopping the breakdown of cGMP, it prolongs and strengthens the effects of the nitric oxide your body already produces.
This drug has been linked to some amazing data. One recent observational study found that men prescribed tadalafil had a 34% lower risk of death and a 27% lower risk of heart attacks over three years. But – and this is a big but – we have to be very careful. These are observational studies, not randomized controlled trials. This means that they are subject to what is called “user health bias.” Men who are prescribed an erectile dysfunction drug and continue to take it are, almost by definition, healthier, more involved in the health care system, and more likely to have better baseline cardiovascular function than those who do not. We cannot prove that the medication caused these benefits. Until we have rigorous clinical trials, it’s not something I would consider taking or recommend for preventative care.
4. My favorite nitric oxide booster: Watercress
So, after ruling out ineffective supplements and unproven medications, what’s the answer? This brings me to the nitric oxide booster I already take. It’s a natural food source of nitrate, just like beets, but much better. They are low in oxalates and are in fact one of the highest nitrate vegetables available, comfortably beating beets on average. What are these powerful vegetables? It’s watercress, also known as rocket.
Arugula salad is an evidence-based, risk-free, whole-food method for getting a big dose of dietary nitrate. One analysis found that arugula contains about 4,800 mg of nitrate per kilogram. This means that a large 100-gram (3.5 ounce) salad can provide approximately 500 mg of nitrate, which is much higher than the therapeutic dose used in beet studies. It couldn’t be simpler or more delicious to prepare. Simply add a generous amount of fresh arugula with some high-quality olive oil, black pepper, and fresh lemon juice. That’s it. You can get a powerful, science-backed health benefit from a simple, delicious meal that costs pennies on the cake compared to expensive, unreliable supplements.
Bottom line: Choose real food to get real results
Your journey to better health doesn’t have to involve navigating the confusing and often misleading world of nutritional supplements. When it comes to boosting your nitric oxide levels, the answer isn’t found in a pill or powder containing questionable ingredients and inconsistent dosages. As we’ve seen, the most popular supplements like L-arginine and L-citrulline are largely ineffective, and even promising options like beets come with major caveats. The most effective, safest, and cheapest strategy is to turn to your grocery store. By incorporating nitrate-rich powerhouses like arugula into your diet, you’re giving your body exactly what it needs to support its own natural nitric oxide production. It’s a simple change that puts you in control of your health, one delicious salad at a time.
source: Dr. Brad Stanfield
