Nitric oxide is a gas produced by the cells lining your arteries, and its job is to widen those arteries so blood can flow freely to your organs, muscles, and extremities. Research suggests nitric oxide production tends to decline with age — commonly cited as roughly 50% lower past age 40 — which can make the heart work harder to push blood through the body and can reduce circulation to areas like the hands and feet. Here are several evidence-informed ways to support your body’s natural nitric oxide production.
Key Takeaways
- Nitric oxide widens arteries so blood can circulate freely; production tends to decline with age, which can affect circulation to the hands and feet.
- Garlic (crushed and rested before eating), nitrate-rich vegetables, watermelon rind, and cacao/blueberries are food-based ways to support nitric oxide production.
- Regular brisk walking, nose breathing with humming, and moderate sunlight exposure are lifestyle habits with research behind them for supporting nitric oxide.
- Strong antiseptic mouthwash can wipe out the oral bacteria needed to convert dietary nitrates into nitric oxide.
- Smoking, heavy alcohol use, and a diet high in processed food and sugar generate free radicals that actively damage nitric oxide and artery walls — addressing these matters as much as adding supportive foods.
Foods and Nutrients That Support Nitric Oxide
Garlic
Crushing garlic and letting it sit exposed to air for about 10 minutes before eating or cooking it allows a compound called allicin to form, which research has linked to short-term increases in nitric oxide activity. Aged garlic extract is also studied as a supplement for this purpose, typically in the range of a couple grams daily, though you don’t need a supplement to get started — eating a couple of raw or lightly prepared cloves regularly is a reasonable place to begin.
Nitrate-Rich Vegetables
Plants absorb nitrates from soil, and oral bacteria convert these into nitrite, which your stomach acid can further convert into nitric oxide. Foods like arugula, beetroot, celery, lettuce, Swiss chard, and dried seaweed are good sources. Pairing them with a drizzle of olive oil may help with absorption of their fat-soluble nutrients. It’s worth noting that these plant-based nitrates work differently in the body than the nitrates found in processed meats, which are generally not considered part of a heart-healthy diet.
Cacao and Blueberries
A simple shake of raw cacao powder, blueberries, and water or almond milk (dairy milk may interfere with flavonoid absorption) combines two nitric-oxide-supportive compounds: anthocyanins from blueberries, which help activate the endothelial cells lining your blood vessels, and flavanols from cacao, which are associated with supporting vascular flexibility.
Magnesium and Potassium
Low intake of magnesium or potassium is associated with tighter, more constricted arteries, which can reduce circulation to the extremities and contribute to tingling or numbness in the feet. Foods like beet greens, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, avocado, and acorn squash are good sources of both.
Watermelon Rind
The white and light-green flesh near a watermelon’s skin is a concentrated source of L-citrulline, an amino acid your body converts into arginine, which arteries use to produce nitric oxide. L-citrulline supplements are also available and are generally considered more effective than direct arginine supplementation for raising nitric oxide, since less of it is broken down in the gut before absorption.
Panax Ginseng
This root has a long history of traditional use for energy and circulation, and contains compounds called ginsenosides that may support nitric oxide-producing enzymes in the arteries while also acting as an antioxidant. Korean red ginseng extract is the most studied form for circulation, with typical studied doses in the range of 1,000–2,000 mg daily — check with your doctor before starting, especially if you take blood pressure medication or blood thinners.
Grass-Fed Beef
Grass-fed beef contains coenzyme Q10 and carnosine, both of which have antioxidant properties that may help protect existing nitric oxide from being broken down by free radicals, and may help reduce the stiffening of artery walls over time. These nutrients are more concentrated in organ meats and slow-cooked cuts. Adding herbs and spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, cloves, ginger, rosemary, and oregano may offer additional support, and hibiscus tea has research behind it for supporting healthy blood pressure when consumed regularly.
Lifestyle Factors That Matter
Sunlight Exposure
UVA exposure can convert nitrate stores in the skin into nitric oxide, which is one proposed reason people often feel more relaxed after time outdoors. Sensible, moderate sun exposure — balanced against skin cancer risk — may offer a modest, temporary boost.
Mouthwash Habits
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