In 1998, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Robert F Furchgott, Louis J Ignarro and Ferid Murad for their discoveries concerning “the nitric oxide as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system." Their groundbreaking research showied that nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the body, particularly in the cardiovascular system.
This was a landmark discovery because it revealed how nitric oxide helps relax and widen blood vessels, regulating blood pressure and improving circulation, oxygen delivery and overall cardiovascular health. It laid the foundation for revolutionary drugs like nitroglycerin for angina and heart failure and opened new avenues for treating heart disease, stroke and other vascular disorders.
Today, research into nitric oxide’s health functions has exploded, with more than 200,000 published studies in the medical literature. Nitric oxide has changed the way scientists understand cell communication and vascular health.
Beyond its role in relaxing blood vessels to allow for increased blood flow to tissues, nitric oxide is now recognized as a master regulator of vascular tone, immune response, neurotransmission and cellular energy. It supports energy levels, endurance and cognitive function.
“Imagine a single molecule that can dramatically improve your health,” says biochemist Dr Nathan Bryan, one of the foremost experts in the world on molecular medicine, including nitric oxide biochemistry.
According to Bryan, author of The Secret of Nitric Oxide: Bringing the Science to Life (Brick Tower Press, 2025), “NO sends crucial signals within every cell, tissue and organ of your body.”
This molecule protects vital organs like the heart, brain and kidneys. It keeps arteries supple and clear, preventing blood clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and lowers harmful triglyceride levels. It also reduces the risk of diabetes and its serious complications—such as slow-healing wounds, amputations, vision loss and kidney failure.
But its benefits don’t stop there. Nitric oxide supports brain health, potentially slowing the cognitive decline that occurs in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
It alleviates joint pain and swelling in arthritis, reverses erectile dysfunction, calms inflammation in asthma, guards against osteoporosis and helps regulate immune responses in autoimmune diseases. Its antimicrobial action helps fight off infections and cancer, and it even plays a role in protecting the skin from sunburn.
Cardiovascular health. Perhaps the best-known function of nitric oxide is its role in vasodilation. By relaxing the inner muscles of the blood vessels, NO increases blood flow and reduces blood pressure.
Recent case studies suggest that supplemental nitric oxide (especially via lozenges or skin-delivered systems) may rapidly stabilize cardiac and vascular function in emergency situations—rebalancing heart rhythms, normalizing blood pressure and restoring blood flow to compromised organs.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study involving 30 unmedicated hypertensive patients showed that a single dose of an NO-generating lozenge reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressures by 4 mmHg and 5 mmHg, respectively, within 20 minutes. They fell by 6 mmHg each after 60 minutes. The study also noted improvements in blood vessel function within hours of the dose.1
In another 30-day randomized controlled trial at the California Medical Institute, prehypertensive adults who took NO lozenges saw a big drop in their resting blood pressure—from an average of 138/84 mmHg to 126/78 mmHg. They also showed improved physical endurance, as measured by the six-minute walk test, and reported better quality of life.
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