Most of us know about the health benefits of sunlight in the production of Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is more than a vitamin, it is a hormone that controls many functions in the human body. However, many people do not understand the importance of sunlight on the production of nitric oxide (NO), my favorite molecule. Just like plants, our skin and other body tissues have the ability to absorb light and convert it into energy. There are certain wavelengths of light that have been shown to stimulate and activate nitric oxide production. Infrared and near infrared light therapy delivers light energy in a similar way plants absorb light energy from the sun. Specific wavelengths of UV-free light energize cells and stimulate the body's natural process to build new proteins and regenerate cells. When this beneficial light is exposed to the skin it helps to increase collagen and elastin production, reduce inflammation, speed healing, increase circulation, and even kill bacteria. These wavelengths of light work together to increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation so your body can naturally relieve pain, speed healing, and promote total body wellness.

If you give the body what it needs and remove the toxins that are interfering, then the body heals itself. It needs nitric oxide to do this. The activation of nitric oxide by the light therapy and the detoxification benefits from using an infrared sauna may be one of the simplest yet most important things you can do for your health. We need nitric oxide in and on the body. So how do we maximize our health and nitric oxide production?  

Below are four simple recommendations to improve your nitric oxide production and improve your health.  

1. Stop using mouthwash. Mouthwash kills the good nitric oxide generating bacteria in your mouth. They provide a source of nitric oxide from inorganic nitrate found in your vegetables. Without the good bacteria, you get no nitric oxide benefit from eating vegetables.
2. Stop using fluoride toothpastes. Fluoride is an antiseptic that kills the bad and good bacteria in your mouth. Fluoride is also a neurotoxin and disrupts normal thyroid function.
3. Stop using antacids. PPIs shut down nitric oxide production.
4. Stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk of all chronic disease and shuts down nitric oxide production. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it causes your blood vessels to constrict reducing blood flow to every cell and tissue in the body.

Once you eliminate practices that disrupt nitric oxide production, you can begin to employ clinically proven strategies to enhance your nitric oxide production.

1. Get moderate physical exercise. Exercise stimulates nitric oxide production and helps you lose weight.  
2. Eat a clean and balanced diet with lots of green leafy vegetables enriched in nitrate.
3. Use an infrared sauna to increase your body temperature. Using a sauna daily can increase your body temperature, help your body detoxify and improve nitric oxide production.  
4. Use a clinically proven nitric oxide topical or supplement. If your body can’t produce nitric oxide, then you need a product that does it for you.  

The combination of nitric oxide enhancement strategies with light therapy through infrared sauna is simple and very effective and restores health and wellness. We are excited to highlight the combination of our N1O1 nitric serum with the Therasage Infrared sauna. This Christmas give the gift of health. There is nothing more important than our own health and the health of our family and friends.

Dr. Bryan earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and his doctoral degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport where he was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research. He pursued his post-doctoral training as a Kirschstein Fellow at Boston University School of Medicine in the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. After a two year post-doctoral fellowship, in 2006 Dr. Bryan was recruited to join faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston by Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., 1998 Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology. During his tenure as faculty and independent investigator at UT, his research focused on drug discovery through screening natural product libraries for active compounds. His nine years at UT led to several discoveries which have resulted in over a dozen issued US and international patents and many more pending worldwide.

Specifically, Dr. Bryan was the first to describe nitrite and nitrate as indispensable nutrients required for optimal cardiovascular health. He was the first to demonstrate and discover an endocrine function of nitric oxide via the formation of S-nitrosoglutathione and inorganic nitrite. Through the drug discovery program in natural product chemistry, Dr. Bryan discovered unique compositions of matter than can be used to safely and effectively generate and restore nitric oxide in humans. This technology is now validated in six published clinical trials. He is also a successful entrepreneur who has commercialized his nitric oxide technology through the formation of Human, to the Power of N, Inc (formerly Neogenis Labs) where he is a Founder and inventor. Dr. Bryan has been involved in nitric oxide research for the past 18 years and has made many seminal discoveries in the field. These discoveries and findings have transformed the development of safe and effective functional bioactive natural products in the treatment and prevention of human disease and may provide the basis for new preventive or therapeutic strategies in many chronic diseases. Dr. Bryan has published a number of highly cited papers and authored or edited 5 books. He is an international leader in molecular medicine and nitric oxide biochemistry.