This Is Killing Your Health
- JM Ryerson
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
I sat down with Dr. Nathan Bryan to discuss nitric oxide, which is one of the most important molecules your body produces. Yet it’s largely missing from conversations about preventive health, aging, and chronic disease. This gas—yes, a gas—controls blood flow, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and immune balance. When nitric oxide production falters, virtually every age-related chronic disease follows.
Why nitric oxide matters
Discovered as a signaling molecule about 40 years ago and recognized with a Nobel Prize in 1998, nitric oxide (NO) is a short-lived gas that acts as a master regulator in the cardiovascular system and beyond. It’s the body’s natural vasodilator: it opens blood vessels to increase blood flow and oxygen delivery. But that’s only the start.
Loss of nitric oxide production is the earliest event we now link to the onset and progression of chronic diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, chronic wounds, and autoimmune conditions.
The common threads across these conditions are:
Reduced blood flow to the affected organ
Chronic inflammation that perpetuates damage
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction
Immune dysregulation
Nitric oxide addresses all four. It dilates vessels to improve perfusion, downregulates inflammatory pathways, reduces oxidative stress in mitochondria, and helps rebalance immune function. Think of NO as a root-level regulator: restore it, and you improve the soil from which health grows.
What destroys your nitric oxide—and what to stop doing now
There are a handful of common, everyday factors that dramatically suppress natural nitric oxide production. Eliminating or reducing these gives your body a chance to restore its own NO supply.
High blood sugar and excess carbohydrates — Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia chemically “gum up” enzymes. Sugar attaches to proteins and enzymes (glycation), changing their shape and preventing normal function. That disrupts nitric oxide synthase and hemoglobin’s ability to release oxygen, which leads to poor tissue oxygenation and delayed healing.
Antiseptic overuse — Antibiotics, antibacterial hand gels, and antiseptic mouthwashes destroy beneficial bacteria that help produce nitric oxide. The oral microbiome is a key partner in converting dietary nitrates into NO. Wiping out that community is damaging.
Fluoride exposure — Fluoride is antiseptic and affects the microbiome. Emerging data also link excess fluoride exposure to negative neurocognitive and endocrine effects. The historical justification—to kill bacteria in water and prevent cavities—needs re-evaluation in light of modern microbiome science.
Proton pump inhibitors and chronic antacid use — Suppressing stomach acid interferes with nutrient processing and the downstream pathways that contribute to NO production.
If being healthy is weird, I want to be weird.
These are not fringe ideas anymore. The science around the oral-systemic link, microbiome importance, and how lifestyle drives vascular health is robust. Making small, concrete changes here has outsized benefits.
Daily habits that increase nitric oxide
Once you remove the “brakes,” you can actively stimulate NO production. These are practical, evidence-based habits you can adopt immediately:
Reduce sugar and refined carbs. Intermittent fasting (for many people, an 16–18 hour daily fast) improves metabolic flexibility, lowers fasting glucose and insulin, and triggers autophagy and mitophagy—cellular cleanup processes that restore mitochondrial health and boost NO pathways.
Move regularly. Moderate exercise for 20–30 minutes a day or short high-intensity intervals (6–8 minutes) stimulates shear stress in blood vessels, activating nitric oxide synthase and improving endothelial function.
Breathe through your nose. Nasal breathing engages epithelial nitric oxide production in the sinuses. Nitric oxide generated in the nasal passages travels with inhaled air into the lungs, dilates pulmonary vessels, and improves ventilation–perfusion matching. Mouth breathing bypasses this mechanism and changes the oral ecology in a way that favors pathogens.
Get direct sunlight daily. Sunlight exposure supports nitric oxide signaling and cardiovascular health.
Support sleep and airway health. If your airway is obstructed, fix it before trying mouth taping. For most people, keeping the mouth closed at night and breathing nasally improves sleep quality and helps sustain NO production.
Personalize with data
Everyone responds differently to foods and habits. Continuous glucose monitors are an excellent tool to see what spikes your blood sugar and to fine-tune diet choices that protect nitric oxide pathways. What elevates one person might not affect another.
Ways nitric oxide can be delivered or supported clinically
Nitric oxide is a gas with a very short half-life, which makes it hard to “drug.” Still, there are scientifically informed ways to deliver therapeutic NO or support its natural production:
Oral nitric oxide delivery. Specialized oral disintegrating lozenges can release NO gas in the mouth, mimicking the natural local production and supporting vascular responses. Carefully designed formulations aim for a residence time in the mouth to influence the oral microbiome and stimulate downstream nitric oxide pathways.
Beet and nitrate supplements—but choose wisely. Not all beet products are created equal. Many commercial products don’t actually produce meaningful NO in the body. Look for validated formulations that preserve active nitrate/nitrite conversion and are free of excess sugars.
Topical nitric oxide for skin and aesthetics. Nitric oxide can recruit capillaries, improve collagen deposition, and support hydration—useful properties for targeted topical formulations.
Nitric oxide-friendly oral care. Non-fluoride toothpaste formulations that promote a healthy oral microbiome (for example, hydroxyapatite-based products) can support oral NO production and, in some cases, contribute to improved systemic vascular health.
How nitric oxide translates to tangible results
When nitric oxide is restored, measurable improvements can follow quickly: improved blood pressure, better blood flow, enhanced mitochondrial function, stem cell mobilization, and improved metabolic markers. Many people report increased energy, better sleep, and improvements in chronic wound healing and cognitive clarity when NO pathways are supported. The timeline for changes varies, but vascular responses can happen within minutes to hours, while metabolic and immune benefits accumulate over days to weeks.
Practical checklist to get started
Stop or reduce antiseptic mouthwash, unnecessary antibiotics, and frequent antibacterial products.
Eliminate fluoride-containing toothpastes and consider a nitric oxide–friendly alternative.
Reduce refined sugars and try a daily fasting window (e.g., 6 p.m. to noon).
Do 20–30 minutes of moderate exercise or short HIIT sessions several times per week.
Practice nasal breathing during the day and address any airway obstructions before attempting mouth taping at night.
Get brief direct sunlight exposure daily.
Consider validated nitric oxide support products if you cannot restore production naturally—but choose products backed by mechanism-driven research.
A final perspective
Medicine has focused on drugs that interrupt specific pathways because those are easy to patent and monetize. Nitric oxide biology is different: it’s a foundational, systemic regulator that is hard to “drug” but easy to support through lifestyle and targeted therapies. Restoring nitric oxide is one of the most powerful preventive and therapeutic strategies available for age-related chronic disease.
Start with the basics: reduce sugar, protect your microbiome, breathe through your nose, move daily, and let your body’s own nitric oxide do the work it was designed to do. If you want to go deeper, look for high-quality, evidence-based resources on nitric oxide physiology, the oral-systemic microbiome connection, and clinically validated NO-support products. Your vascular health—and much more—depends on it.
If you have a chronic condition or take prescription medications, consult your healthcare provider before making major changes.