Weight lifters and athletes who take pre and post workout supplements know that nitric oxide is a crucial element to getting an extra pump and workout longer.
Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels and arteries to increase blood flow throughout the body. When exercising, nitric oxide helps muscles receive the nutrients and oxygen necessary to work as hard as you can.
The other key benefit to nitric oxide is that it lowers blood pressure since it promotes higher blood flow to the heart. Nitric oxide can be increased through different foods in addition to supplements.
Here are 6 of the Best Foods to Increase Nitric Oxide:
1. Walnuts
Walnuts are high in l-arginine, which produces nitric oxide in the blood. In 100 grams of walnuts, there is 2,300 mg of l-arginine.
Add walnuts to a salad to make it a bit more exciting and healthy!
2. Spinach
Spinach is an all around healthy vegetable that is great to add to any diet. It is low calorie and high in fiber and iron.
Spinach is the highest plant in nitrates, which convert into nitric oxide. Adding spinach to your diet will help you slim down and increase your nitric oxide. Popeye might have been onto something.
3. Soybeans
There is 4,500 mg of l-arginine in a single cup of soybeans. That high amount of l-arginine makes soybeans one of the best foods to increase nitric oxide.
There are multiple ways to enjoy soybeans; you can steam them, add them to a salad, or add them to a salmon dish. Soybeans are also low-priced and can be found in the shell or deshelled.
4. Watermelon
With summer coming up around the corner, watermelon is going to be plentiful at any social gathering. Watermelon is not only refreshing on a hot day, but it is also one of the best foods to increase nitric oxide.
Watermelon contains over 250 mg of l-citrulline per cup. L-citrulline is an amino acid that leads to the production of nitric oxide and is beneficial to heart health. A large slice of watermelon can easily be two cups, so eating 2-3 slices will help your nitric oxide levels increase.
5. Oranges
Usually known for their high levels of vitamin c to boost your immune system, oranges also help increase nitric oxide. Vitamin c is an antioxidant that protects nitric oxide in blood cells from free radicals.
Vitamin c keeps the nitric oxide from oxidizing and going unused in the body. So next time you’re hitting the gym, eat an orange beforehand and get a natural immune booster in your system.
6. Salmon
Salmon is another food that seems to have only positive influences on the body. It has CoQ10 which has been advertised lately to cure wrinkles and be an anti-aging agent.
It not only helps you look great on the outside, it helps your heart stay younger and healthier as well. CoQ10 has been shown to increase nitric oxide and help lower blood pressure.
Go grab some spinach, salmon, walnuts, and soybeans and combine the best foods to increase nitric oxide to make one heart healthy meal!
Resources
http://www.anabolicmen.com/foods-that-increase-nitric-oxide/