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Levels like products, or the fakin’ bacons from turkey communicate properly. NO’s myriad health
of nitrite or soy. benefits are summed up in the popular book The

That said, there is probably nothing wrong Nitric Oxide (NO) Solution by Nathan S.Bryan,
naturally with a good old-fashioned bacon cured with a PhD, and Janet Zand, OMD. Although the
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increase in precise amount of sodium nitrite curing salts. book does not contain citations, a quick PubMed
the body to If the idea of nitrite still seems scary, consider search reveals Dr. Bryan’s contribution to at least
this: Ascorbic acid is routinely added to cured eighty-eight journal articles, many establishing
help boost meats along with the nitrite in order to promote the NO benefits described above.
oxygen when beneficial nitric oxide formation from nitrite, and
people live in to inhibit nitrosation reactions in the stomach that NO FOR LIFE
The message is that NO is essential for a
can lead to carcinogenic nitrosamines. Bringing
high altitudes. alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) into the mix as well long, healthy and vital life. Unfortunately, few
seems to further prevent occurrence of nitrosa- people today produce enough NO for optimal
mine formation. 60-63 Old-fashioned processing, health, and NO deficiencies have been identified
involving leisurely time for curing and smoking, in many chronic diseases. Although NO supple-
further enhances the conversion of nitrite to the ments have been developed and marketed, and
beneficial nitric oxide molecule. might well be helpful for people on plant-based,
lowfat, low-cholesterol diets, such products
JUST SAY "NO" might not be needed with a return to traditional
In 1998 Robert F. Furchgott, Louis J. Ig- foods. Traditionally cured bacon, sausage and
narro and Ferid Murad won the Nobel Prize in other meats cured with sodium nitrite might be
physiology and medicine for their discovery of just the ticket to increasing NO production in the
nitric oxide (NO) as a signaling molecule in the body.
cardiovascular system. As the first molecule Another big NO-producing food is beets,
discovered that can literally communicate with suggesting yet another reason why so many
other molecules, nitric oxide revolutionized WAPFers thrive on beet kvass. Although foods
conventional scientific thinking. 64 rich in the amino acids citrulline and arginine are
In terms of preventing heart disease, nitric often recommended to increase NO production,
oxide (NO) produced by the cells in our blood most people are not young enough or healthy
vessels signals the surrounding arterial tissues enough to turn that trick. Perhaps the more direct
to relax. That lowers blood pressure, expands route from nitrite to NO is the way to go.
narrow blood vessels, eliminates dangerous clots
and reduces the formation of plaque. Interest- NITRATES, NITRITES,
ingly enough, NO lowers triglyceride levels, AND THE NITROGEN CYCLE
but not cholesterol, and researchers report that But aren’t nitrates (NO2-) and nitrites
NO even seems to protect those with high cho- (NO3-) dangerous? Yes and no. Nitrates are natu-
lesterol. WAPF thinking, of course, holds that ral products of the nitrogen cycle and are found
NO’s failure to lower cholesterol is a point in its in water, plants and animals. Approximately
favor, because cholesterol has many benefits and 80 percent of dietary nitrates are derived from
no protection against high cholesterol is needed. vegetable consumption, and nitrites are naturally
By optimizing circulation, NO affects every present in saliva, in the gut, and indeed in all
part of the body. More blood flow means better mammalian tissue. Clearly, we cannot be pro
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oxygen transfer and more energy. More blood plant-based diet and anti nitrates!
flow means better brain function and better Levels of nitrite naturally increase in the
attention. And more blood flow means a better body to help boost oxygen when people live at
sex life. Accordingly, NO is a key ingredient in high altitudes, and such people are often con-
many well-known erectile dysfunction products. sidered among the healthiest in the world. In
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Nitric oxide also benefits the immune system, short, nitrites are not a problem, provided our
where it helps us fight off infections, and the diets are rich enough in antioxidants to facilitate
nervous system where it helps our brain cells the conversion of nitrites to NO and to prevent
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