Four Drinks That Will Directly Boost Nitric Oxide

Sip your way to strength with drinks that boost nitric oxide. Live strong as you explore the essential role of nitric oxide and embrace its health benefits for cardiovascular wellness and elevated exercise performance.

In the world of fitness and overall health, nitric oxide (NO) has become a significant player. It can help an athlete improve their performance or simply improve overall wellness by promoting good heart health.

Nitric oxide is a molecule that acts as a vasodilator, meaning that it can help widen blood vessels. As a result, it can improve blood flow and oxygen delivery throughout the body.

For that reason, people often search for different ways to help boost nitric oxide levels. The good news is that there are natural ways to help increase nitric oxide. Several foods and drinks can help boost nitric oxide production without relying on artificial supplements.

In this article, we’ll go over those drinks you want to include in your routine if you want to boost nitric oxide. These are convenient and delicious ways to support your body’s natural process to help improve performance and promote overall wellness.

The Crucial Role Of Nitric Oxide

Before we go over the best four drinks to boost nitric oxide directly, it’s important to understand the role nitric oxide has in the body.

Nitric oxide is naturally produced in the body and is a vasodilator, meaning that it helps relax the inner muscles in the blood vessels, allowing them to widen. This widening helps increase blood flow and lower the risk of clots, atherosclerosis, and heart disease. (Source)

However, there is more to nitric oxide than just a vasodilator. It is also an effective neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in learning and memory retrieval. (Source)

As a result, athletes have taken an interest in nitric oxide due to its potential to improve exercise performance by increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to working muscles, as well as improving cognitive function.

Health Benefits Of Nitric Oxide

While we have mentioned just a couple of effects of nitric oxide in the body, there is more to nitric oxide than a vasodilator and neurotransmitter.

Here are some of the possible health benefits associated with nitric oxide:

• Cardiovascular health: Since nitric oxide is a vasodilator, it helps relax and widen blood vessels, leading to improved blood flow and circulation. As a result, it can help regulate blood pressure, reduce arterial stiffness, and prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
• Exercise performance: Nitric oxide helps increase blood flow to the muscles, ensuring you get more oxygen and nutrients. As a result, this can delay the onset of fatigue and improve endurance.
• Immune function: Nitric oxide can help enhance immune function by helping your immune cells to function properly.
• Cognitive function: As mentioned, nitric oxide is a neurotransmitter that can help improve cognitive function and support mental clarity. In addition, nitric oxide helps facilitate the communication between neurons and supports the ability to form new connections in the brain.

How You Can Get Nitric Oxide From Foods

Nitric oxide is mainly produced in the body through the enzymatic conversion of arginine into nitric oxide. However, there are other ways to naturally increase your nitric oxide indirectly.

Here are some ways food affects nitric oxide production:

• Nitrate oxide foods: There are many foods that naturally contain nitrates, such as leafy greens (spinach and arugula), root vegetables (beets and carrots), and some fruits (like pomegranates and watermelon). When you eat them, these nitrates turn into nitric oxide in the body. This is a pathway commonly known as the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway, which provides a dietary source of nitric oxide.
• Arginine-rich foods: Arginine is an amino acid you can find in several high-protein foods, such as meat, chicken, fish, dairy products, nuts, and legumes. Arginine serves as a substrate for nitric oxide production within the body. While arginine-rich foods don’t directly provide nitric oxide, they can support endogenous nitric oxide production.
• Antioxidant-rich foods: Antioxidants play a crucial role in maintaining adequate levels of nitric oxide. Free radicals, which are unstable molecules in the body, can degrade nitric oxide and impair its function. Include antioxidants, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
• Polyphenol-rich foods: Polyphenols are phytochemicals you can find in plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee, and dark chocolate. Evidence suggests that polyphenols found in red wine and green tea may help enhance nitric oxide production and improve endothelial function. (Source)
• Citrulline-rich foods: Citrulline is an amino acid commonly found in watermelon and other melons. Citrulline gets turned into arginine, which can then be used for nitric oxide production.

Including these foods high in nitric oxide can help provide all the health benefits provided by this molecule. Adopting a balanced and varied diet rich in whole foods can help optimize nitric oxide levels and contribute to cardiovascular health and exercise performance.

The Best Four Drinks To Help Increase Nitric Oxide Production

As we’ve seen, there are a lot of foods that can help directly or indirectly boost nitric oxide levels. However, liquids may have a better outcome since they can often be absorbed faster, making them a powerful ally for those seeking quick changes.

Here, we are going to focus on four drinks that stand out for their nitric oxide-boosting abilities: beetroot juice, pomegranate juice, green tea, and Red Tonik.

Beet Root

Beets and their juice have been firmly backed by science for their nitric oxide-enhancing abilities. The red color in beets comes from a natural pigment called betalains, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition, it contains high levels of nitrates, which, as previously mentioned, convert into nitric oxide. In fact, in a study, adults consuming beetroot juice increased their nitric oxide levels by 21% only 45 minutes after its consumption. (Source)

Making beet juice at home is fairly simple. Choose fresh and organic beets. You will need roughly one medium-sized beet per serving. Peel and chop the beets, then add to a blender with some water. Blend until smooth, then strain to remove any solid parts.

You can then add some flavor, such as orange juice or a hint of ginger. Have one every day to experience the amazing nitric-boosting effects of beetroot juice. 

However, if you feel that this is too complicated for your busy lifestyle, there are great beet powder supplements that make it a lot easier to include beetroot juice into your routine. Simply add the beet root powder to water or your favorite drink and have a natural way to elevate nitric oxide production.

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranates are much more than a delicious fruit. Pomegranate juice, just like beet root juice, owes its nitric oxide-boosting properties to its high nitrate content.

Research has shown that pomegranates may help reduce blood pressure due to their increased nitric oxide production. (Source)

You can get pomegranates both in juice and supplement form. However, keep in mind that pomegranate juice sold in stores is often sweetened or comes in a juice blend. To get the most out of pomegranate juice, opt for 100% pure juice to avoid any unnecessary sugars.

If you are juicing pomegranate seeds at home, blend in small quantities since the seeds are high in insoluble fiber. And, if you are not used to high fiber intake, it can lead to gastrointestinal issues, such as bloating, gas, and stomach cramps.

Green Tea

Green tea has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. This powerhouse beverage is high in antioxidants and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the catechins in green tea can help enhance nitric oxide production. (Source)

However, keep in mind that the specific link to nitric oxide isn’t as direct as with beets and pomegranates.

Another key benefit of green tea is that it can help protect against nitric oxide toxicity. While you want to elevate nitric oxide in the body, too much nitric oxide may lead to pulmonary problems. (Source)(Source)

To maximize the nitric oxide benefits, choose high-quality green tea, preferably loose-leaf. Brew the tea at 175-185ºF for 2-3 minutes. This will ensure a balanced cup with the release of catechins and L-theanine for calming benefits and nitric oxide-boosting properties. 

Red Tonik

While each of the previous drinks has incredible nitric oxide-boosting properties, most of them require some sort of preparation. So, if you are too busy or simply don’t want to spend a lot of time waiting to get your nitric oxide-boosting beverage, red powder supplements can come in handy.

Red Tonik is a plant-based drink high in antioxidants and nitrates. Thanks to its concentrated levels of nitric oxide, due to its beet root content, it can help enhance performance and promote good cardiovascular health.

The supplements come in a delicious cranberry taste, meaning you only need to mix them in water or your beverage of choice to make nitric oxide enhancement a breeze.

In addition, what makes the supplement stand out is its fully transparent formula (no proprietary blends) and lack of artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. As a result, it is positioned as a clean and effective supplement to help enhance overall wellness.

Recap And Recommendations

Whichever drink you decide to choose, it’s clear that all four options have the potential to significantly increase nitric oxide levels. But, if you are still unsure which option to pick, here is a brief overview of them to help you decide.

• Beet juice: Blend fresh beets with water and drink regularly to experience its nitric oxide-boosting effects (or choose beet root powder supplement).
• Pomegranate juice: Opt for 100% pure juice and drink in moderation.
• Green tea: Brew your green tea mindfully to reap its nitric oxide-enhancing benefits.
• Red Tonik: The best and most convenient approach for a full-spectrum nitric oxide enhancer. Simply mix water or your favorite beverage and drink daily.

Remember, consistency is key. Regular consumption of these nitric oxide-friendly drinks can lead to significant improvements in your overall health and could have a significant impact on exercise performance, recovery, and cardiovascular health.

Final Words

The world of nitric oxide is constantly studied thanks to its effect on improved overall wellness and performance. By familiarizing yourself with the foods and drinks that boost nitric oxide levels, you are taking a proactive step towards optimizing your well-being.

There are four main drinks that can help enhance nitric oxide production: beet juice, pomegranate juice, green tea, and Red Tonik. They all offer different pathways to increase nitric oxide and benefits that extend far beyond just vasodilation.

However, just like any changes in your diet, it’s important you consult with a health professional, especially if you have an underlying health condition or if you are taking chronic medication. But for most people, adding a glass or two of these drinks may just be the step you need to unlock greater health and performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Fastest Way To Increase Nitric Oxide? 

For a quick boost, consume foods high in nitrates, such as leafy greens, root vegetables, and some fruits. You can also include drinks that can enhance nitric oxide production, such as beet root juice, green tea, pomegranate juice, and red powder supplement (Red Tonik). 

What Drinks Increase Nitric Oxide?

Drinks that are high in nitric oxide are green tea, pomegranate juice, beet root juice, and red powder supplements.

The key to getting all the benefits of nitric oxide-boosting drinks is to include them in your lifestyle consistently. This can involve swapping your morning coffee for green tea or carrying a bottle of beet juice or red powder during your workouts. 

Are There Any Foods That Deplete Nitric Oxide? 

High-fat and high-cholesterol foods, along with excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, can reduce your body’s nitric oxide levels. These dietary factors are best avoided or minimized to maintain optimal nitric oxide production.