MEN’S HEALTH IS DEPENDENT UPON SUFFICIENT NITRIC OXIDE
June is designated as Men’s Health Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and promoting good health practices for men. It is a time for men to prioritize their physical, mental, and sexual health.
Over the past 30 years, we have witnessed a feminization of men and masculinity criticized and even demonized. Well, no more. Men are the protectors of the family unit and still in many cases, the providers. Although, I acknowledge many women are providers in today’s society and I applaud and welcome that. All you have to do is look around you and see the most men are overweight, unhealthy and unable to perform at their best. It is time to wake up and make some changes.
A 2019 study found that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans are metabolically unhealthy, meaning they have at least one factor of metabolic syndrome. This study included both men and women so I am not just picking on men.
Men’s Health and the Effects of Low Nitric Oxide Levels
To serve in the U.S. military, men and women 17-35 must be medically fit to serve. Recent data show that less than 23% of Americans are able to pass a physical to be considered medically fit to defend our country.
We have a National Security crisis in the U.S. The general fertility rate in the United States decreased by 3% from 2022 to 2024, reaching a historic low. From 2014 to 2020, the rate consistently decreased by 2% annually.
In the US, it’s estimated that between 30 and 50 million men experience erectile dysfunction (ED). Studies indicate that 8% of males aged 20-29 and 11% of those aged 30-39 struggle with ED. This is the age of maximal testosterone production and sexual vigor and yet men at this age suffer from ED? I think the numbers are actually higher since most young men will not self-report ED. The prevalence of ED generally increases with age, with around 40% of men experiencing ED by age 40 and 70% reporting ED by age 70. If men are unable to get and maintain an erection, it is no wonder why birth rates are down. If men have ED, they have systemic disease and complete loss of nitric oxide production in all blood vessels, not just the blood vessels serving the sex organs.
We, as men, must take accountability and responsibility and make changes. What is obvious to me is that once your body loses its ability to produce nitric oxide, your performance and health declines. Your performance in the bed room, the board room and on the athletic field begin to fail. You develop erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure, cognitive decline, you become exercise intolerant, you develop insulin resistance, gain weight, become obese and eventually die of cardiovascular disease.
I list the top contributors of loss of nitric oxide production and a decline in men’s health below:
- The Western diet. Eating a diet replete in sugar and carbohydrates leads to glycation of the nitric oxide synthase enzyme shutting down nitric oxide production. High carbohydrate diets change the oral microbiome, causes dysbiosis and leads to a loss of nitric oxide production. Processed snack food and fast food contains toxic chemicals that poison the body. Seed oils disrupt the cell membrane and interrupt cellular signaling.
- Sedentary lifestyle. We must exercise and move to stay healthy. Most working age men who are unhealthy do not exercise. Most get in their car, drive to work, sit behind a desk and never break a sweat. If you are not getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise per day, you are not moving in the right direction and you will become a statistic.
- Use of antacids. Antacids are some of the most dangerous and deadly medicines on the market. Specifically, the proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, the prescriptions omeprazole, pantoprazole. These drugs have clearly shown to increase the incidence of heart attack, stroke and Alzheimers’s disease. They cause this because they completely inhibit nitric oxide production in the human body. Anything that inhibits nitric oxide production will lead to an acceleration of chronic disease.
- Use of antiseptic mouthwash and fluoride toothpaste. Anything that kills oral bacteria will lead to a loss of nitric oxide production. You must stop using mouthwash and you must replace your toothpaste with a fluoride free toothpaste that is also free of other toxic ingredients that disrupt the oral microbiome.
- Cholesterol lowering medication. Cholesterol is essential to maintain cell membrane integrity and to maintain intracellular signaling. If your cholesterol falls below 200, your cell membranes become compromised and the cell is no longer able to transduce signals from the outside to the inside. There are numerous reports now showing that statins increase risk of diabetes because insulin can no longer signal to uptake glucose due to loss of membrane fluidity. Statins have an increased risk of developing dementia. The NOS enzyme is contained in a lipid raft in the membrane. Without adequate cholesterol, there is a disruption in the lipid rafts. Furthermore, without adequate cholesterol, we cannot produce testosterone, estrogen or Vitamin D, all of which stimulate and activate nitric oxide production.
Unfortunately, most Americans, specifically men, check all these boxes. So here is my challenge for all the men reading this. Stop eating junk food and start eating real food. If it is not produced by nature or naturally raised, then don’t eat it. It the food you are eating has an expiration date of more than 2 days, then do not eat it. There is no such thing as a non-perishable food item. If it is non-perishable, then it is not food. Eat meat, no sugar or limited carbs and a few vegetables.
Practice an 18 hour fast every day. Eat your last meal no later than 6 pm and do not eat again until noon the next day. Get up each morning with the sunrise and get some physical movement. Personally, I do 100 push-ups and 100 squats every day. I do 4 sets of 25. This takes me less than 5 minutes so you have no excuse that you do not have time. If you follow these simple steps you will start to feel better, you will see results, become motivated to stick to it and do more.
We, as men, have a responsibility and an obligation to be healthy, to be good role models to our kids and to be physically able to defend ourselves and our family. Unfortunately, the majority of the men I see in America do not meet these criteria. We can and we must do better.
How do you know if you are losing nitric oxide production?
- You do not have nocturnal erections or you do not wake up with an erection
- You have erectile dysfunction
- Your blood pressure is higher than 120/80
- You cannot run or walk briskly for 10 minutes without running out of breath
- You have insulin resistance or diabetes
- Your belly falls over your belt line
- If your belt size is greater than 40
If you have one or more of the seven above, then you have a problem that needs to be addressed. Stop doing the things that are disrupting nitric oxide production. Start doing the things that are clinically proven to promote and stimulate nitric oxide production.
If you need help, then I make products that provide nitric oxide for you. If your body cannot produce nitric oxide, then my products provide it for you and help your body improve the natural ability to produce it on its own. It is time to wake up men, step up and make some changes. Your wife and kids are depending on you. Do not let them down. Happy Father’s Day.
You can find my nitric oxide products at www.n1o1.com. Use coupon code NSB10 for a discount.
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Dr. Nathan S. Bryan is a biochemist and physiologist that has more than 20 years of basic science and clinical research. His many seminal discoveries have resulted in dozens of issued U.S. and International patents. He is an international expert in nitric oxide and molecular medicine. Dr. Bryan is an innovator and successful entrepreneur who product technology is responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue worldwide. This content is not intended to replace medical advice from a physician.
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