Nitric Oxide, Not Nitrous Oxide — Because None of Us Are Laughing When We’re Depleted
By Kate Shemirani, 2025
“No nitric oxide? No erection. No memory. No vascular flow. Just one tragic, shriveled metaphor for the state of modern health.”
Wait — What Even Is Nitric Oxide?
Let’s be clear: nitric oxide (NO) is not the stuff that makes you giggle at the dentist — that’s nitrous oxide (N₂O). Nitric oxide is a tiny gas molecule, just one nitrogen and one oxygen, but it’s your cardiovascular system’s unsung hero.
It tells your blood vessels to relax and open up, improving circulation, oxygen delivery, and even arousal. It’s made in your endothelial cells (that’s the silky lining inside your blood vessels) using the amino acid L-arginine, oxygen, and a crucial enzyme called eNOS [1].
Side Note: What Is eNOS?
eNOS stands for Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase — one of the key enzymes your body uses to produce nitric oxide (NO). It transforms L-arginine + oxygen into NO + L-citrulline, in the presence of vital cofactors like BH4 (tetrahydrobiopterin).
Full Name: Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase
Location: Found in the endothelial cells lining your blood vessels
Function: Keeps blood vessels relaxed, dilated, and flowing
Why is eNOS important?
Maintains vascular tone (blood pressure control)
Improves blood flow to the brain, heart, genitals, and limbs
Reduces inflammation and clot risk
Protects against atherosclerosis (artery plaque) [1]
There are 3 types of NO Synthase enzymes:
eNOS – endothelial (vessels)
nNOS – neuronal (nerves & brain)
iNOS – inducible (immune response)
Why Should You Care About NO? Because NO Is a Smooth Operator
Nitric oxide slips into your blood vessel walls like a vascular Casanova, triggering your smooth muscles to relax through a cascade of chemical reactions. This process is called vasodilation [2].
Translation: blood flows more freely, blood pressure drops, and tissues get the oxygen they crave. It’s also the same pathway activated by those famous little blue pills — no nitric oxide = no bedroom boom = no fun.
After 30, It’s a Downhill Slide (Sorry)
Your body starts making less nitric oxide after age 30 [3]. This means a slow fade in blood flow, cognitive sharpness, energy levels, and, yes — sexual function.
By 40, you might feel like your circulation is made of cling film and your libido belongs in a museum.
Not Just a Man Problem, Ladies
NO is just as essential for female pleasure and cognition. Without it, blood flow to the clitoris, vagina, and labia declines — causing dryness, reduced sensitivity, and what I like to call ‘camel-toe syndrome.’ Think: desert vibes. Emotionally and physically [4].
Low NO also starves the brain of oxygen, which means that one day you won’t even remember what those parts are for [5].
Bedroom Fun… or Heart Attack?
Here’s a terrifying truth: if you’re depleted in nitric oxide, getting frisky can literally trigger a heart attack [6].
Without NO, your arteries can’t dilate properly, your heart works overtime, and blood pressure spikes just when you need it to chill.
Fluoride: The Joy Killer in Your Toothpaste
Your fancy toothpaste and minty mouthwash? If they contain fluoride, they kill off the oral bacteria needed to convert nitrates from your food into nitric oxide [7].
And fluoride floss? Same deal. You’re scrubbing away your sex life and sanity — one swipe at a time [8].
And Dementia? That’s Low NO, Too
Your brain needs oxygen-rich blood to think, remember, and function. Without nitric oxide, cerebral blood vessels shrink and stiffen, leading to less oxygen, more brain fog, and eventually neurodegeneration [9].
It’s not just that your genitals may forget how to work — your brain might forget they ever existed.
How to Boost Your Nitric Oxide (And Feel Alive Again)
Let’s get to the good stuff. You can increase NO naturally, and yes — it’s delicious, sweaty, and very, very human.
1. Eat Beets, Not Burgers
Beetroot, spinach, celery, arugula — all nitrate-rich foods that get converted into NO in your mouth and gut [10].
2. Ditch the Fluoride
Use fluoride-free toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss. Your microbiome is your nitric oxide factory. Keep it open for business.
3. Move Your Body
Exercise increases shear stress in your arteries, which tells your endothelium to make more NO [11].
No treadmill? Just walk. Just dance. Just do.
4. Nose Breathe Like a Pro
Breathe through your nose — not your mouth — to deliver nitric oxide directly to your lungs. It’s free therapy for your blood vessels.
5. Supplement Smart
Use L-arginine or L-citrulline — amino acids that support NO production. Just make sure it’s clean, clinical-grade, and not stuffed with fillers [12].
6. Detox and De-Tech
Glyphosate, heavy metals, EMFs — all of them disrupt endothelial health. So go barefoot. Kill your WiFi at night. Grow rocket in your garden [13].
Final Word (And a Juicy One)
Nitric oxide might not have the sexiest name, but it’s your body’s love language. It makes your heart strong, your brain clear, your blood flow smooth, and your sex life… well, worth remembering.
So eat your greens, ditch the poison, move your body, and get your NO up — because your brain, your bits, and your beloved will thank you.
References
Förstermann U, Sessa WC. Eur Heart J. 2012;33(7):829–837.
Ignarro LJ, et al. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 1999;34(6):879–886.
Kelm M. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1999;1411(2–3):273–289.
Burnett AL, Musicki B. J Sex Med. 2005;2(1):110–116.
Toda N, et al. Pharmacol Rev. 2009;61(1):62–97.
Montorsi F, et al. Am J Cardiol. 2003;91(12):13G–19G.
Tribble GD, et al. Pharmacol Res. 2020;151:104508.
Bondonno CP, et al. Nutrients. 2016;8(9):534.
Iadecola C. Neuron. 2013;80(4):844–866.
Lundberg JO, et al. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2008;7(2):156–167.
Green DJ, et al. Exp Physiol. 2017;102(5):527–538.
Schwedhelm E, et al. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2008;65(1):51–59.
Rueda-Clausen CF, et al. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2011;21(5):161–166.
Written and copyrighted by Kate Shemirani, 2025
Natural Nurse in a Toxic World