Nitric Oxide – the Miracle Molecule?
Dr. Nathan Bryan
(Interview Transcription)
I’m a professor of molecular medicine at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. The technology we’ve developed and now patented it through the university, is commercialized by Neogenis Labs. A company we founded based out of Austin, Texas. The product we’ve developed is called Neo40. It’s patented technology that delivers nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is probably one of the most important molecules produced within our body. It’s responsible for regulating blood flow, blood pressure, it’s produced by our white blood cells in the immune system to fight off infections, and it’s a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
As we age, we lose our ability to generate nitric oxide. It’s thought, or a lot of clinical evidence suggests, that loss of nitric oxide function and production is associated with all cardiovascular risks, including Alzheimer’s, peripheral vascular disease, and risk of heart attack and stroke. The developing technology to restore nitric oxide will have a huge effect on preventive cardiology.
What we’ve been able to do is create a system for delivering nitric oxide acutely. The delivery system is a single lozenge that you put in your mouth. It’ll dissolve within four to five minutes and during that resident time in the mouth, it’s generating nitric oxide gas. We can see acute effects from that release through dilation of blood vessels, arteries. We can image that through ultrasound technology, thermographic technology.
The second part of the technology actually promotes nitric oxide production through the endothelium. We have data to suggest that two weeks on our product, we see an increase in endothelial production of nitric oxide.
The distinguishing factor about our technology, is it’s not L-arginine based. The problem with people with endothelial disfunction, is the inability to convert L-arginine to nitric oxide. What we’ve discovered, is a way to overcome endothelial disfunction, provide an exogenous source of NO, and restore normal endothelial function over time.
Q&A With Dr. Bryan on Nitric Oxide (NO)
What is Nitric Oxide (NO)?
Nitric oxide may be one of the most important molecules produced in the human body. It is a gas that is produced by the lining of the blood vessels that regulates blood pressure and keeps arteries healthy and blood flowing freely. It is the master regulator of the cardiovascular system. Its discovery in the 1980s led to a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998. In fact, the President of the American Heart Association was quoted as saying the “discovery of nitric oxide and its function may be one of the most important discoveries in the history of cardiovascular medicine”.
Why are you passionate about nitric oxide?
Well I spent my entire academic career studying a single molecule called nitric oxide. Over the course of those 15 years, we've learned a lot in the study of nitric oxide. One, we know it's probably one of the most important molecules produced in the human body. Two, we know that as we age, we lose the ability to generate nitric oxide. Throughout this 15 years of research, we've figured out what goes wrong in patients that can't make nitric oxide. Perhaps most importantly, how to fix this underlying problem. It truly is to change the world. I think a lot of people use that phrase, but we see this every day, and it's been said you change the life of one person, you've changed the world, certainly changed their world.
When we get a number of emails and dozens, if not hundreds, of emails and phone calls every week, every month of people telling us that we've changed their lives. When I say we want to change the world, I think that's not beyond our reach. I think we can do it. People understand the importance of nitric oxide and then understand that we know how to make nitric oxide.
What affect does NO have on the body?
It helps the body maintain healthy blood pressure. It is the molecule that helps our immune system stay strong. It also serves as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It is involved in virtually every biological function within the body.
How can we increase or improve our NO levels?
Proper diet and moderate physical exercise are the two simplest approaches to improve NO levels. As we age we lose our ability to generate NO. In fact there is about 10-12% loss of NO per decade beginning in our 20s. Foods such as green leafy vegetables provide the body with precursors of NO. Exercise has been proven to stimulate NO production. There are a number of dietary supplements on the market that proclaim to stimulate NO but many of these products do not work and in some cases may cause harm.
What is Neo 40 daily?
Neo40 is a patented formulation that was developed based on my research and discoveries at the University of Texas School of Medicine in Houston. It is an orally disintegrating tablet that is all-natural, plant based product that generates NO. Neo40 has been clinically shown to be safe and effective at restoring NO production in clinical trials.
What makes Neo40 unique?
This technology we developed does two things: It generates authentic nitric oxide gas, and then number two, it restores the enzyme that makes nitric oxide in the human body, in the lining of the blood vessels. We give the people a source of nitric oxide that otherwise they can't make, but we really get to the root cause of why they can't make nitric oxide. Over time, we improve their own ability to generate nitric oxide.
What is the difference between Neo40 and the competitor products or Arginine based products?
Neo40 is the only product on the market in the world that provides the body with an authentic source of NO. This NO is rapidly absorbed and reaches peak blood levels after 20 minutes. Most if not all other competitive products use or contain L-arginine. L-arginine is a substrate or precursor to NO but the underlying problem in people who have endothelial dysfunction or who are NO deficient is that they cannot convert L-arginine to NO. The enzyme that performs this reaction is dysfunctional. So simply giving more L-arginine does not fix the problem. You would not put gas in a gas tank of a car with a blown up engine so why would one expect to give more L-arginine to fix the problem? This is a major misconception in the marketplace.
When is the best time to take Neo40?
We recommend taking Neo40 first thing in the morning. If you need two per day for specific indications, then we recommend taking one in the morning and then another 12 hours later. Do not exceed 2 tablet per day.
Who should take Neo40?
Anyone over the age of 40 should be taking Neo40. The medical literature indicates that by the age of 40 we have only about half of the NO production we had when we were 20 and this loss of NO function is what sets the stage for cardiovascular issues.,. Also people who struggle to manage their blood pressure can benefit from Neo40. A lack of sexual enjoyment in both men and women could also be a sign of insufficient NO and many people report improvement in this area as well with Neo40.
Can a person take Neo40 who has high blood pressure?
We get asked this a lot - absolutely, and they should. We have completed three clinical trials and all three have shown that taking Neo40 can help the body maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Does Neo40 interact with other medications?
Neo40 is a dietary supplement that has no known side effects and has been shown to be safe and effective at generating NO. We have not found any medications that interact with NO or any conditions where there would be a contra-indication. Most prescription medications will actually reduce NO production in the body so taking Neo40 can help restore what the drugs may abolish. People taking proton pump inhibitors or acid blockers for acid reflux should absolutely take Neo40. Recently published data show that these drugs inhibit NO production. These are the third highest-selling class of drugs in the United States, after antipsychotics and statins, with more than 100 million prescriptions and $13.9 billion in sales in 2010, in addition to over-the-counter sales. As it turns out, these folks need a supplemental source of NO if taking these drugs.
Are there any negative side effects to taking Neo40?
There are no known side effects and we are registered with the US FDA and Health Canada as a dietary supplement. We do hear of the occasional discomfort on the tongue but find that if you drink plenty of water before and after the lozenge this will remedy.
Is there any clinical research on Neo40? Does it work? What about test strips?
Yes, we at Neogenis Labs are dedicated to research and substantiation. We have completed two clinical trials that are published and have just completed four more that are being submitted for publication. We also have three more that are underway. We have three issued patents and five more pending worldwide. We also have developed the first and only salivary nitric oxide indicator strips allowing you to monitor your total body NO availability.
Any closing remarks you would like to make Dr. Bryan?
Dr. Bryan: I think it is important for people to become aware of NO, educate themselves on lifestyle modification to prevent the age related decline in NO and include a product like Neo40 as a daily regimen to support NO production. Our commitment and dedication as a company is to provide the marketplace with the best products and innovation to promote and restore NO in the human body. Our mission is to change the world, one life at a time.
Related Reads:
Say Yes to NO, the Miracle Molecule
Axioma Health – What is Nitric Oxide?
Health Disclaimer. Copyright ©2013-2022. Published with permission. First published in December 2013, last revised in August 2022.
Dr. Nathan Bryan is a professor of molecular medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is a leading expert on nitric oxide biochemistry and physiology and has published over sixty papers, and written four books on the subject. He is also an inventor on three issued US patents on five pending worldwide.