What do heart health and erectile dysfunction have in common? A tiny molecule called Nitric Oxide (NO)… but we’ll let the “Father of Viagra” explain that.
Today’s guest, Dr. Louis Ignarro, PhD is a distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at UCLA and has been a research scientist for over 40 years. Dr. Ignarro is known for his discovery of Nitric Oxide and its many life-critical biological actions in the human body, a discovery that led to winning a Nobel Prize and Viagra.
In this discussion, Chase and Dr. Ignarro talk about his Nobel Prize-winning discovery and how Nitric Oxide plays a critical role in improving cardiovascular health, longevity, and even your sex life. He also shares a few simple and actionable insights on what you can do to naturally boost your heart health and prevent disease. This is truly a discussion you won’t want to miss!
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Key Highlights
- Dr. Ignarro first breaks down what the free radical Nitric Oxide is and how it affects the human body, particularly in terms of cardiovascular health. Our body produces tiny amounts of NO which has been found to lower blood pressure and prevent harmful blood clots, thus supporting heart health and preventing strokes.
- Why is the discovery of Nitric Oxide so important for the human race? Simply put, this enabled the scientific community to discover how we can naturally boost NO in the body to improve heart health: through nutrition and physical activity.
- Dr. Ignarro highlights the role of nutrition in NO production and how a quality, balanced diet contributes to heart health. “If you don’t eat enough protein, you’re not going to make enough NO,” he says. Plus, Louis emphasizes the crucial role of antioxidants in heart health and what fruits and vegetables have the highest amounts of antioxidants.
- One of the keys to increasing longevity (and quality of life) is increasing cardiovascular health and mental health.
- Dr. Ignarro shares his thoughts on the obesity epidemic, the harmful relationship between Nitric Oxide and body fat, and how that’s impacting the severity of cardiovascular disease in America.
- Why is Dr. Ignarro known as the “Father of Viagra”? How does NO impact erectile dysfunction? Listen in as he shares the story behind his discovery that made the development of Viagra possible.
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