In 1998, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to a team of scientists for their work on nitric oxide (NO) and their discovery of the role that arginine plays in the production of nitric oxide in the body.  Nitric oxide is a powerful “vasodilator”, meaning that it helps keep your arteries open and maintains their smooth texture so that blood can flow through them easily.  However, certain people, like smokers, diabetics, the obese, those with high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure, as well as people with heart disease, appear to have decreased nitric oxide production. The lining of their arteries becomes sticky, eventually causing the build-up of cholesterol and plaque and thereby increasing the potential for blocked arteries.

Arginine and the Nitric Oxide pathway

Arginine is an amino acid.  In your body, it is converted into nitric oxide, which, in turn, helps dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow.  Nitric oxide is essential for the optimal functioning of blood vessels because it assists blood vessels when there is a need for increased blood flow.  It has also been shown to reduce dangerous plaque build-up in the arteries.

 

Nitric oxide plays an essential role in human health 

* Cardiovascular health

* Boosting the immune system

* Muscular development

* Erectile dysfunction

* Reproduction

 

Hundreds of clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of arginine in helping the body produce the necessary nitric oxide.

Citrulline

In addition to arginine, the formulation of Cardio Flow includes Citrulline, another amino acid closely related to arginine.  In the mitochondria, the ‘power house’ of cells, the waste product ammonia combines with carbon dioxide and ornithine to form citrulline. Citrulline is then transported out of the mitochondria into the cytoplasm where it is converted to arginine. Thus citrulline, while aiding the removal of wastes from muscle and liver cells, also assists in the production of arginine in situ.

Resveratrol

Cardio Flow includes the powerful antioxidant resveratrol, that is found in some plants, most notably the grapevine which produces large amounts of resveratrol in the skins of grapes where it functions to protect against fungal diseases and sun damage. It is thought that the presence of resveratrol in red wine is one reason for the so-called “French Paradox”, a term that was coined after a health study concluded that people in France were less likely to die of heart attacks than other Western Nationalities, despite similar high fat diets. The study concluded that the relatively large amounts of red wine consumed by the French protected their hearts.

Further research then set about identifying the responsible components of red wine and the component that gained the largest amount of interest was Resveratrol.  Laboratory studies have now shown that:

• Adding resveratrol to the diet can increase lifespan.

• Resveratrol can reduce fat related deaths by more than 30%.

• Resveratrol significantly improves endurance.

• Resveratrol can inhibit blood platelet aggregation (which in turn can lead to dangerous clots that can cause heart attacks and strokes).

• Resveratrol is a powerful anti-oxidant that can help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.

• Resveratrol has been proven to fight certain forms of cancer.

Adding resveratrol to Cardio Flow provides the added cardiovascular benefits of this powerful natural substance.

Vitamin D

Cardio Flow also provides a source of Vitamin D.  This vitamin has long been known to be essential for healthy bones because of its involvement with calcium absorption and deposition.  But recently, medical research has shown that vitamin D is involved in much more, actually resulting in calls for the daily requirement of Vitamin D to be increased.  

Technically, vitamin D is a hormone precursor. The range of conditions that are now being associated with a deficiency of vitamin D is quite staggering, with research demonstrating a link between vitamin D and certain types of cancer, as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, possibly autism, and periodontal disease.  These conditions are believed to be primarily multifactorial, with the deficiency of vitamin D being one of the factors involved in the disease.

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, because it can be made in the skin by the action of sunlight.  Our exposure to the sun is becoming increasingly limited due to warnings about the danger of skin cancers, and also, in northern climates, winter can be a time when we get very little, if any, sun exposure.  These factors make supplementation of our diets with vitamin D absolutely essential.

Cardio Flow and Anti-Aging Considerations
Arginine, citrulline, resveratrol and vitamin D - the most powerful tools in any anti-aging program.

 

As a precursor to nitric oxide, arginine plays a direct role in the dilation and constriction of small blood vessels in brain and therefore may have a positive effect on cerebral circulation.

 

• Arginine is also known for its functional value in promoting the production of HGH and other hormones, strengthening the immune system, improving lean muscle mass and reducing fat, regulating several vital metabolic processes, improving cholesterol profiles, supporting brain function, and enhancing sexuality.  Arginine is not only involved in the production of HGH, but it also stimulates the pancreas for insulin production, and is a component in the hormone vasopressin produced by the pituitary gland.

 Arginine and citrulline are an integral components of the urea cycle, which converts the toxic by-products of glucose metabolism to urea.  Urea, in turn, is carried to the kidneys for excretion.