It’s been described as the “most important molecule” for cardiovascular health. Plant-based, science-born supplements can boost it in your body.
Nearly 1 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year, but many Americans don’t really understand their cardiovascular health.
Joel Kocher
CEO and Co-Founder, humann
“Most people believe that ‘cardiovascular’ means just the heart,” noted Joel Kocher, CEO and co-founder of cardiovascular health company humann. “Or they believe it’s something only old people need to worry about.”
Rust
Christopher Davis, M.D., FACC
Chief Cardiologist, humann
“We should be referring to the heart and vascular system together,” added Christopher Davis, M.D., FACC, humann’s chief cardiologist, stressing the importance of understanding oxidative stress. “I tell people to think of it as getting rusty inside.
“Imagine a house with metal pipes supplying water. Over time, those pipes develop layers of orange rust inside. That rust is oxidative stress.”
There are some basic preventive steps anyone can take to improve their cardiovascular health: eating a healthy diet of whole foods, getting enough exercise and sleep, and drinking plenty of water to help your body remove toxins. But an important aspect of our cardiovascular health is something few people think about: nitric oxide. It’s been called the most important molecule in terms of cardiovascular health — and it’s at the core of humann’s mission and products.
Nitric oxide
Kocher spent several successful decades as a top-level executive at companies like Dell, but found himself at a crossroads after retiring. “I absolutely, unequivocally hated being retired,” he explained. “I had to have a mission.”
He found that mission when he became aware of Dr. Ferid Murad’s research program at the University of Texas Science Center in Houston. Dr. Murad was one of three researchers awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of nitric oxide’s role in the cardiovascular system.
Nitric oxide is a gas that helps our blood vessels vasodilate, supplying more oxygen to our tissues. We make it in our bodies in two ways: Via an enzyme and by ingesting foods that contain high levels of nitrates, like leafy green vegetables or beets. Boosting nitric oxide in the body can dramatically improve cardiovascular health at any age — and humann’s groundbreaking supplements do just that.
Precursors
Because nitric oxide must be made inside the body, humann’s supplements deliver “precursors” that are transformed into nitric oxide in our digestive tract.
“For example, with our SuperBeets Heart Powder product (made with fermented beetroot), dietary nitrate is transformed into nitrite by the oral microbiome,” Dr. Davis explained. “It’s then converted into nitric oxide in the stomach.”
humann’s plant-based supplements are backed by science and peer-reviewed studies, and can help promote healthy blood pressure, support the lining of blood vessels, increase energy levels, and improve overall cardiovascular health. This also helps boost athletic performance — one clinical trial found that using humann’s sport supplement led to faster recovery between high intensity intervals and an 18% increase in workout endurance and stamina.
Kocher remains inspired by Dr. Murad’s work. “We’re driving the modern view of cardiovascular health,” he said. “It’s essentially the superhighway of human performance, and it’s a force multiplier of the human body.”
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