Several months ago I wrote about nitric oxide (NO). I mentioned Louis Ignarro, one of the three people that got a Nobel prize for their discovery of Nitric oxide, where it is produced in the body, and what it does. Louis Ignarro calls it “the Miracle Molecule,” because it does so many great extremely important things in the body.

Louis Ignarro’s history is a remarkable and incredible story. Both of his parents were born in Italy. They had no education. His father could not even read but was a great carpenter. They moved to America and Louis was born in Brooklyn in 1941.

Louis was a very curious child. When he was 10 years old he asked his parents if he could have a chemistry set. His mother was set against the idea, but his father told his mother that he would like to see Louis grow up to have more education than what they had in Italy.

Louis chuckles when he said that he was doing one of his experiments when he made an explosive. He tried it out in the backyard outdoor fireplace. He blew the fireplace to pieces. His mother never forgave Louis and his father for letting him have a chemistry set.

Louis developed very good study habits and motivation. He worked all through his junior high, high school, and college. He studied pharmacy and chemistry in college, which prepared him for research. He said that he never intended to get a Nobel Prize.

Doing research, he asked himself many questions in his mind about what NO does in the body and where it is produced, and how it reacts in people. His research with two friends found the answers and won them the Nobel prize in medicine in 1998.

Louis’ discoveries answered many questions that had never been answered before. His philosophy in life was to work and learn answers to unknown questions that had never been answered before.

He continued, saying that everyone needs to work toward a goal. The goal should be to find answers to questions that they were curious about. He said that it is very important for students in school to need goals. They then need to follow their goals until they find the answers to their questions.

Louis’ work ethic and goals led him to become a medical research director at the University of California. He started work on NO in 1991. In seven years he and his two colleagues found many incredible discoveries about Nitric oxide.

The Nitric oxide team first found that NO was produced in the endothelial cell lining of the nasal sinuses and inner layers of the blood vessels. To stay healthy, children and adults need to be able to breathe through their noses. That is where a great deal of NO is produced.

Nitric oxide is a very unstable gas. The body uses enzymes to produce NO. It lasts for just a few seconds after it is produced. This is why breathing through the nose is so important. NO not only lowers the blood pressure, but keeps the lining of arteries and veins soft, pliable, healthy, and more expanded while helping to lower plaque in the arteries.

Most people do not know the importance of Nitric oxide. One of the most important things is that EXERCISE (both body and brain exercise) is very important for the production of NO. Louis says that production of NO is one of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS that exercise does. It forces the endothelial cells in the blood vessels to stimulate and produce lots of Nitric oxide. It dilates the blood vessels so they can deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the body cells. It lowers people’s blood pressure and improves blood flow all over the body.

High blood pressure is very detrimental to body health. It is the precursor to many serious ailments including diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots (sticky blood).

One of the great discoveries that the Nobel team found is that most diseases (especially viruses and bacteria) are transmitted through the lungs. Covid-19 and its variants all start in the lungs. Having more Nitric oxide and lung capacity from exercise is a great preventive procedure and also helps a great deal in curing viral diseases. People who EXERCISE REGULARlY have fewer effects of covid-19 than people who do not exercise.

There are scores of other great benefits that NO does. Some of these great benefits are.

One. Nitric oxide boosts a person’s energy, vitality, and stamina. People that produce more NO usually have more energy than people who do not exercise.

Two. I mentioned before that Nitric oxide increases mental acuity, sharpness, and alertness, especially in older people. It extends mental sharpness even when they reach their 80s, 90s, and 100s.

Three. NO is an important immune system booster. It helps provide more oxygen for the white blood cells and macrophages.

Four. It is a signaling molecule in the brain and cardiovascular system. It sends messages to help make blood vessels more resilient and pliable. This is important for memory recall.

Five. The first signs of NO deficiency in men are erectile dysfunction. Most men with erectile dysfunction make very little NO. Drug companies now are making many erectile dysfunction drugs after they found out Louis and his colleagues discovered that NO was the culprit that caused much dysfunction. They also found that NO enhanced brain function, mental alertness, and memory recall. The pharmaceutical and drug companies have made millions of dollars creating dysfunction and brain-enhancing supplements. Viagra, Cialis, Nugenix, Viral-X, Extends, and many others. They are also now producing many nootropics (brain enhancing) supplements. Nootropics help increase NO in the brain while creating a mental alert mind. It increases cognitive thinking and blood flow to the brain. Some drug companies say that the brain can be enhanced by 20 percent

Making the brain more efficient by enhancing brain waves and increasing memory speed.

Six. It even helps women by increasing sexual arousal. Women are greatly benefitted from taking NO supplements. Louis stated that to help women, they may need to take twice the dosage of sexual enhancement supplements than men.

Seven. It stimulates the release of certain hormones such as insulin, dopamine, and human growth hormone.

Eight. It helps open up the alveoli in the lungs which enables more oxygen to get to the body cells.

Dentists have a big role to play in the productions and use of Nitric oxide. The most crucial function is to check young patients to find if they are breathing through the nose. The nasal mucosa is one of the more important places for the production of NO. Nasal airways are crucial in producing NO.

I know first hand about the very large problem that occurs when having a class III occlusion, and not being able to breathe through the nose. I found that breathing through the mouth can cause resorption of teeth, dental decay, and an uncomfortable dry mouth. Most important, mouth breathing causes a laterally constricted maxillary arch, which restricts nasal breathing. Dentists can perform a great service by checking every young patient and making sure that they are breathing through the nose. It is crucial to recognize class III developing bites, mouth breathers, and the cause of mouth breathing. It is critical to check the airway, adenoids, tonsils, plus septums, and polyps in the nose. It is essential that when the maxillary arch is constricted, to widen the maxillary arch on class III patients. This increases the nasal airway and allows more oxygen to enter into the nasal mucosa, increasing the Nitric oxide. If the dentist cannot widen the maxillary arch, it is wise to refer the patient to the orthodontist. If possible it is wise to produce a panarex or similar x-ray that shows the airway, tonsils, and adenoids.

Louis also said that it is not wise to have dental patients and others using mouth wash. He stated that it reduces the amount of NO that gets to the teeth. NO helps prevent cavities and decreases enzymes that help produce Nitric oxide.

Nitric Oxide supplements are very helpful in producing more NO in a person’s body. Some of the more helpful supplements are beetroot powder, L-arginine, L-Citrulline, L- theanine, Gingko Biloba, Hawthorne berry, olive leaf, periwinkle, and hibiscus tea. Turmeric (curcumin) and garlic are not nootropics but are also very involved in lowering blood pressure, creating energy, killing bacteria, and are great antioxidants.

Louis Ignarro’s and his team’s great accomplishments have had a worldwide impact on millions of people. His work should be one of the greatest examples of how a man can start from nothing and accomplish some of the great discoveries of our time. I hope that he can be an inspiration to all young children from 6 to 60 (no pun intended). If you have children and grandchildren, you might show them what can be accomplished by a disciplined, studious, goal-oriented student.

January 1, 2022

~ the Author ~
Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. graduated from the University Of Washington School Of Dentistry in 1957. After two years of service in the Air Force, he started a private practice in East Wenatchee, Washington. For the past 45 years his practice has included Orthodontics and TM Dysfunction treatment specializing in temporomandibular pain treatment, headache, head and neck pain control, functional jaw orthopedics, and straight wire orthodontics. Associated with mercury elimination, oral surgery, crowns and bridges is TMJ treatment, diet control, parasite elimination, intestinal cleansing and healing (wellness).

Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. has taught advanced courses for dentists on TM Dysfunction treatment, orthodontics and related pain control for more than 30 years. In 1972 he was the first dentist in Washington to use straight wire orthodontics and the first dentist to correct vertical deficiencies in children by placing vertical dimension-primary molar buildups and/or vertical (erupting) appliances. Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. was involved with the first group of dentists to recognize lateral tongue splinting in young infants and integrate functional and fixed techniques to correct vertical dimension deficiencies and condylar placement. He is the originator of vertical dimension-primary molar build ups, which help to correct deep bites and Otitus media in children. He invented the Loudon-Chateau Anterior Repositioning Appliance, the functional muscle malocclusion concept, the twelve commandments of occlusion and the vertical overbite domino rule. Merle E. Loudon, B.S., D.D.S. has written numerous articles in several American and foreign dental journals and has lectured in over 50 cities and 7 foreign countries on functional jaw orthopedics, fixed wire orthodontics, Otitus media treatment and TM Dysfunction treatment. He has been instrumental in setting up criteria for teaching in the International Association For Orthodontics, including the certified instructor program. He is a regular and weekly contributor to the family of websites for Kettle Moraine Productions.

Dr. Loudon is a member of The American Dental Association, Diplomat and Senior Instructor in the International Association for Orthodontics, and is a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. He also is a member of the American Orthodontic Society.