Nitric Oxide

A molecule your body makes to relax blood vessels and support healthy circulation.

Nitric oxide is one of the hardest-working molecules in your body. It signals blood vessels to relax and widen, which supports circulation, oxygen delivery, and energy. Your body makes it partly from nitrate-rich foods like leafy greens and beets — so what you eat shows up in what we measure.

What nitric oxide does

Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule produced throughout the body. Its best-known job is telling blood vessels to relax and widen, which helps blood — and the oxygen it carries — move where it’s needed. That’s why it comes up so often in conversations about heart health, exercise performance, and energy.

Why levels change

Your body builds nitric oxide partly from dietary nitrate, found in vegetables like spinach, arugula, and beets. Levels also respond to exercise, age, and overall vascular health. Production naturally declines over time, which is one reason circulation tends to change as we get older.

What a result can tell you

A saliva test reads the nitric oxide pathway at work. It can show whether your diet is delivering enough nitrate to support healthy levels — and because it responds to food choices within days, it’s a practical way to see whether a change in eating habits is working.

What it can’t tell you

Levels shift with recent meals, exercise, and time of day, so treat any single reading as a snapshot. This test is a wellness tool — it doesn’t diagnose cardiovascular disease or any other condition. If you have concerns about your circulation or heart health, bring them to a healthcare provider.