When you’re at the gym with your music playing and your blood flowing, nitric oxide is at work in your body. It helps to widen your blood vessels, and in turn can boost your training, improve recovery, and protect your heart and brain health.
While there are lots of nitric oxide-boosting supplements on the market, you can generally get everything you need through your diet. Many fitness enthusiasts eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, antioxidants, and protein. If this is you, you’re already getting some solid dietary sources of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is synthesized from the amino acids L-citrulline, L-arginine, and nitrates. Eating foods rich in these substances is a great way to naturally boost nitric oxide. Let’s dive into the best nitric oxid foods — in other words, what foods are highest in nitric oxide sources — and why they’re worth adding to your nutrition plan.
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
- What Is Nitric Oxide?
- Benefits of Nitric Oxide
- Best Foods With Nitric Oxide
- How Much Nitric Oxide Do You Need?
What Is Nitric Oxide?
Nitric oxide is a free radical and a naturally occurring gas in your body. (1) It lowers cell inflammation and widens blood vessels. Vasodilation — or blood flow — is increased when blood vessels aren’t restricted. (2) Because of this relationship to blood flow, nitric oxide may help regulate blood pressure and improve cognition. (3)(4)
Nitric oxide is generated in the body by two pathways. One depends on the enzyme nitric oxide synthase; the second relies on the precursors L-arginine and nitrates, and L-citrulline as a precursor for L-arginine. (5) Nitric oxide synthase also helps to convert L-arginine into nitric oxide.
These processes happen naturally, but you can also increase nitric oxide by choosing foods and supplements with these important ingredients. L-arginine and L-citrulline are muscle-building amino acids that you may already be familiar with, and are already getting through your protein intake.
Nitric Oxide Natural Sources
Nitric oxide is a gas, and you can’t actually take it in gas form. While there are foods that produce nitric oxide, there aren’t actually foods that contain nitric oxide.
One way to boost nitric oxide is to eat foods that contain L-citrulline — the precursor to L-arginine — like watermelon. Foods that contain the amino acid L-arginine are also nitric oxide sources. These include some nuts, seeds, and spirulina.
Eating foods rich in nitrates is another way to boost nitric oxide naturally. Many vegetables and some fruits contain nitrates including leafy greens, root vegetables, and strawberries.
You can also get natural nitric oxide from eating foods that stimulate nitric oxide synthase like garlic, cocoa, and some animal proteins. Vitamin C-rich fruits may also help to preserve nitric oxide levels.
Read on to get into the details of which are the best foods for nitric oxide production.
Nitric Oxide Supplements
Since nitric oxide is gas, you can’t take a literal nitric oxide supplement — though they can help bolster your levels. Look for supplements that include the precursors to nitric oxide including L-citrulline, L-arginine, and nitrates.
It’s possible to get all-natural sources of nitric oxide through your diet. If you’re traveling and limited with your food options, supplements can be the best way to boost nitric oxide on the go.
Benefits of Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide has a direct impact on blood flow, and this has led scientists to study its potential health benefits. Since blood flow is important to strength training and muscle building, athletes may benefit from nitric oxide.
Blood flow has an important impact on your health outside of exercise, too, and studies show it may boost cardiovascular and brain health. Let’s take a deeper dive into the benefits of increasing nitric oxide in your body.
May Boost Athletic Performance
Healthy blood flow is key to exercise, muscle function, and hypertrophy. Nitric oxide has been found to relax and dilate vascular smooth muscle. (5) Some studies have suggested that by boosting nitric oxide, through this relaxation, you may be able to improve your muscle performance and strength adaptations. (5)
Increasing your blood flow through nitric oxide may help boost your athletic performance. Vasodilation can help deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles while training, which can enhance their contraction. (5)
This may also help to replenish ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of the cell. (6) ATP helps muscles contract and provides two to three seconds of energy for very intense short-duration activity, like sprinting or a one-rep max. The theory is that with more nitric oxide, there is more blood flow, and ATP can replenish more quickly. (5)
Enhanced blood flow can also allow for more training volume and a decrease in fatigue. (5) These little changes in your session can add up to long-term gains and muscle adaptations to training over time.
A study was done on citrulline malate — a supplement containing L-citrulline — prior to strength training in groups of both trained and untrained cisgender men and women. The results showed a small effect on the group who took the supplement versus those who took a placebo. It suggested that L-citrulline may help to delay fatigue and enhance muscular endurance. (7)
L-citrulline is a precursor to L-arginine, which is a direct precursor to nitric oxide production. This particular study was done on a supplement containing L-citrulline. It is possible that eating foods with this amino acid may also increase nitric oxide and help you out in your training.
May Improve Exercise Recovery
Eating nitric oxide-rich foods may help to improve exercise recovery. With better blood flow during and after your session, nitric oxide may help to decrease muscle soreness.
One potential cause of muscle soreness is a build-up of lactic acid after exercise. One study investigated levels of lactic acid in eight cisgender male athletes before and after training, while taking a supplement with nitric oxide precursor ingredients. (8) The study found that recovery was improved by speeding up lactate excretion from the athletes’ bodies after exercise. (8)
Eating nitric oxide-boosting foods, in conjunction with other recovery strategies, may help decrease soreness in between sessions so you can get back to the gym stronger and well-rested.
May Boost Heart Health
One major benefit of nitric oxide, for athletes and non-athletes alike, is the ability to lower your blood pressure. Nitric oxide has been found to play a key role in the protection against cardiovascular diseases. (9)
Vasodilation can reduce systolic blood pressure and help deliver oxygen and nutrients through your bloodstream. (10) Not everyone needs to lower their blood pressure, but folks with hypertension may benefit from eating foods that increase nitric oxide.
Studies on a diet rich in nitrates — one of the precursors to nitric oxide — show improvements in blood pressure and artery health. (11) Healthy nitrates are found in vegetables, and eating leafy green vegetables is one of the best natural sources of nitric oxide.
May Boost Brain Health
Eating foods that boost nitric oxide may also improve your brain health by helping the blood flow to your brain. Aside from its athletic benefits, nitric oxide is also a neurotransmitter in the brain and may help to improve cognition. (4)
For example, nitric oxide may help activate the brain’s ability for computation. Specifically, L-arginine — a precursor to nitric oxide — may help with this, suggesting that it may be helpful in treating degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. (4)
Eating foods high in L-arginine, like nuts and seeds, might be one way to increase nitric oxide and help protect your brain.
Best Nitric Oxide Foods
With the many health and athletic benefits that come from nitric oxide, you may be wondering how to raise nitric oxide levels in your body. Nitric oxide is formed from L-citrulline, L-arginine, and nitrates.
Other substances like CoQ10, an important substance in your body that produces energy and acts as an antioxidant, and other antioxidants have also been found to stimulate nitric oxide synthesis and protect nitric oxide already present in your body. (12)
Eating a diet rich in these sources of nitric oxide can help you reap the benefits of this important gas. Since it is an endogenously produced gas, remember that there aren’t technically foods containing nitric oxide. But you can eat foods to increase nitric oxide by getting plenty of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and other healthy sources in your diet.
What fruits and vegetables are high in nitric oxide producing sources? And which foods high in nitric oxide precursors should you have before your next workout? Let’s dive a little deeper into the specific nutritional details.
- Watermelon
- Walnuts
- Chia seeds
- Beetroot
- Leafy green vegetables
- Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots
- Meat, poultry, seafood
- Garlic
- Cocoa
Watermelon
Watermelon, aside from being a delicious fruit, contains L-citrulline. L-citrulline increases the availability of L-arginine, which then leads to nitric oxide synthesis. (13)
Watermelon is the main food source of L-citrulline and is the best way to increase nitric oxide bioavailability by ingesting L-citrulline without a supplement. (13)
Watermelon is also a great source of vitamins A and C. A 100-gram serving of watermelon contains 0.61 grams of protein, 0.15 grams of fat, and 7.55 grams of carbohydrates. (14)
Walnuts
Walnuts contain L-arginine. These are one of the highest nitric oxide-boosting foods containing this precursor. (15)
Walnuts are also a great source of healthy fats. One 28-gram serving of walnuts has 4.3 grams of protein, 18.5 grams of fat, and 3.8 grams of carbohydrates. (16)
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds contain high levels of L-arginine and have been shown to help relax blood vessels, due to L-arginine’s impact on creating nitric oxide. (17)
Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3s. A 28-gram serving of chia seeds contains 4.68 grams of protein, 8.7 grams of fat, and 11.9 grams of carbohydrates. (18)
Beetroot
Beetroot is rich in dietary nitrates, the next precursor to nitrate oxide synthesis. (19) It’s one of the best nitric oxide-boosting foods containing nitrates and other nutrients and can be consumed raw or in its pure juice form.
Beets contain main vitamins and minerals and are a great source of folate as well. A 100-gram serving of beets contains 1.68 grams of protein, 0.18 grams of fat, and 9.96 grams of carbohydrates. (20)
Leafy Green Vegetables
Dark leafy green vegetables including kale and spinach are all great sources of nitrates. These are some of the best vegetables high in nitric oxide-boosting ingredients and have many other health benefits as well. (21)
Kale is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and antioxidants. A 100-gram serving of kale contains 2.92 grams of protein, 1.49 grams of fat, and 4.42 grams of carbohydrates. (22)
Spinach is a great source of fiber, iron, and vitamin A. One 100-gram serving of spinach has 2.86 grams of protein, 0.39 grams of fat, and 3.63 grams of carbohydrates. (23)
Other leafy green vegetables including arugula, Swiss chard, bok choy, and mustard greens are also nutrient-dense sources of nitrates. These are great foods to promote nitric oxide synthesis. (21)
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots
Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are a few more nitrate-rich vegetables. These vegetables are healthy nitric oxide sources, and contain many other vitamins and minerals as well. (19)
Broccoli is high in antioxidants and fiber. One 100-gram serving of broccoli provides 2.57 grams of protein, 0.34 grams of fat, and 6.27 grams of carbohydrates. (24)
Cauliflower is another great source of fiber and antioxidants. Its low calorie and filling content makes it a popular food in recipes helpful for fat loss. One 100-gram serving of cauliflower has 1.92 grams of protein, 0.28 grams of fat, and 4.97 grams of carbohydrates. (25)
Carrots contain beta-carotene and can help boost your eye health. A 100-gram serving of raw carrots contains 0.93 grams of protein, 0.24 grams of fat, and 9.58 grams of carbohydrates. (26)
Meat, Poultry, Seafood
Meat, poultry, and seafood all contain CoQ10. It’s not specifically a precursor to nitric oxide, but CoQ10 has been found to lower blood pressure, possibly by preserving nitric oxide. (12)
CoQ10 has other health benefits as well. If you are eating other foods as ways to naturally enhance nitric oxide, you may want to include CoQ10 sources as a way to help preserve it.
Garlic
Garlic, in addition to being a tasty and fragrant addition to your meals, has therapeutic effects. It’s been found to increase nitric oxide synthase activity. (27)
Fermented garlic extract may improve vascular function by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability. (28) While garlic doesn’t directly cause nitric oxide production like its precursors, it still contributes to its production. Cooking with garlic can be a great way to boost nitric oxide in food.
Cocoa
Cocoa, found in dark chocolate, is rich in flavonols. Flavonols have been found to induce vasodilation by boosting nitric oxide. (29) Cocoa is also rich in antioxidants and can help preserve nitric oxide levels.
Similar to garlic, cocoa doesn’t directly produce nitric oxide. But it contributes to improved vasodilation, which is boosted by nitric oxide, and a link between the two has been suggested in studies. (29)
While it may not be the best source of nitric oxide, having some dark chocolate for dessert has health benefits including a healthy blood flow.
How Much Nitric Oxide Do You Need?
There is not currently a recommended amount of nitric oxide that you need per day. Since it is a gas naturally produced in your body, it is difficult to measure, and not possible to take directly.
If you are eating foods with nitric oxide precursors, you may want to consider different sources for different fitness goals. While you can’t aim for a specific amount of it, you can include those nitric oxide sources to hit your nutrient intake goals when fueling up pre and post-workout.
Nitric Oxide for Strength
Since nitric oxide helps with ATP production, you may want to include a nitric oxide precursor in your pre-workout before a powerlifting session. A source of L-citrulline, like watermelon juice, is often used in pre-workout. (30)
Nitric Oxide for Muscle Growth
If your goal is hypertrophy, the nitric oxide precursor L-arginine may be helpful since it is a muscle-building amino acid. Choosing a natural source of L-arginine, like walnuts, may be helpful in a post-workout snack. (15)
Nitric Oxide for Endurance
If you’re looking for drinks that will directly boost nitric oxide, you may want to try beetroot powder or juice as part of your pre-workout nourishment. Beetroot contains nitrates, which have been shown to potentially improve muscular performance and blood flow, as well as increase time spent training before fatigue. (5)
Nitric Oxide for Recovery
Nitric oxide has been shown to potentially decrease muscle soreness by speeding up lactate excretion after resistance training. (8) When you’re hitting your regular macros for your fitness goal, choosing to add food rich in nitric oxide sources can help you boost your levels.
If you love a protein shake after your workout, check that the protein powder you use includes L-arginine — if it’s a complete protein source, it likely will. You can boost your nitric oxide for recovery by following your regular intake of protein.
Eat Your Greens
Fancy a beet and watermelon juice in the morning? It’s not just for an island vacation, but a regular day at the gym. Nitric oxide has become popular in fitness culture for its potential benefits on athletic performance and cardiovascular health.
While there are supplements you can take with precursors L-citrulline, L-arginine, and nitrates, there are plenty of foods you may already be eating that contribute.
Whether it’s adding leafy greens to your post-workout shake, boosting your CoQ10 levels when eating chicken for dinner, or finishing off the night with some flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, you may already be getting a good amount of nitric oxide in food from your regular diet. If you’re not, simply crack open some walnuts, and become a nitric oxide natural.
References
- Bruckdorfer R. The basics about nitric oxide. Mol Aspects Med. 2005 Feb-Apr;26(1-2):3-31.
- Ghimire K, Altmann HM, Straub AC, Isenberg JS. Nitric oxide: what’s new to NO? Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2017 Mar 1;312(3):C254-C262.
- Ahmad A, Dempsey SK, Daneva Z, Azam M, Li N, Li PL, Ritter JK. Role of Nitric Oxide in the Cardiovascular and Renal Systems. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Sep 3;19(9):2605.
- Paul V, Ekambaram P. Involvement of nitric oxide in learning & memory processes. Indian J Med Res. 2011 May;133(5):471-8.
- Gonzalez AM, Townsend JR, Pinzone AG, Hoffman JR. Supplementation with Nitric Oxide Precursors for Strength Performance: A Review of the Current Literature. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 28;15(3):660.
- Dunn J, Grider MH. Physiology, Adenosine Triphosphate. [Updated 2023 Feb 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.
- Vårvik FT, Bjørnsen T, Gonzalez AM. Acute Effect of Citrulline Malate on Repetition Performance During Strength Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021 Jul 1;31(4):350-358.
- Mor A, Yılmaz AK, Acar K, Birinci MC, Ipekoglu G. Does Nitric Oxide Intake Affect Post-Exercise Recovery in Athletes? A Study on Cocoa, Caffeine and Nitric Oxide Supplement: Effect of Nitric Oxide Intake in Athletes. Progr Nutr [Internet]. 2020 Sep.
- Naseem KM. The role of nitric oxide in cardiovascular diseases. Mol Aspects Med. 2005 Feb-Apr;26(1-2):33-65. doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2004.09.003. Epub 2005 Jan 24.
- Houston M, Hays L. Acute effects of an oral nitric oxide supplement on blood pressure, endothelial function, and vascular compliance in hypertensive patients. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2014 Jul;16(7):524-9.
- Bondonno CP, Croft KD, Hodgson JM. Dietary Nitrate, Nitric Oxide, and Cardiovascular Health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016 Sep 9;56(12):2036-52.
- Garrido-Maraver J, Cordero MD, Oropesa-Ávila M, Fernández Vega A, de la Mata M, Delgado Pavón A, de Miguel M, Pérez Calero C, Villanueva Paz M, Cotán D, Sánchez-Alcázar JA. Coenzyme q10 therapy. Mol Syndromol. 2014 Jul;5(3-4):187-97.
- Volino-Souza M, Oliveira GV, Conte-Junior CA, Figueroa A, Alvares TS. Current Evidence of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Ingestion on Vascular Health: A Food Science and Technology Perspective. Nutrients. 2022 Jul 15;14(14):2913.
- Watermelon, raw. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167765/nutrients
- Ros E. Nuts and novel biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;89(5):1649S-56S.
- Nuts, walnuts, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170187/nutrients
- Kulczyński B, Kobus-Cisowska J, Taczanowski M, Kmiecik D, Gramza-Michałowska A. The Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds-Current State of Knowledge. Nutrients. 2019 May 31;11(6):1242.
- Seeds, chia seeds, dried, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170554/nutrients
- Dos Santos Baião D, Vieira Teixeira da Silva D, Margaret Flosi Paschoalin V. A Narrative Review on Dietary Strategies to Provide Nitric Oxide as a Non-Drug Cardiovascular Disease Therapy: Beetroot Formulations-A Smart Nutritional Intervention. Foods. 2021 Apr 15;10(4):859.
- Beets, cooked, boiled, drained, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169146/nutrients
- Brkić D, Bošnir J, Bevardi M, Bošković AG, Miloš S, Lasić D, Krivohlavek A, Racz A, Ćuić AM, Trstenjak NU. NITRATE IN LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES AND ESTIMATED INTAKE. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2017 Mar 1;14(3):31-41.
- Kale, raw, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168421/nutrients
- Spinach, raw, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168462/nutrients
- Broccoli, raw, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2345151/nutrients
- Cauliflower, raw, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169986/nutrients
- Carrots, raw, English. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170393/nutrients
- Das I, Khan NS, Sooranna SR. Potent activation of nitric oxide synthase by garlic: a basis for its therapeutic applications. Curr Med Res Opin. 1995;13(5):257-63.
- Baik JS, Min JH, Ju SM, Ahn JH, Ko SH, Chon HS, Kim MS, Shin YI. Effects of Fermented Garlic Extract Containing Nitric Oxide Metabolites on Blood Flow in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2022 Dec 8;14(24):5238.
- Fisher ND, Hughes M, Gerhard-Herman M, Hollenberg NK. Flavanol-rich cocoa induces nitric-oxide-dependent vasodilation in healthy humans. J Hypertens. 2003 Dec;21(12):2281-6.
- Gonzalez AM, Trexler ET. Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 May;34(5):1480-1495.
Featured Image: VeMa / Shutterstock
