Foods That Help the Body Make Nitric Oxide

11. How to Support Nitric Oxide Naturally

The way you prepare food — and what you pair it with — can make a difference in how your body uses nitric oxide. For nitrate-rich vegetables like spinach or arugula, cooking gently helps preserve the compounds that matter. Overheating them can reduce their effect.

Hydration also plays a role, as does eating at regular intervals. These habits support the chemical processes that help convert nutrients into nitric oxide.

Finally, your mouth matters: beneficial bacteria help convert dietary nitrates into nitrites — a key early step in nitric oxide production. Research shows that regularly using antibacterial mouthwash can reduce this bacterial activity and interfere with nitric oxide formation.