When most people hear Nitric Oxide, they probably think of the laughing gas at the dentist, or “The Fast and the Furious.” But Nitric Oxide—which is related to Nitrous Oxide—isn’t the molecule responsible for giving cars a burst of energy, but for facilitating communication between the cells in your body. One of its main functions is increasing blood flow by dilating blood vessels, so it’s taken by athletes and non-athletes alike for its cardiovascular benefits, and increased performance in the gym and even—ahem—in the bedroom.

There have been thousands of studies on Nitric Oxide, and it’s so important that it was named “Molecule of the Year” by Science magazine in 1992. In 1998, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to the three doctors who discovered its role as a cardiovascular signalling molecule.

Nitric Oxide (NO) works by signalling the smooth muscle of your blood vessels to relax, which dilates the vessels and causes increased blood flow. This is great for athletes and bodybuilders who want to get their blood pumping as much as possible during workouts, but also for people with plaque buildup in their arteries and other circulation problems.

Nitric Oxide supplements don’t actually contain the gas, but contain L-Arginine, an amino acid that aids in your body’s production of NO. Arginine is also found foods such as crab, spinach sesame seeds and turkey. Anova Health’s new product ARNOX Advantage contains 5,000 mg of Arginine in a highly bioavailable form, as well as L-Citrulline, another amino acid that further helps your body convert L-Arginine to NO.

Because NO only lasts a few seconds in the bloodstream, ARNOX also contains helpful antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin E that help increase the duration of NO in the bloodstream. ARNOX also contains potent herbal nutrients from hawthorne berry, horse chestnut, green coffee, and redflower ragleaf, which are are herbs that further help with arterial health.

With a delicious berry flavor, ARNOX Advantage is a great-tasting way to boost your NO levels, and support athletic performance, a healthy heart and increased circulation.

Spring has officially sprung, and with it comes the sudden realization that bikini season is just around the corner. Don’t worry if you didn’t start your preparation at new year’s, though. Here are 4 products that can help decrease appetite, increase energy and, along with a healthy diet and exercise, get you trim just in time for beach season.

• African Mango Extract: This pharmaceutical-grade African Mango Extract from Metabolic Maintenance contains 150 mg of potent Irvingia gabonensis extract, which is clinically proven to control appetite, boost metabolism and promote metabolic balance. This product is 20% off until the end of April, just in time for summer.
• 5-HTP: 5-HTP is a precursor to seratonin, which plays a huge role in mood, sleep and anxiety. It has also been clinically shown to increase satiety, decrease appetite and reduce binge eating, thereby contributing to more weight loss than diet and exercise alone. Our 5-HTP supplement from Metabolic Maintenance comes in 50 mg and 100 mg doses.
• L-Carnitine: As we’ve learned, amino acids are important for all of the functions of the body, from anti-aging to detox. L-Carnitine is an amino acid that helps your cells break down fatty acids and generate energy. Because of its role in energy generation, L-Carnitine has a broad array of health benefits including weight management, recovery after exercise, and cardiovascular health. L-Carnitine from Metabolic Maintenance is a high-quality 250 mg capsule that can help boost energy levels and fat metabolism.
• Fit Response: Fit Response by Innate Response is a powdered protein supplement that takes a multi-faceted approach to weight-management. Packed full of vitamins, amino acids and other phytonutrients that promote good cholesterol and a properly functioning metabolism, Fit Response is a great-tasting way to kick your metabolism into gear and burn fat just in time for summer.

Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, these 4 products can help you burn fat, feel energized and get trim so you’ll feel great during all of your summer activities. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

Antioxidants. Free radicals. Oxidation. Cell damage. Anyone who’s paid attention to health news in the past few years has been bombarded with these terms, and seen the explosion of products that contain antioxidants, from skin creams to smoothies. Antioxidants have been touted as miracle molecules that prevent a multitude of diseases, from cancer to heart disease to aging. But perhaps one of the most important and most-studied antioxidants out there hasn’t gotten much attention—until recently: Glutathione.

There have been tens of thousands of published studies on Glutathione, and low levels of Glutathione have been linked to multiple age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and macular degeneration, increased heart-attack risk, and mental disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Studies show that its powerful antioxidant properties could even help inhibit cancerous cell growth. Because of its detoxification properties, it’s also administered intravenously to mitigate the effects of chemotherapy and mercury poisoning. So, what is this miracle molecule?

Glutathione is a small tri-peptide that is composed of three amino acids: Glycine, Glutamine and Cysteine. It is the only known intracellular antioxidant, which means that it works inside each of your cells to protect them from the toxic compounds that we encounter every day (those free radicals we keep hearing about), rather than just protecting the cells from the outside. The Glutathione peptide also contains a sulfur atom that plays a huge role in its detoxing properties (and its smelling-like-rotten-eggs properties); the sulfur atom attracts all of the harmful molecules, such as heavy metals, free radicals and toxins, and keeps them from attacking your cells while sweeping them out of your body through your excretory system.

Glutathione is known as the “Master Antioxidant” not only for its own free-radical-fighting properties, but also because it helps activate and recycle other antioxidants in the body, such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E—which can become unstable themselves after they neutralize free radicals—and gets them back to the front lines to keep fighting.

Glutathione is a non-essential amino acid that is made by every cell in our bodies (but most abundantly in the liver) through the consumption of those three pre-cursor amino acids. Unfortunately, pollution, poor diet, age, and other toxins and stresses deplete our stores of it, and affect our body’s ability to protect itself from free radicals and other oxidants. Luckily, there are many ways to boost your body’s Glutathione production. Try a few of these tips to improve your Glutathione levels:

• Eat Sulfur-Rich Foods: Sulfur-rich foods, such as onions, garlic and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cailuflower, bok choy, cabbage, brussels sprouts, or anything that makes your house smell weird the next day when you cook them) all contain the sulfur that is required for the synthesis of Glutathione in your body. Heat breaks down these compounds, so don’t overcook your vegetables. Avocados are also especially high in Glutathione; one avocado has about 30 mg of Glutathione.
• Bioactive Whey Protein: Whey protein is a wonderful source of the pre-cursor amino acids that your body uses to make Glutathione. It’s important to choose a whey protein made with milk from grass-fed cows, and that is not denatured, in order to preserve its bioactive properties. Our One World Whey protein powder is the perfect (and delicious) delivery vehicle for all of those amino acids that your body needs.
• Supplements: Most research has shown that Glutatione supplements are ineffective at raising our body’s level of Glutathione, since the proteins that it’s made up of are digested in our stomach and small intestine, and destroyed before the Glutathione can reach our cells. But Liposomal Glutathione from ReadiSorb is a specially formulated liquid supplement that allows for rapid absorption into the blood stream through the mucous membranes in the mouth, bypassing the GI tract altogether. One teaspoon contains more than 420 mg of Glutathione, making Liposomal Glutathione an extremely powerful antioxidant supplement. Another great Glutathione-boosting supplement is Avinobolic from Avinotropin. It’s a deer antler velvet extract that also contains Tribulus, a puncture-vine extract that has been clinically proven to boost your body’s production of Glutathione and other powerful antioxidants.

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that can protect your cells from any number of harmful toxins. Try boosting your Glutathione and let us know how much better you feel in the comments below!

Amino acids are the basic chemical building blocks that combine to form proteins, which are used by your body to break down food, grow muscle and repair body tissue, along with a whole host of other processes. Amino acids are most well-known for their muscle-building properties, and are touted as bodybuilding supplements, but studies have shown that a balanced amino acid intake can also help fight other diseases and can help with weight loss.

Even though scientists have discovered dozens of amino acids, only 20 are used to make proteins in the body. Nine of these—called essential amino acids—aren’t made by our bodies, so they have to come from food. Since amino acids aren’t stored in the body for later use (like protein and fat), we have to regularly replenish these essential amino acids with the foods we eat. The other types of amino acids are nonessential and conditional amino acids. Nonessential amino acids are produced by our bodies, so it’s not necessary to get them from food. Conditional amino acids are ones that aren’t usually essential, except in times of illness and stress.

It’s not necessary to get all of these amino acids in each meal, but it’s important to get a balance of all the necessary amino acids throughout the day. The best way to get all of the amino acids not made by the human body is through animal proteins, such as meats, fish, eggs and dairy. For vegetarians and vegans, this can be a bit more challenging, since beans and seeds don’t contain all of the amino acids our body needs. In this case, it might be necessary to add a supplement to your diet. Look for supplements that also contain Vitamin B6 to help your body absorb the amino acids.

Horizon Health shop sells a multitude of amino acid supplements, from amino acid complete supplements for a broad intake, to individual supplements to help mediate particular conditions. Below are our favorites:

• Custom Amino Acid Base: This amino acid base formula provides therapeutic levels of nine different amino acids blended together to provide immediate, broad-spectrum results. The bio-activating agents alpha ketoglutaric acid and vitamin B-6 are included for optimal utilization.
• GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid): Popularly known as the body’s natural tranquilizer, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important factor in reducing pain levels and hypersensitivities in the peripheral nervous system. New research shows that GABA can cross the blood-brain-barrier, contributing to normal mood.
• Glycine: Glycine is the smallest of amino acid molecules, yet extremely important in liver detoxification pathways, and has also been shown to support healthy neurological function and sleep. It has a sweet taste and comes in packets that can be used to sweeten drinks or powdered supplements without altering blood glucose levels.
• L-Arginine: This workhorse nutrient performs numerous vital functions, including supporting the body’s normal wound healing and the secretion of key hormones, such as insulin. It can also help maintain normal systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and total and LDL cholesterol.
• L-Glutamine: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream. It is most notable for its healing properties to the gastrointestinal tract, and is helpful with ulcers, IBS, and gluten sensitivities. Elevated cortisol levels from trauma (wounds, burns, surgeries) can deplete glutamine levels. It’s available in capsule form, and a powdered form to add to beverages.
• L-Lysine: L-Lysine is an essential amino acid and must be obtained from food or by supplementation. Vegetarians and athletes who participate in frequent vigorous exercise are at highest risk for a lysine deficiency. Lysine helps the body absorb and conserve calcium, and it plays an important role in the formation of collagen, a substance important for bones and connective tissues including skin, tendons and cartilage.
• L-Methionine: The essential amino acid L-Methionine is particularly important because it supplies sulfur, a mineral that helps to maintain healthy skin tone, well-conditioned hair, and strong nails, and it also serves as an important antioxidant and detoxifying agent.
• L-Ornithine: Ornithine is produced in the last step of the Urea Cycle and acts as an ammonia detoxifier. Not commonly found in food sources, L-Ornithine helps support the body’s normal ability to regulate growth hormone.
• L-Phenylalanine: Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that converts to tyrosine and is a precursor to thyroid hormone. It should not be used with MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants, or those who have PKU or hypertension.
• L-Tryptophan: Tryptophan is the essential amino acid that acts as a precursor to 5-HTP, serotonin and melatonin. Tryptophan assists with normal sleep patterns, mood and appetite. Use with care when combining with SSRI’s or other substances that increase serotonin levels.
• L-Tyrosine: L-Tyrosine has many and varied functions. It is needed to make epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine, all of which work to regulate mood. It aids in the production of melanin; in the regulation of the adrenal, thyroid and pituitary glands; and is involved in the synthesis of enkephalins, the body’s natural pain relievers. L-Tyrosine should not be used with MAO inhibitors or with Levodopa (used to treat Parkinson’s disease).