What are the benefits of taking arginine?                                                                Back

Arginine is an amino acid, which means it is a building-block of protein. Even though we do obtain some arginine from the protein in our diets, and some is actually made in the body as a by-product of metabolism, there is not enough made to release the power of this amino acid to improve our health.

You see, what a chemist calls “L-arginine”, and the rest of us just call “arginine”, is used by the body to make nitric oxide. Most people abbreviate it “NO”, for short. NO disappears in a few seconds, yet it is responsible for relaxing blood vessels, improving blood flow, melting away cholesterol plaque, and even killing germs. This molecule is so important to health that it was named “Molecule of the Year” in 1992, and in 1998 the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to the researchers who identified this “magic bullet.”

Despite its life-enhancing properties, few people know about NO or where it comes from. Most doctors don’t even know what this incredible molecule can do for health. Yet the AP press release for the Nobel Prize winners stated that “the body uses nitric oxide gas to make blood vessels relax and widen—a finding that could pay off in treatments for heart disease.”

The problem with “heart disease” isn’t the heart—it is the blood flow to the heart. Stroke is not caused by problems with the brain, it is caused by poor blood flow to the brain, and loss of brain tissue due to that poor flow. People with diabetes know the risks of poor blood flow to the legs, can result in amputations and a lifetime of disability. Even 90% of erectile dysfunction is due to poor blood flow! Imagine a “magic bullet” which could support the blood flow throughout the entire body!   

How can you put this remarkable science to work in your body? Increasing your arginine intake will increase your production of nitric oxide, since the only thing the body requires to make this substance is arginine.  Experts agree we need at least 5,000 mg of supplemental arginine for our bodies to benefit from this wonderful science.