Why Older People Get More Tired and Slower
An Overview of NO Signaling Pathways in Aging
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The body increases iNOS (inflammatory NO) as it ages, even as beneficial eNOS/nNOS decline — a double whammy.
Most assume aging just means 'less of everything' — but here, the body actively ramps up a harmful pathway, suggesting aging isn't passive decay but active self-damage.
Practical Takeaways
Eat nitrate-rich foods (beets, spinach, arugula) to boost natural NO production — and get sunlight to activate NO release in skin.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The body increases iNOS (inflammatory NO) as it ages, even as beneficial eNOS/nNOS decline — a double whammy.
Most assume aging just means 'less of everything' — but here, the body actively ramps up a harmful pathway, suggesting aging isn't passive decay but active self-damage.
Practical Takeaways
Eat nitrate-rich foods (beets, spinach, arugula) to boost natural NO production — and get sunlight to activate NO release in skin.
Publication
Journal
Molecules
Year
2021
Authors
A. Pourbagher-Shahri, T. Farkhondeh, M. Talebi, D. Kopustinskiene, S. Samarghandian, J. Bernatonienė
Related Content
Claims (6)
As people get older, their bodies make less of a helpful molecule called nitric oxide, which makes it harder for blood vessels to work properly — and this can cause problems in the heart, brain, reproductive organs, and muscles.
As people get older, their skin makes less of a chemical that helps blood vessels open up when it's hot, so their bodies can't cool down as well—and that makes them more likely to get sick from the heat.
As people get older, their bodies have a harder time getting and keeping an erection because the blood vessels in the penis don’t produce enough of a key chemical (nitric oxide) to relax and let blood flow in—even though the body tries to make up for it by producing a different version of that chemical.
As people get older, a key protein called SIRT1 becomes less active, which means it can't help another protein (eNOS) do its job properly—so the body makes less nitric oxide, and blood vessels don't work as well.
As people get older, their blood vessels have a harder time relaxing because they produce less of a helpful chemical called nitric oxide, which makes it tougher for blood to flow freely — this is one reason why older adults are more likely to have heart and blood vessel problems.