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Home / The Blog / Tagged: vasodilation
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Improve your body's ability to fight off a virus - with a daily Tongue Scrape!

Whether it is the normal influenza virus or the Corona virus, why are some of us more susceptible to infections in general than others?

It seems some individuals, usually termed 'healthy' in the media, are better able to mount an effective immune response and kill viruses, bacteria or any pathogens that invades our body.

Whilst others, usually termed 'weak' by the media, are less able.

So what can a person do to prepare and fortify their body in case they come in contact with the Corona virus (COVID-19) or any other infectious agent?

Here is one approach to help our body become less weak - and more healthy.

(What follows is based on Peer reviewed Medical research and in particular the work of Dr Nathan Bryan, Baylor College, Texas. With kind permission).

Pathology is taught early on in every medical school.  The primary textbook used in many UK and US medical schools is Robbins Pathology. 

On page 58, it states;

“Well vascularised tissues are more resistant to infections and capable of localising/containing offending agents.  By contrast, poorly vascularised tissues are relatively inefficient in responding to inflammatory stimuli” 

"Well vascularised" means to be well supplied - or "opening up the highway" as Dr Bryan has put it. This means that if you have good circulation and blood flow to every tissue in the body, then this allows your immune system to better mobilise a strong defence against any invading pathogen. 

If you don’t have good blood flow and circulation, the infection can better take hold, make you sick and sometimes worse. 

This is basic physiology. 

Crucially, the healthy regulation of blood flow and circulation is based on our ability to produce sufficient* Nitric Oxide. This molecule facilitates vascular dilation, the opening up of blood vessels and hence increased blood flow.

Secondly, Nitric Oxide is the crucial molecule that is also produced by our immune cells to kill the invading viruses and bacteria. Research shows that Nitric Oxide could block viral entry into the cell as well as the subsequent replication of the Corona virus.

Thirdly, in the race to find an effective vaccine to combat Corona virus the role of 'Memory' T cells has been highlighted by a number of Research Groups, such as the Oxford University/Astra Zeneca Research Team. T cells (also called T lymphocytes) are one of the major components of our immune system. Their role includes directly killing infected host cells, activating other immune cells, producing cytokines and regulating the immune response. And Nitric Oxide plays a vital role, by being the signalling molecule that has been shown to activate this cell.

All of this adds up to one point:

If our body can’t produce sufficient* Nitric Oxide, our body will not be able to defend itself as well from getting sick from any infection - be it influenza or even Corona virus.

* As we age our body's ability to produce Nitric Oxide drops dramatically. For those of us over 40 years of age our Nitric Oxide levels can drop as we age by as much as half - from peak levels! One reason why the so called 'old and frail' are less able to resist virus infections, as well as the young.

So what can we do to boost our Nitric Oxide levels - so strengthening our immune defences?

This may come as a surprise ... but

As we have highlighted previously Dr Nathan Bryan's research and others shows that:

“Up to 50% of our daily Nitric Oxide production can be from 'good’ oral bacteria"

To be totally clear, 'good' bacteria in our mouth and on our tongue are responsible for converting certain foods that we eat into Nitric Oxide!

And - this is the key bit. You can read the research paper here :

Having a clean tongue (and that means not from using a mouthwash) can actually stimulate the good oral bacteria to increase Nitric Oxide production.

Yes it seems - one simple step towards improving your immune system is to tongue scrape.

And by the way using an AMANO is very quick and easy

For the scientifically minded the precise chemical process for Nitric Oxide being produced (the Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide pathway) is; 

'Good' Oral Bacteria are 'Nitrate Reducers' that generate Nitrite as a by-product of converting ingested Nitrate-rich food, known as 'Arginine', which then builds up in our saliva. Once swallowed these Nitrites mix with stomach acid to produce Nitric Oxide – which then enters our blood stream'

Or, if you prefer, here's the science on our Explainer Video:

 

 

So every year with every flu outbreak, or new new virus emerging, there is a lot of information on what we have to do - and what not to do. Often very confusing and often conflicting.

But, what is clear is that there are certain basic steps we can all undertake to boost our bodies defences - so reducing our chance of getting ill.

These are the 3 most simple & cheap ways outlined by Dr Nathan Bryan to improve our immune system:

1. Increase our Nitric Oxide levels (to improve blood flow) 

Eat more 'greens' like Spinach, Kale and Rocket and tongue scrape daily. Taking a supplement also works

2. Take Vitamin C daily (an essential anti-viral response agent)

3. Take Iodine daily (a natural antimicrobial)

(PS: Dr Nathan Bryan outlines 3 more ways, which are slightly more expensive and less practical we feel to undertake here).

Additionally

Prof Arne Akbar, the President of the British Society for Immunology and a Professor at University College, London has also added this piece of advice regarding exercise.

(So 4.) To be immunologically fit, you also need to be physically fit.

“White blood cells can be quite sedentary, exercise mobilises them by increasing your blood flow, so they can do their surveillance jobs and seek and destroy in other parts of the body” 

So keep up the exercise AND tongue scrape folks!

Bonne Santé

Why choose AMANO?

   

  • Crafted in Italy, the AMANO has been designed to give a superior and visibly effective performance
  • Which will take you less than 5 seconds (really - it's that quick)
  • Research has shown this routine is almost twice as effective as using a toothbrush
  • And with no GAG effect you will feel more relaxed about tongue cleaning as a daily routine

Care to visit our SHOP? Click here

Your New Year Exercise Regime will Lower Blood Pressure (and so will Tongue Scraping!)

Your new 2021 Exercise regime can be fun, sociable and healthy.

(But, beware of what you do to remove post-exercise toxicity in the mouth)

The medical evidence strongly supports the view that, ‘exercise will reduce our blood pressure’ and so ‘deliver health benefits such as better cardiovascular health’.

The reason exercise leads to lower blood pressure has been explained by Dr Raul Bescos, Lecturer in Dietetics and Physiology at the University of Plymouth and Lead Author of a new study in Science Daily:

"Scientists know that blood vessels open up during exercise, as the production of Nitric Oxide increases the diameter of the blood vessels (known as vasodilation), increasing blood flow circulation to active muscles".

That’s good to hear, because cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the BIGGEST killer of Men & Woman in the UK & USA.

Now imagine this.

You finish that healthy jog, gym class or football game, feeling very self-satisfied, but then notice a stale toxic taste in your mouth (its because your saliva has dried out allowing toxicity to build up).

What do you do?

Reach for some antibacterial mouthwash perhaps?

NO!!!

Medical Research shows that ALL the blood pressure lowering benefits of exercise can be destroyed if you do this!

The new University of Plymouth study, by Dr Raul Bescos, has managed to quantify the blood pressure-lowering effect of exercise when people rinse their mouths with antibacterial mouthwash, rather than water.

In the study, 23 adults exercised and then their blood pressure was tested under different scenarios - using an antibacterial mouthwash, a placebo and mint water.

The results showed that, when an antibacterial mouthwash was used (0.2% chlorhexidine), the blood pressure-lowering effect of exercise was diminished by more than 60% over the first hour of post exercise recovery.

And totally abolished two hours after exercise, when participants were given the antibacterial mouthwash.

That is a significant drop!

What’s going on?

(AMANO advocates will already know this, following the work of Dr Nathan Bryan, which we have showcased)

As we have seen, up to 50% of our DAILY Nitric Oxide production comes from ‘good’ Oral Bacteria – that’s Bacteria in our mouth! 

(See Note 1. if you want the Science behind this). 

And Bacteria activity and hence capacity to produce Nitric Oxide increases with exercise.

(See Note 2. if you want the Science behind this).

If you prefer, we have a neat Explainer Video that demonstrates the Science:

 

 

HOWEVER - using an antibacterial mouthwash will KILL off this ‘good’ Bacteria - thus reducing Nitric Oxide production!

As Dr Nathan Bryan reports in 'News Medical Life Sciences';

"The use of antiseptic mouthwash can kill commensal Bacteria and disrupt Nitric Oxide production putting patients at risk for CVD"

Top-Line: Using an antibacterial mouthwash can negate the blood flow benefits of exercise!

So what to do if you feel your mouth is stale post exercise?

Do what I do – use an AMANO Tongue Scraper ...

  

Don’t take my word for it – you will actually be helping your Nitric Oxide Production at the same time!

This is because, as Dr Nathan Bryan has gone onto show in his research, having a clean oral environment, for instance by scraping the Tongue, will actually increase our Nitric Oxide levels - and so further lower blood pressure.

He reported in ‘Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology’:

“Tongue cleaning frequency was a predictor of changes in systolic blood pressure and Tongue Microbiome composition. From our analysis, regular Tongue cleaning results in a Tongue Microbiome that has a greater ability to reduce Nitrite to Nitric Oxide, and conversely, failure to clean the Tongue daily results in a Microbiome composition that is less favourable to Nitric Oxide production."

Top-Line: Clean your Tongue and boost Nitric Oxide levels! (As well as removing bad breath)

If you are interested in reducing your blood pressure, in a natural 100% chemical free way, why not try using a Tongue Scraper?

Preferably an AMANO we would hope ...

How to use an AMANO Tongue Cleanser

If you are completely new to the tongue 'scraping' experience, we would suggest you hold the head of your AMANO under a warm running tap first - to provide an additional level of 'lubrication'.

This is how easy and quick it is to use an AMANO (we prefer holding a handle in each hand ... but each to their own)

Are you Intrigued?

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NOTE 1: What is the precise chemical process for creating Nitric Oxide? Dr Nathan Bryan explains:

"The process is known as the 'Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide pathway'. Good Oral Bacteria are 'Nitrate Reducers' that generate Nitrite as a by-product of converting ingested Nitrate-rich food, known as 'Arginine', which then builds up in our saliva. Once swallowed these Nitrites mix with stomach acid to produce Nitric Oxide – which then enters our blood stream".

NOTE 2: Why does exercise boost Nitric Oxide? Dr Nathan Bryan explains:

"When we begin to exercise, the increase in shear stress in the lining of the blood vessels tells the Endothelial Cells to make Nitric Oxide which lowers blood pressure.  That is the primary pathway.  Also circulating Nitrite that comes from the Oral Bacteria can be reduced to Nitric Oxide during exercise, especially under low Oxygen conditions and this will lower blood pressure".