The TOP 10 Foods To Boost Your Nitric Oxide Levels

A nitric oxide (NO) supplement is a great way to get your energy levels in the green. But, to boost nitric oxide consistently while powering up your workouts, you should also look at what you’re eating.

Making the right food choices will help your selection of supplements raise your NO levels to body-boosting heights. In turn, you'll reap maximum rewards from your training sessions.

There are some tasty, sweet choices that will help improve blood flow and oxygen uptake to get you pushing harder and making bigger gains than ever before.

Intrigued? Great. Let’s take a look.

The benefits of boosting your nitric oxide levels

Boosting your nitric oxide production comes with a host of body-boosting benefits. The healthier your NO levels, the better your blood circulation will be.

Armed with better blood circulation and improved blood flow, you'll level up your training performance—reaching (or even shattering) your muscle-boosting goals in the process.

Boosting your nitric oxide bioavailability will also...

• Decrease muscle soreness and improve recovery times between workouts

• Tackle high blood pressure (BP) and help to regulate your BP levels

• Improve your cardiovascular health and help to prevent cardiovascular disease

• Help with the treatment of erectile dysfunction

• It gives you more energy and improves your mental focus

• We'll say it again— boost your training performance

Related: The benefits of pre-workout supplements for bodybuilding

Lip-smacking foods to boost nitric oxide production

Now that you know how boosting your NO levels will improve your health and enhance your exercise performance, let's take a look at what we like to call nitric oxide foods.

Feast your eyes on these.

1. Watermelon

Fruit should be a staple part of your healthy diet. But some fruits are better than others, especially when it comes to getting those nitric oxide levels up to scratch.

Watermelon (or watermelon juice) is, without a doubt, one of the best fruits for topping up your nitric oxide levels. This tasty fruit (fresh from nature) is crammed with essential vitamins and minerals, including a treasure trove of antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, B6, and C.

FYI: Watermelon is also a prime source of citrulline, an amino acid that your body converts straight into nitric oxide. 

It's not unusual for top athletes to drink watermelon juice before an event as a performance-boosting pre-workout. A decent dose of watermelon rapidly boosts NO levels before they start, relaxing the blood vessels while helping to increase blood flow to the muscles. 

The result? Epic endurance and energy.

2. Dark chocolate

This may sound a little off-beat—and we’re not saying that you have to go full-on dirty bulk—but dark chocolate contains certain ingredients that will benefit your NO levels. Good news if you have a sweet tooth.

Naturally, a balanced diet is essential if you want to stay strong and healthy. Still munched in moderation, a few squares of dark chocolate here and there will give your nitric oxide levels a quick boost when you need it most.

How, exactly? Well, this is because dark chocolate contains things called flavonoids and antioxidants. These bad boys reduce inflammation and support nitric oxide production while promoting cardiovascular health.

3. Beetroot

Next up in our essential rundown of nitric oxide foods, we have beetroot. It’s no secret that beetroot is high in nitrate, and when your saliva breaks this tasty purple stuff down, it converts straight into nitric oxide. 

Beetroot juice is very popular among serious athletes, who take a little beetroot anywhere from an hour to three hours before a workout or competition to go that extra mile. 

Did you know? Studies show that cyclists can ride at a higher intensity when they consistently drink beetroot juice for some time. 

A daily dose (or close to) of beetroot can also speed up recovery times and improve exercise tolerance because of its superior nitric oxide-boosting qualities. Eating beetroot regularly is also known to improve blood flow, aid heart health, and lower blood pressure.

4. Spinach

Spinach is a wildly popular food choice among bodybuilders and athletes because of its high percentage of nitrate.

Studies show that eating spinach regularly helps to boost nitric oxide production while enhancing endurance and strength.

Making sure you have a healthy portion of spinach on your plate will help you boost your nitric oxide levels. It’s tasty, it's versatile—and if it's good enough for Popeye—it's good enough for you.

5. Fruit

Fruit (in addition to mighty watermelon) should be a key player in your healthy diet. But, if you want to take your nitric oxide levels that little bit higher, weaving more citrus fruit into the mix is a good idea.

Lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are super high in fiber, vitamin C, and body-boosting minerals. While they don’t contain nitrate, citrus fruits in particular, help to increase NO levels by maintaining your body’s amino acid levels to promote nitric oxide production.

A diet high in fruit and vegetables is also perfect for heart health and lowering blood pressure. Go get some.

6. Salmon and other fatty fish

Salmon is crammed full of superior nutritional values, including vitamins, protein, minerals, and those all-important omega-3 fatty acids. 

Its antioxidizing superpowers mean it helps to boost NO production, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the process. 

So, salmon should be high on the seafood menu if you plan to train regularly, as it ticks all of the nutritional boxes—especially when it comes to boosting your levels of nitric oxide. Oh, as an added bonus, salmon can also sharpen brain function (it's very tasty, too).

7. Meat

Yes, meat is one of the world's most nutritional building blocks for building muscle. The likes of chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and lamb are all packed with protein as well as essential micronutrients.

Weaving a balanced mix of lean, quality cuts into your diet will help you consistently boost nitric oxide levels. Combined with leafy greens like spinach, you will make sure every mealtime is packed with the nitrate-rich foods you need to succeed.

So, if you want to boost your nitric oxide levels, getting your fill of lean meat is a good idea. If you're vegetarian or vegan and you want to boost your NO levels to improve blood flow, try these performance-boosting plant-based alternatives:

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Seitan

• Whole nuts and seeds...which brings us to our next subject

8. Walnuts

As whole nuts are a high source of protein, vitamins and minerals, studies show they’re ideal for giving your NO levels a cheeky boost. 

Walnuts, especially, are the daddy of NO-boosting nuts as they're packed with l-arginine—an amino acid that helps to produce nitric oxide in the body.

Did you know? Walnuts are super antioxidants that reduce inflammation and defend the body against the potential perils of oxidative stress.

9. Garlic

Okay, you might want to steer clear of it before a job interview or a first date, but garlic is a tip-top NO producer. 

Oh yeah, it’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, all of which will boost nitric oxide synthesis. It really is one of the best foods to boost nitric oxide.

As garlic contains allicin, its anti-inflammatory properties are worth shouting about. A regular dose of garlic will also promote vasodilation, sparking NO production in the process. 

Bonus: Studies suggest that eating garlic regularly can result in lower blood pressure.

10. Pomegranate

If you're in search of a taste bud-tingling fruit to increase nitric oxide in your body, you should get some pomegranate in your life.

Yes, getting your fill of pomegranate will enhance nitric oxide bioavailability in your system and give your immune system a lift (which is particularly useful if you're training for a big event or competition). 

Pomegranate juice is a quick, easy, and pretty darn delicious way to top up your NO levels while reaping additional health benefits, including (yes, we'll say it again) toughening up your immune system, improving heart health, and leveling up your exercise performance.

Boosting nitric oxide naturally: bonus tips

Did you know? Red wine, in moderation, can boost nitric oxide bioavailability. 

Good news if you like the odd tipple after a long day. While we don’t recommend using red wine as the basis of your NO diet, it’s good to know if you’re mindful of your NO levels and having a drink. 

Also, to stimulate nitric oxide synthase (or, in other words, boost those NO levels), getting the right blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is essential. 

So, eat foods or take supplements that contain:

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

• Glutathione

Exercise to boost your NO levels…

Another way of increasing your NO levels naturally is through exercise. Nitric oxide production increases in muscle in response to physical activity. 

One suggested way of improving your overall NO levels is by weaving a 'dump workout routine' into your regular workout schedule. 

What’s that you ask?

A dump workout is optimal for boosting NO levels, as it’s all about maximizing the amount of blood flow through all of your body, rather than limiting it to just one portion of your body.

Just 10 minutes of nitric oxide dump exercises a day improve your blood flow and keep your NO levels in a healthy range. 

Here's a dump workout that will get you into gear:

Try supplements to boost nitric oxide and grab those epic gains

Now that you know all about the foods to boost your NO levels, let's talk about supplements. A quality nitric oxide booster will help you fill in any nutritional gaps and keep your NO levels consistently healthy.

It definitely doesn’t replace the need for a good diet rich in foods that will boost NO. However, it can help “supplement” your diet to ensure you are getting optimal levels. 

Not only will a good nitric oxide booster give you more energy, but you'll also flood your body with the energy you need to grab those colossal gains.

Level up your workouts with CrazyBulk

As one of the industry's leading nitric oxide supplements, Nitric-Max from CrazyBulk will level up every workout by giving you more endurance, a colossal energy lift, and maximum muscle power.

Level up your performance with Nitric-Max today—and for more insider info—check out our ultimate guide to nitric oxide boosters.

Nitric Oxide FAQs

If you want to know more about Nitric Oxide, here are some of the top questions:

What is Nitric Oxide?

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in your body and increases blood flow allowing nutrients, including oxygen, to be delivered more efficiently through a process of vasodilation.

For this to happen, your body needs to process and convert dietary nitrates and amino acids, which help produce NO. So you need to ensure your diet is adequate, and supplement where necessary. 

What are the benefits of Nitric Oxide (NO)

There are multiple body-boosting benefits of maintaining healthy NO levels, including:

• Improved blood flow

• Better heart health

• More energy

• Heightened athletic performance

Are there any side effects to NO supplements?

You need to stay within the recommended dosage to ensure that taking NO supplements is safe.