I'd Like To Increase Blood Volume/ENOS

[Ron J]

I'd appreciate some suggestions.
I'm having cold extremities, likely due to adrenaline, but before I try to alleviate the problem with more food, I'd like to increase NO(via eNOS) and/or blood volume. I'm aware that NO is not suggested, but I think my CO2 is as high as it can be for my calorie consumption and supplements(acetazolamide + B1).
Although I decreased sodium intake from 15g(due to dry mouth), I'm still consuming a minimum of 10g.
I take plenty of B vitamins, fat solubles, small piece of liver a day, and I lift weights. Is there anything else that may help?

 

[redsun]

I'd appreciate some suggestions.
I'm having cold extremities, likely due to adrenaline, but before I try to alleviate the problem with more food, I'd like to increase NO(via eNOS) and/or blood volume. I'm aware that NO is not suggested, but I think my CO2 is as high as it can be for my calorie consumption and supplements(acetazolamide + B1).
Although I decreased sodium intake from 15g(due to dry mouth), I'm still consuming a minimum of 10g.
I take plenty of B vitamins, fat solubles, small piece of liver a day, and I lift weights. Is there anything else that may help?

Even if you take B vitamins, B2 is used up a lot just because of its role in activating B vitamins and so many other things. It was in my case lots of dosing of B2 over a few weeks + folic acid that finally gave me back super warm extremities. From what I understand it takes time for B2 stores to build back up. It did help within a few days and over time as the weeks went a long the extremities became super warm all the time. You can also see the wiki for nitric oxide synthase and look at the cofactors needed yourself.

B2, folic acid + vit C (for BH4). It was the large quantities of B2 + folic acid for an extended period of time that really did it for me. I am much warmer in general now as well as the extremities. Best thing I ever took imo for that reason alone. No one should have to live with cold extremities.

I don't see a sense in trying to force CO2 levels. Clearly hasnt helped your circulation.

I hope you are eating sodium to taste only.

 

[Ron J]

I recently bought folic acid due to your recommendations(been using folinic acid since September). I do take a decent amount of B2, but I may have to spread it, instead of one large dose. I'll look it up on wiki. Thanks.

 

[redsun]

I recently bought folic acid due to your recommendations(been using folinic acid since September). I do take a decent amount of B2, but I may have to spread it, instead of one large dose. I'll look it up on wiki. Thanks.

I used B2 in various ways. Some days I used 100mg a couple times a day or once a day. Ended up cutting the pill in half or into fourths and taking them spaced throughout for awhile. B2 alone did something but it was increasing BH4 with folic acid and vitamin C that also helped. So in the end, the big picture seemed to be providing all the cofactors for NOS for optimal results.

 

[lampofred]

Blood volume is closely related to thyroid function at a fundamental level, so I think increasing intake of the broad pro-vitality things (as opposed to supplements) like vitamin D, salt, milk, eggs, animal protein in general, thyroid, and keeping FFA low, and keeping extremities warm (to prevent loss of energy as heat) would help.

 

[Ron J]

Other than dairy, I have everything you mentioned covered. I've been supplementing with eggshells for calcium.

 

[yerrag]

@Ron J why do you feel a need to increase blood volume? Is this why you're taking a lot of salt?

Increased intake of salt won't help unless you're also increasing your serum albumin, as serum albumin attracts and holds on to salt, and they form a complex. With more salt that stays on, more water will be attracted from the ecf to plasma. With that blood volume increases.

That said, it's hard for me to build blood volume as my serum albumin is being excreted out in urine. I believe it's being used to bind endotoxins and/or being heavily used as an anti-oxidant.

I also think that the CBC blood test's red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit, altogether gives an indication of blood volume. The higher the values, the lower the blood volume. Optimal rbc is from 4.2-4.9. I'm at around 5.56. Ray Peat, in a recent interview, said that ideal rbc is at low end of range, at 4.2. So I'm way off from ideal, and I suspect that is what's causing my blood pressure to remain consistently high.

 

[Ron J]

@yerrag
I have read many of your comments; thanks for clarifying. Have you found other ways to increase albumin besides high(er) protein and lowering endotoxin? Perhaps a specific antioxidant/amino acid or something else?

 

[Goobz]

You could dabble with some plant compounds which increase eNOS. Some which I have experience with and take on and off:

- B Lapachone (this forum approves)
- ashwagandha (not sure if this forum approves)
- resveratrol (this forum doesn’t approve)

I think all of them are also SIRT activators (B lapachone and resveratrol certainly are) and hence that niacin might also have a similar effect but I need to double check that.

 

[Jing]

Why would you have so much salt if you are trying to increase blood flow?

 

[Ron J]

You could dabble with some plant compounds which increase eNOS. Some which I have experience with and take on and off:

- B Lapachone (this forum approves)
- ashwagandha (not sure if this forum approves)
- resveratrol (this forum doesn’t approve)

I think all of them are also SIRT activators (B lapachone and resveratrol certainly are) and hence that niacin might also have a similar effect but I need to double check that.

I'll look up B lapachone. I've tried ashwagandha before, but for its other effects; it seems to get a bad review here due to its effects on serotonin. Resveratrol seems to be too anti-androgenic.
@Jing
Aside from blood volume increase, it has other positive effects on stress hormones(haidut wrote several threads).

 

[Jing]

Aside from blood volume increase, it has other positive effects on stress hormones(haidut wrote several threads).

It decreases blood flow though so with that much salt you are just constricting your arteries.

 

[Goobz]

I'll look up B lapachone. I've tried ashwagandha before, but for its other effects; it seems to get a bad review here due to its effects on serotonin. Resveratrol seems to be too anti-androgenic.
@Jing
Aside from blood volume increase, it has other positive effects on stress hormones(haidut wrote several threads).

B lapachone is one of the main chemicals found in Pau d'arco, and haidut sells it as a supplement I believe. If you looked the thread up, there would be many people's experiences.

 

[yerrag]

@yerrag
I have read many of your comments; thanks for clarifying. Have you found other ways to increase albumin besides high(er) protein and lowering endotoxin? Perhaps a specific antioxidant/amino acid or something else?

I eat gelatinous food to help my liver detoxify. I now eat beef and pork tendons at every meal. I could be wrong, but I think powdered gelatin can't help but be contaminated with endotoxins as skin is also used. Skin harbors bacteria and endotoxins. I used to eat oxtail, but the last time I did I felt I got an endotoxin reaction and I've since stopped eating it. Since tendons are not widely available, maybe glycine as a supplement can be used. I've not used glycine, but I think as an isolated protein, it's better to taken at meals, and that it has to be accompanied by carbs.

 

[Ron J]

I eat gelatinous food to help my liver detoxify. I now eat beef and pork tendons at every meal. I could be wrong, but I think powdered gelatin can't help but be contaminated with endotoxins as skin is also used. Skin harbors bacteria and endotoxins. I used to eat oxtail, but the last time I did I felt I got an endotoxin reaction and I've since stopped eating it. Since tendons are not widely available, maybe glycine as a supplement can be used. I've not used glycine, but I think as an isolated protein, it's better to taken at meals, and that it has to be accompanied by carbs.

I supplement glycine. I may experiment with gelatinous cuts instead of glycine; perhaps my reaction will be different(it usually seems positive from actual food).
@Jing Do you have a link? I wasn't aware.

 

[Jing]

Do you have a link? I wasn't aware.

Salt Inactivates Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Endothelial Cells
Seven-Day Salt Loading Impairs Microvascular Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation without Changes in Blood Pressure, Body Composition and Fluid Statu... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[S-VV]

Hey, where is the salt guy when you need him? The one that interjected in every convo about salt.

 

[redsun]

Hey, where is the salt guy when you need him? The one that interjected in every convo about salt.

That guy left as quick as he came.

 

[Ron J]

Salt Inactivates Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Endothelial Cells
Seven-Day Salt Loading Impairs Microvascular Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation without Changes in Blood Pressure, Body Composition and Fluid Statu... - PubMed - NCBI

Thanks.

 

[Ron J]

If I recall correctly, it isn't Peat approved, but what do you guys think about arginine? Has anyone experienced significant NO(eNOS) increase from it?