Arginine has a positive effect on the arteries. It protects against arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries / coronary artery disease) and is the most important NO donor. NO or nitric oxide is a so-called vasodilator, in other words, NO is able to relax the vessels. Thus treating hypertension with arginine is considered to be very useful.
The development of arteriosclerosis with its serious consequences such as heart attack and stroke is a result of the so-called endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is a functional disorder of the endothelium. The endothelium is the inner layer of the blood vessels. If the function of the endothelium is disturbed, it leads to arteriosclerosis and hypertension.
Being overweight (obesity or having adiposis syndrome) is in addition to hypertension and smoking one of the main risk factors of arteriosclerosis, consequently leading to a heart attack or stroke.
In an animal experiment, it has now been shown that increased body weight with increased fatty tissue leads to increased blood levels of arginase1. Arginase is an enzyme that breaks down arginine. Thus the organism has less arginine available. Increased body weight also leads to the degradation of arginine’s bioavailability. The absorption of arginine is diminished and consequently even less arginine is available to the body. Reduced uptake and accelerated degradation lead to a fatal situation. Less NO is produced. Endothelial dysfunction is the logical consequence.
Obese or overweight people should therefore in addition to weight loss take a sufficient amount of arginine to counteract the effects described.