Podcast Summary

What Are You Made Of? with Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco

Episode: Optimizing Health with Nitric Oxide: Dr. Nathan Bryan’s Science-Backed Approach
Date: February 10, 2025
Guest: Dr. Nathan Bryan — Biochemist, researcher, and expert on nitric oxide

Episode Overview

This episode explores the science and impact of nitric oxide on human health, guided by Dr. Nathan Bryan’s pioneering research and entrepreneurial journey. The discussion dives into Dr. Bryan’s upbringing, his challenges in academia and industry, the struggle against entrenched interests in medicine, and how optimizing nitric oxide can dramatically improve health outcomes. The atmosphere is personal, lively, and passionate, with an undercurrent of resilience and a focus on helping listeners take full control of their wellness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upbringing, Mindset, and Motivation

• Dr. Bryan shares his "true grit" Texas upbringing, emphasizing determination and using adversity as fuel.
  • Quote: "You tell me I can't do something, I'm gonna give it my damn to prove you wrong." (Dr. Bryan, 01:38)
• Both host and guest align on using setbacks as fuel, not as baggage:
  • Quote: "Most people keep the stuff in their trunk and it slows them down... I was storing things in my tank and using it as fuel." (C-Roc, 01:50)
  • Dr. Bryan agrees: overcoming doubt requires "courage and discipline". (02:38)

2. Academic Journey and Early Mission

• Dr. Bryan didn’t plan to become a doctor. He considered engineering, but "wasn’t interested in building bridges and roads" and switched to biochemistry at UT Austin. (06:19–07:16)
• He details his path through LSU Medical School, a PhD in molecular and cellular physiology, training in Boston, and finally a professorship in Houston, always driven by curiosity—"the feeling of discovery" and "complete intellectual freedom." (06:19–07:45)
  • Quote: "There's no other job out there that gives you the complete intellectual freedom that science does. And that's what drew me to it." (Dr. Bryan, 07:09)

3. The Healthcare System: Flaws and Disruption

• Dr. Bryan critiques the U.S. medical business model focused more on lifelong customers than on cures:
  • Quote: “Medicine is a business just like any other business. And what's the number one kind of motivation of business? Acquire a customer and never lose that customer and extract as much value out of that customer as you can.” (Dr. Bryan, 16:00)
  • Pharmaceutical business creates dependency as "every drug leads to another."
  • He’s met "criticism, violent opposition" due to his disruptive discoveries. (07:45–09:41)
• Advocates for prevention and treating root causes rather than symptom management: “We know in the sciences how to cure, prevent and treat every human disease out there. So what's the problem? We don't translate that science into clinical medicine.” (Dr. Bryan, 07:54)

4. Nitric Oxide: Discoveries, Benefits, and Myths

• Dr. Bryan’s key achievement was finding ways to measure and deliver nitric oxide, a fleeting, crucial molecule.
  • Nitric oxide regulates blood vessel dilation, reduces blood pressure, boosts cognition, athletic and sexual performance — “lack of nitric oxide explains every single [metabolic disorder].” (19:03, 30:28)
• Early delivery was limited to hospital gas tanks. Dr. Bryan “cracked the code” with lozenges that release therapeutic gas in the mouth, overcoming skepticism:
  • Quote: “Everybody said: it’s impossible, it can’t be done... And we proved them wrong.” (22:14–23:37)
• He distinguishes his “nitraceuticals” from ineffective copycats:
  • Most products “give your body precursors and rely on your body to utilize those to produce nitric oxide, which is the problem in the first place.” (26:43)
  • His approach “replaces what the body is missing, and fixes the reason your body can’t make it in the first place.” (28:08)
  • Quote: “The more you take our products, the less you need our products.” (28:08)

5. Lifestyle, Diagnostics, and Practical Advice

• Why nitric oxide deficiency is rampant:
  • Modern food is depleted ("76% decline in basic micronutrients compared to 1940s") and loaded with toxins that harm the microbiome. (29:02, 29:41)
  • Good dental hygiene is essential; mouthwashes and most toothpastes are detrimental (destroying oral microbiome, harming nitric oxide, raising blood pressure).
  • Quote: “People who use mouthwash… you’re destroying all the bacteria… and you start to develop erectile dysfunction. And two out of three Americans wake up every morning and use mouthwash, and two out of three Americans have an unsafe elevation in blood pressure. That’s not a coincidence.” (Dr. Bryan, 36:27)
  • Likewise, fluoride is labeled "a neurotoxin" (37:10), and most toothpaste is "rat poison"—seek fluoride-free, microbiome-supporting products. Dr. Bryan is launching his own soon. (37:53–39:29)

6. Common Sense and Critical Thinking in Science

• The scientific method is “bullshit… doesn’t work,” says Dr. Bryan. Real breakthroughs come from curiosity, questioning everything, and clinical observation.
  • Quote: "Research is to see what everyone else has seen, but to think what no one else has thought." (12:03)

7. Personal Resilience: Tragedy and Growth

• The most difficult moment: losing his eldest son, Grant, in a car accident in 2018.
• Dr. Bryan and his family lean on faith and community, changing their outlook on life and making every day count.
  • Quote: “It certainly changed the way I go through life… realize that time is precious and we're not promised tomorrow.” (40:26)
  • His message: Be present and treasure every moment with loved ones. (41:52–42:25)

8. Education and New Resources

• Dr. Bryan’s upcoming book, The Secret of Nitric Oxide: Bringing the Science to Life, chronicles both personal hurdles and scientific discoveries—written to be practical and approachable.
  • Available for pre-sale; launch Feb 24th. nathansbook.com (43:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On adversity and drive:

  “You tell me I can't do something, I'm gonna give it my damn to prove you wrong.”
  (Dr. Bryan, 01:38)

• On the pharmaceutical industry:

  “It’s the best business model on earth because they get you on a drug, then they got to put you on another drug to mitigate the side effects of that drug that causes other diseases… but it’s at the expense of the American health.”
  (Dr. Bryan, 16:00–17:23)

• On innovation:

  “Everybody said: it’s impossible, it can’t be done... And we proved them wrong.”
  (Dr. Bryan, 23:37)

• On the heart-mouth connection:

  “People who use mouthwash, the Listerine, the Scope... you’re destroying all the bacteria... you shut down nitric oxide production, you develop high blood pressure... That’s not a coincidence. That is causation.”
  (Dr. Bryan, 36:27)

• On fluoride:

  “Why do they put fluoride in toothpaste? Because it kills bacteria… It’s a neurotoxin and shuts down your thyroid function… Sodium fluoride is what’s used in rat poison. It’s poison.”
  (Dr. Bryan, 36:31–37:53)

• On loss and perspective:

  “It certainly changed the way I go through life… realize that time is precious and we're not promised tomorrow... we're remembered by the way we make people feel, not what we [achieve].”
  (Dr. Bryan, 40:26–41:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Resilience & Early Motivation: 01:38–03:30
• Choosing Science Over Engineering: 06:19–07:16
• The Medical Business Model: 16:00–17:23
• Discovery of Nitric Oxide Benefits and Delivery: 18:46–24:14
• Distinguishing Real Nitric Oxide Products: 26:43–28:08
• Lifestyle & Nutrition Factors: 29:02–30:28
• Oral Health, Mouthwash & Toothpaste: 34:27–39:29
• Personal Tragedy & Growth: 39:41–42:25
• Book Release Info: 43:41–44:10

Actionable Takeaways

• Be skeptical of mainstream medicine’s motives; look for root-cause solutions.
• For oral health:
  • Avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes and fluoride toothpaste.
  • Seek microbiome-supporting, fluoride-free toothpaste.
• Consider nitric oxide restoration for cardiovascular, metabolic, sexual, and cognitive health—choose products that “do it for you,” not those offering just building blocks.
• Live intentionally—treasure loved ones and be present.
• Educate yourself: Dr. Bryan’s new book covers science and practical steps.

Dr. Nathan Bryan leaves listeners with the sense that dedication, curiosity, and willingness to push against the norm lead not just to better health, but to a more meaningful, impactful life. The science of nitric oxide—when made accessible and actionable—can form a core part of that transformation.