MANILA, Philippines - Valentine's Day may be over, but that doesn't mean that we should stop paying attention to our heart. Well, in terms of its health, that is.
Herbalife Philippines on Saturday launched its latest health supplement for the heart, Niteworks. It was developed in collaboration with Dr. Louis Ignarro, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988. He is also a member of the global nutrition company's Nutrition Advisory Board.
It was his work in nitric oxide (NO) that led to the development of Niteworks, which contains a blend of L-Arginine and L-Citrulline. They help stimulate the production of NO in the body.
Herbalife Philippines food and drug consultant Elise Santor explained that nitric oxide helps improve blood circulation in the body's vital organs such as the heart and brain. As people age, though, nitric oxide production declines.
NO is a "vasodilator", which means it helps control blood flow in the body. It also helps slow down the accumulation of plaque or the "artery-hardening buildup of cholesterol fats in the coronary arteries.
"L-Arginine is the precursor of nitric oxide," Santor said, adding that L-Citrulline helps "recycle" it.
Apart from L-Arginine and L-Cirtulline, Niteworks also contains Vitamins C and E, "which help repair broken tissues", and alpha lipoic acid, folic acid, and lemon balm.
The product can be taken like Herbalife's popular "shakes." You just mix a scoop of it with water and take it during the night. Niteworks has been names so, by the way, because it is recommended to be taken at night when "nitric oxide is naturally at its lowest level."