By Eben van Tonder, 20 July 2025

Introduction

As we age, many physiological systems begin to lose their fine-tuned balance. Among the most critical of these are the vascular and stress-response systems. The twin decline of nitric oxide (NO) production and cortisol regulation contributes to symptoms often dismissed as “just getting older”: poor circulation, brain fog, chronic fatigue, mood swings, and declining physical performance.

In this article, I make the case that consuming moderate amounts of properly cured meats like bacon and ham, long maligned in popular uninformed scientific discourse, may in fact be a smart, strategic dietary move to help maintain vascular function and stress regulation as we age. The central players? Nitrite and nitric oxide.

What Is Nitric Oxide, and Why Does It Matter?

Nitric oxide is a gas and signalling molecule naturally produced by the body. It is critical for blood vessel dilation, immune modulation, neurotransmission, and even mitochondrial efficiency.

It is produced from an amino-acid,  L-arginine via the enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS).

Another route: dietary nitrate (NO₃⁻), found in green vegetables and nitrite-cured meats, is converted to nitrite (NO₂⁻) and then to NO, especially in low-oxygen or acidic conditions.

NO Production Declines With Age

Multiple studies show that endogenous NO production declines progressively with age:

Age Estimated % of Peak NO Production (from 20s baseline)

20s 100%

40s ~75–80%

60s ~50–60%

80s ~15–25%

Main causes of this decline:

• Reduced eNOS activity: The endothelial enzyme becomes less responsive.
• Oxidative stress: Superoxide and other free radicals degrade NO rapidly.
• Stiffened blood vessels: Reduced shear stress lowers stimulus for NO release.
• Lower stomach acid: Impairs conversion of dietary nitrate to nitrite and NO.

As a result, older adults experience increased blood pressure, lower muscle oxygenation, reduced cognitive function, and even erectile dysfunction, conditions all tied to poor NO availability.

Cortisol and Chronic Stress: The Other Half of the Puzzle

Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone, released by the adrenal glands in response to signals from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In short bursts, cortisol is helpful. It mobilises energy, enhances alertness, and dampens inflammation.

But chronic elevation is harmful:

• Suppresses immune function
• Increases visceral fat storage
• Reduces bone and muscle mass
• Impairs sleep, mood, and memory

Ageing increases baseline cortisol levels and slows clearance, meaning the same stressor results in a longer cortisol surge in an older person.

Worse still, cortisol suppresses nitric oxide production by increasing oxidative stress and directly inhibiting eNOS function, thus creating a vicious circle:

Low NO → Poor circulation → Physiological stress → High cortisol → Even lower NO

Where Bacon and Ham Fit In: The Case for Nitrite-Rich Foods

Cured meats like bacon and ham have been traditionally made with sodium nitrite (NaNO₂), a compound that, in moderation and with antioxidant protection (like ascorbate), acts as:

• A preservative
• A flavour and natural colour stabiliser
• And critically, a source of dietary nitrite which becomes nitric oxide

In the stomach and bloodstream, nitrite is converted into nitric oxide, especially in low-oxygen tissues like muscles during exercise or ageing capillary beds.

Why this is helpful as you age:

1. Supports blood flow to tissues with impaired perfusion
2. Counters cortisol-driven NO suppression
3. May lower blood pressure and reduce vascular inflammation
4. Improves mitochondrial efficiency and oxygen use

The Bacon-and-Ham Advantage Over Leafy Greens Alone

While nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot and spinach are excellent for NO, meats have advantages:

• Nitrite in cured meats is more directly converted to NO than vegetable nitrate.
• NO generation from meat nitrite doesn’t depend on stomach acid (which declines with age).
• Fat in bacon and ham enhances the absorption of fat-soluble co-factors like vitamin D, also important in ageing.

What About Cancer Risk?

Modern nitrite usage in meats is tightly controlled and always combined with ascorbate or erythorbate, which inhibit nitrosamine formation. In addition:

• Vegetables contain up to 50 times more nitrate than bacon and are still considered health-promoting.
• Most bodily nitrite and nitrate comes from saliva and vegetables, not meat.

Besides these, by legislation, all bacon and ham products have either ascorbate or erythorbate added, which completely blocks any possibility for nitrosamine formation. Inclusion levels of nitrites in bacon and ham are minuscule. Ham is not fried, which means there is zero risk for nitrosamine formation, and bacon is typically fried at temperatures too low for these compounds to form.

In particular, some British and European scientists continue to promote this narrative for political point scoring or economic advantage. These claims have been thoroughly discredited and debunked. The entire matter is a complete red herring. It is a non-issue.

The nitrogen cycle in the human body is now properly understood. Nitrate, nitrite and nitric oxide are physiologically essential for good health.

Does Nitric Oxide Suppress Cortisol?

Not directly but higher nitric oxide improves circulation, tissue oxygenation, and metabolic flexibility. These physiological improvements:

• Reduce the activation of the HPA axis
• Lessen the severity of stress signals
• Help the body recover more quickly after stress, lowering cortisol peaks and duration

In this way, supporting NO may be an indirect but potent tool to keep cortisol levels balanced.

Conclusion: A Smarter Way to Age

Ageing doesn’t have to mean surrendering to slow circulation, constant fatigue, or chronic stress. A scientifically grounded strategy involves:

• Supporting endogenous nitric oxide production
• Minimising chronic cortisol activation
• Using targeted foods like cured meats (bacon, ham) to supplement dietary nitrite

This isn’t a call for overconsumption but a case for reintroducing cured meats into the nutritional toolbox, especially for active older adults, mountaineers, and those managing age-related vascular and stress challenges.

So yes, if you’re climbing mountains, managing a business, or just trying to keep sharp after sixty, have that bacon and ham sandwich. Your blood vessels and adrenal glands might just thank you.

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