mental health

NOS1AP

How Do These Nitric Oxide Genes Affect Stress Resilience? (NOS1 and NOS1AP)

Written by John Williams, B.Sc on September 29th, 2020

The two related genes NOS1 and NOS1AP both affect nitric oxide production. Variants can cause your brain to become overactive. How does this happen and what can we do about it?

Summary

NOS1 encodes nitric oxide synthase 1 and is responsible for making nitric oxide. NOS1AP encodes its adaptor protein which interacts with NOS1 to change its effectiveness. Variants that produce more nitric oxide are associated with anxiety since nitric oxide increases glutamate and decreases GABA levels in the brain. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications can counteract the effects of these variants by increasing GABA or by decreasing glutamate.

NOS1 and NOS1AP and Stress Resilience/Anxiety

Anxiety can be thought of as an impaired ability in dealing with stress. Those that have higher stress resilience are generally less affected by stressful events both physically and mentally. As a result, this post will include SNPs with variants connected to stress, anxiety and general resilience [R].

The NOS1 gene encodes nitric oxide synthase 1, a protein responsible for making the gas nitric oxide (NO). The NOS1AP gene encodes the adaptor protein for NOS1; it appears to interact with NOS1 and change its effectiveness. The exact relationship between NOS1AP and NOS1 is not clear as scientists have found conflicting results [R, R].

When NOS1AP protein attaches to the NOS1 protein, it causes anxiety levels to increase. Variants that produce more nitric oxide are associated with anxiety because nitric oxide increases levels of glutamate and decreases levels of GABA. Since glutamate ‘excites’ your brain while GABA does the opposite, this causes an overactive brain and can lead to anxiety [R, R].

Your NOS1 and NOS1AP Results for Stress Resilience

SNP Table

variant	genotype	frequency	risk allele
rs111479527
rs164148
rs4657178
rs17460657
rs7295972
rs10744891

Primary SNP:

NOS1AP rs111479527

‘G’ = associated with increased risk of anxiety
‘A’ = not associated with anxiety

Other Important SNPs:

NOS1AP rs164148

‘G’ = associated with increased stress levels
‘A’ = not associated with stress

NOS1AP rs4657178 [R]:

‘T’ = associated with increased resilience when faced with problems
‘C’ = not associated with resilience

NOS1AP rs17460657

‘A’ = associated with lower resilience when faced with problems
‘C’ = not associated with resilience

NOS1 rs7295972

‘G’ = associated with increased stress levels
‘A’ = not associated with stress

NOS1 rs10744891

‘T’ = associated with lower resilience when faced with problems
‘G’ = not associated with resilience

Recommendations

Lifestyle

Yoga

Individuals who performed yoga for a 12 week period were found to have higher levels of GABA in the brain and reduced anxiety. Since GABA is the chemical in your brain responsible for making your brain less active and excitable, this suggests that performing yoga on a regular basis may be able to help with anxiety and stress [R, R].

Performing yoga on a regular basis may help with anxiety by increasing GABA levels.

Diet

Magnesium

Some studies have shown that low magnesium levels are associated with your brain being too 'excited'. One study showed that magnesium levels were generally lower in anxious patients. Some NOS1 and NOS1AP variants produce more nitric oxide, which results in less GABA (makes your brain less active) and more glutamate (makes your brain more active) [R].

Magnesium is known to block the NMDA receptor — this is the receptor that glutamate needs to bind to do its job. Since glutamate can't bind when magnesium is there, your brain generally becomes less hyperactive and you are hopefully able to relax as a result [R].

Magnesium can be taken as a supplement or added to your diet. Good sources of magnesium in your diet include nuts and leafy, green vegetables, with spinach providing a particularly high amount [R].

Consider eating more nuts and leafy, green vegetables; the magnesium boost may help with anxiety.

Supplements

Lavender oil

Lavender oil consists of a number of chemicals obtained from the lavender family of plants. Supplementing with lavender oil has been found to improve anxiety, depression, restlessness and sleep disturbances [R].

Increased nitric oxide levels are associated with anxiety because nitric oxide reduces the amount of GABA. Since lavender oil seems to help with anxiety by increasing GABA levels in the brain, NOS1/NOS1AP variants that make extra nitric oxide may benefit from supplementing [R].

Supplementing with lavender oil may help with symptoms of anxiety.

John Williams

B.Sc

John received his BSc from the University of Toronto. John has spent the last several years teaching high school science and math to English-language learners, which has forced him to learn how to simplify difficult concepts as much as possible. He has also worked in two different research labs and has experience as a student intern working and studying under doctors in hospitals and clinics to help diagnose and treat patients, interpret lab results and fill out mountains of paperwork.

Disclaimer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other official medical body. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and may not be used to diagnose or treat any illness or disease.

Also keep in mind that the “Risk Score” presented in this post is based only on a select number of SNPs, and therefore only represents a small portion of your total risk as an individual. Furthermore, these analyses are based primarily on associational studies, which do not necessarily imply causation. Finally, many other (non-genetic) factors can also play a significant role in the development of a disease or health condition — therefore, carrying any of the risk-associated genotypes discussed in this post does not necessarily mean you are at increased risk of developing a major health condition.

Always consult your doctor before acting on any information or recommendations discussed in this post — especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have been officially diagnosed with a medical condition.

More mental health blogs

How to Be a Better Dater (HTR2A) How to Increase Your Chances of a Romantic Relationship (5HT1A) Are You Genetically Vulnerable to High Brain Histamine, Migraines, or ADHD? (HNMT) Protect Yourself Against Stress and Mood Problems with the Oxytocin (OXTR) Gene Beat “Brain Fog” With The Cannabinoid System (CNR1) Boost Your Cognitive Ability By Protecting Your Dopamine Neurons (LMX1A) How Emotionally Self-Aware Are You? (5HT1A) The Gene That Increases Cognitive Processing Speed by Inhibiting Inflammation (NFKBIL1) The Key Dopamine Receptor Gene That Influences Your Intelligence And Creativity (DRD2) How to Increase Intelligence and Enhance Learning (BDNF)

Content

Summary NOS1 and NOS1AP and Stress Resilience/Anxiety Your NOS1 and NOS1AP Results for Stress Resilience

Unlock Personalized Results And So Much More!

Shipping Worldwide

30-Days Money-Back Guarantee*

HSA/FSA Eligible

Essential Bundle

SelfDecode DNA Kit

24/7 AI Health Coach
1250+ Comprehensive DNA Health Reports
Personalized Diet, Supplement, & Lifestyle Recommendations
Lifestyle Risk Assessments
Unlimited access to Labs Analyzer

$418

$376

Men's Health Month 10% Off

Essential

Bundle

Everything in essential
SelfDecode DNA Kit
Methylation Pathway
+130 Medical Reports
25+ Longevity Screener Risk Assessments

Odds ratios to evaluate your risk for 25+ medical conditions
10-year risk scores to prioritize health conditions
Lifetime risk scores to plan for long-term health

$667

$566

Men's Health Month 15% Off

Men's Health Month 30% Off

Ultimate Bundle

Everything in essential+
SelfDecode DNA Kit
Medication Check (PGx testing) for 50+ medications
40+ Family Planning (Carrier Status) Reports
Ancestry Percentages
Mitochondrial Ancestry

$894

$625

* SelfDecode DNA kits are non-refundable. If you choose to cancel your plan within 30 days you will not be refunded the cost of the kit.

We will never share your data

We follow HIPAA and GDPR policies

We have World-Class Encryption & Security

People Love Us

Rated 4.7/5 from 750+ reviews

People Trust Us

200,000+ users, 2,000+ doctors & 80+ businesses

SelfDecode is a personalized health report service, which enables users to obtain detailed information and reports based on their genome. SelfDecode strongly encourages those who use our service to consult and work with an experienced healthcare provider as our services are not to replace the relationship with a licensed doctor or regular medical screenings.

Policies

About

Support
Our Team
Affiliate Program
Privacy
Media