It's well known that a healthy diet and exercise are good for your health. But many people don't know that a molecule already produced in our bodies could have a dramatic impact on keeping blood pressure under control.

It could be the key to your cardiovascular health. But a National Family Opinion survey finds less than one percent of Americans know what Nitric Oxide is.

"Nitric Oxide is one of the most important signaling molecules in the body in protecting the cardiovascular system and other systems against developing disorder or disease," said Doctor Louis Ignarro, a Nobel Prize Winner.

Ignarro's Nobel Prize winning research found Nitric Oxide works by keeping the body's arteries and veins dilated, allowing for maximum blood flow and circulation. His latest study has been published by the National Academy of Sciences.

"What we discovered is that our own blood vessels can produce Nitric Oxide and we know higher levels of Nitric Oxide can improve cardiovascular health," said Ignarro.

Yet, in the national survey 7 percent mistakenly identified Nitric Oxide as car exhaust. One in four thought it was laughing gas.

"It's not surprising to me that the public doesn't know that much about Nitric Oxide," said Dr. Debra Judelson, a Cardiologist. "The medical profession has only learned about it in the last decade. What is surprising is that we're not doing enough to make the public aware. "

While you can't consume Nitric Oxide directly, exercise can stimulate its natural production in our bodies. Foods high in protein, some fruits, dark chocolates and supplements containing the amino acids arginine and citrulline can also help.

"It's virtually impossible to take enough foods to increase your nitric oxide level naturally," said Judelson. "It's much more helpful to use exercise, the foods and supplements if possible."

Ignarro is continuing his research into boosting our bodies Nitric Oxide levels.

"Based on my research I believe that we can improve cardiovascular health by increasing the production of Nitric Oxide in the body," he said