In this week's Power & Impact, I spoke with Dr. Nathan Bryan, a scientist whose life's work centers on a molecule that most of us have never heard of — but one he believes may hold important clues to how we age and why we get sick.

Nitric oxide helps regulate blood flow, oxygen delivery, and cellular communication throughout the body. Dr. Bryan says we produce plenty of it when we're young, but much less as we get older. He believes that decline may contribute to many of the conditions we associate with aging, from cardiovascular disease to diminished energy and cognitive performance.

Our conversation explores why modern medicine often focuses on treating disease after it appears rather than preventing it in the first place. Dr. Bryan argues that many of the habits we've come to accept as normal — from what we eat to how we care for our oral health — may have unintended consequences for our long-term well-being. He also shares the research that led him from a university laboratory to founding his own company in an effort to bring those discoveries to a broader audience.

Whether you agree with all of Dr. Bryan's conclusions or not, I think you'll find this conversation thought-provoking. After all, progress often begins when someone is willing to question conventional wisdom and follow the evidence wherever it leads.