Blood is an essential part of every system in our bodies. Without its constant flow to and from the heart, our organs would lack the necessary nutrients needed to do their jobs properly.
Unfortunately, many people suffer from poor blood circulation, and it can cause a plethora of problems. There are ideas you can to improve your blood flow, with the nutrients you take playing a significant role.
This article will help identify the best vitamins that help with blood circulation. Add these to your daily intake and proactively improve your blood vessel function.
Why You Want to Improve Your Circulation
The cause of poor blood circulation is unknown, but it’s generally agreed upon that poor circulation is a complication caused by another underlying medical condition.
These include conditions such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, blood clots, and atherosclerosis.
Thankfully, it’s usually pretty easy to tell if you suffer from poor blood circulation. Symptoms like always being cold, having low energy levels, foggy brain, muscle cramps, and suffering from erectile dysfunction are common among those with this condition.
These above symptoms alone can’t cause you much more than some discomfort, but poor blood circulation can be dangerous if left untreated.
If you don’t diagnose and treat your circulation problems’ root cause, you can suffer from brain damage, heart attack, amputations, organ failure, or tissue damage.
Natural Ways to Improve Blood Flow
It’s essential to find the cause of your sluggish circulatory system before you take any action to improve your blood flow. Some steps that you might take that seem safe could do more harm than good.
Before trying any self-treatments, please consult your doctor and get their recommendations first.
If your doctor approves, there are some natural ways that you can help improve your blood flow. These include:
- Exercise helps to improve your cardiovascular health as a whole by strengthening the heart. A healthy heart will pump your blood easier, lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow.
- Stay well hydrated. Proper hydration creates good blood quality, keeping your blood thin enough for good circulation.
- Deep tissue massage drains the lymphatic system, getting rid of waste materials in your blood. The pressure it puts on your veins aids in the decongesting of your arteries. Massage can remove the pressure, so your arteries will open and new blood will rush to areas that were once blocked.
- You can improve your blood flow by lowering your stress levels. Stress makes blood vessels constrict, giving your blood less room to flow freely.
- Don’t smoke and avoid overdrinking. Both of these habits constrict vessels and are harmful to your overall health.
- Lastly, take vitamins and herbal supplements that increase blood circulation. This article will identify which vitamins are good for blood circulation based on how a dietary supplement improves blood vessel function.
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Which Vitamins are Good for Blood Circulation?
Several vitamins and minerals can help increase blood flow in the body. You can help improve your blood circulation by adding these to your daily diet.
Nitric Oxide
You won’t find a dietary supplement that contains nitric oxide because your body produces nitric oxide itself.
However, you can find nitric oxide boosters that contain ingredients that will aid the body in creating nitric oxide.
Our bodies produce nitric oxide in two different pathways. The first needs nitrates from foods to function. Beetroot powder is a common N.O. boosting supplement because it is so high in nitrate.
L-arginine is a powerful amino acid that helps the body synthesize nitric oxide through the second pathway. L-citrulline is another popular amino acid to aid in this N.O production.
Nitric oxide improves blood circulation by dilating your blood vessels. This widening will allow more blood to flow at one time.
Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Taking these two vitamins together is proven to improve your endothelial cells’ health. These cells form the inner layer of your blood vessels responsible for regulating blood flow.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of arterial plaque and can drastically affect heart health, even causing cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis can also restrict the flow of blood.
Niacin helps break up these fat deposits in the arteries, improve blood flow, and reduce stroke and heart disease risk factors.
Vitamin D
A lack of vitamin D can cause stiff arteries and unhealthy endothelial cells. This restricts the flow of blood, decreasing circulation.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These healthy fats can lower bad cholesterol and improve blood vessel function quality, promoting healthy circulation.
Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids reduces many of the risk factors of heart problems, including atherosclerosis, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure. It’s also considered an anti-inflammatory nutrient.
Herbal Supplements That Help Improve Blood Flow
Beyond vitamins and minerals, you can find herbal supplements that help improve your blood vessel health. This list below includes some of the popular herbal supplements that may increase blood flow.
Garlic
Garlic has long been considered a superfood that can help cure many maladies as it’s high in antioxidants and a potent anti-inflammatory. Its sulfur compounds are responsible for most of the health benefits garlic boasts.
Like niacin, garlic cleans the blood and gets rid of plaque buildup on the endothelial walls. This allows for better circulation.
Ginseng
Ginseng increases circulation in the body by preventing the coagulation of the blood and subsequent blood clots.
This herbal supplement may lower some prescription medicines’ efficacy, so check with your doctor before using it.
Capsaicin
This compound is found in spicy peppers such as cayenne pepper and is often sold under that name.
Capsaicin causes blood to flow to any area that it’s applied to topically in a cream or patch. If ingested, it will act as a vasodilator and nitric oxide booster.
Turmeric
This Indian spice is common in curries and other global cuisines. But the healing value of this spice is much more beneficial than a tasty meal.
Turmeric is high in antioxidants and is a natural anti-inflammatory that improves blood circulation.
In fact, one study showed that curcumin, the powerful compound in turmeric, improved blood flow to the arms by about 37% in just twelve weeks.
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Ginkgo Biloba
Supplementation of this Chinese tree and its seeds increases nitric oxide production in the body. This contributes to increased of blood flow to different parts of the body.
Ginkgo biloba has long been used for its healing properties and is still proving its effectiveness today. Its antioxidants protect and heal the organs and fight inflammation.
Ginger
Another Asian spice, ginger is known for its action as an ACE inhibitor.
It helps keep blood flowing smoothly by stopping angiotensin-1-converting enzymes (ACE) from constricting the blood vessels.
Gotu Kola
Gotu kola is a popular treatment for blood flow, specifically in legs with varicose veins. It helps reduce inflammation but also improves the function of the blood vessels.
The collagen and elastin that Gotu kola contains strengthens the inner lining, or epithelial cells or the arteries. These new stronger veins are less likely to form varicose veins.
Green Tea
Technically considered a drink, you can find green tea supplements made from dried and powdered tea leaves. Experts have long sought green tea to treat cardiovascular disease through its antioxidant properties.
In fact, the catechins in green tea, specifically EGCG, are beneficial to the heart in a variety of ways. This includes reducing bad cholesterol, improving vascular homeostasis, and reducing atherosclerosis.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon increases the blood flow of the coronary artery; the one linked directly to the heart. This blood flow increase aids in the heart’s ability to pump blood to the rest of the body.
Among its other beneficial properties include its ability to lower blood pressure and its antioxidative, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Which Foods Contain Vitamins and Minerals That Help Poor Circulation?
Getting your vitamins and minerals from a natural source always improves the bioavailability of the beneficial nutrients. In other words, your body will more readily accept and absorb vitamins from food than from a synthetic supplement.
One of the most proactive ways to improve your circulation is eating a diet rich in the best foods for blood circulation.
Beetroot
Remember how we talked about nitric oxide and the way it affects your blood vessels? One of the pathways that your body uses to create this vasodilating nutrient is by synthesizing nitrates.
Beets are a top source of food-derived nitrates. Regularly adding beets to your weekly menu can help you improve your blood circulation by keeping your nitric oxide levels up.
Watermelon
Watermelon is an excellent L-citrulline source, an amino acid that helps the body produce nitric oxide differently than through using nitrates.
Again, you can eat watermelon regularly to increase nitric oxide production in the body. This helps keep your blood vessels from constricting and reducing blood flow.
Walnuts and Other Fatty Nuts
Walnuts are the nuts with the highest omega-3 fatty acid content. Other nuts, like almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts, are other great choices.
These nuts also contain L-arginine and vitamin E, which promote better blood flow.
Avocado
Avocados are a popular product to add to a healthy diet to increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake. They also contain vitamin B3, carnitine, and potassium, all beneficial for good circulation.
Grapes
The polyphenols in grapes help promote healthy endothelial cells and functions, improving the quality of veins and healthy blood flow.
These health benefits are most significant in your body when you drink beverages like grape juice and red wine.
Spinach
Spinach and similar leafy green vegetables are also excellent additions to a heart-healthy diet. They are rich in nitrates and iron, improving the flow and quality of blood that is being delivered throughout the body.
Berries
Berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries all bring many health benefits to the body. They are rich in anthocyanin antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Berries help to improve blood flow by keeping your veins free from damage due to inflammation.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish is a protein source full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help keep your blood platelets from clotting and keeping your blood flowing easier.
Healthy fish varieties include salmon, herring, and mackerel. People rely on fish oil supplements to help with various health problems, including aching joints. Studies show that fish oil supplementation also helps to improve blood flow to the extremities.
Pomegranates
Pomegranates are another good source of healthy blood pumping nitrates. These delicious fruits are more than just fun to eat.
Their nitrate content helps improve blood delivery to muscles during exercise through increased nitric oxide production.
Spicy Peppers
We’ve already discussed the effects of capsaicin on the blood vessels and blood flow in the body. Capsaicin is the active component that gives peppers their spicy kick.
Eating peppers like cayenne peppers, jalapenos, and shishito peppers regularly will give your body plenty of capsaicin to improve your blood flow.
Just be wary of any acid or indigestion problems that you have. Eating spicy foods may aggravate this, and you would be better off eating other foods with circulatory benefits instead.
With all the blood circulation improvement options out there, you may be wondering where to start. And it’s a fact that what works for some might not work for others.
With that being said, there are a few tried and true vitamins that almost always produce improvement in circulation.
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