Blood circulation is part of the circulation system of your body that is responsible for sending blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout your body. When blood flow to a specific part of your body is reduced or impaired, you may experience the symptoms of poor circulation. While poor circulation is not a condition in itself. Instead, it results from other health issues. Therefore, it’s important to treat the underlying causes, rather than just the symptoms. Several conditions can lead to poor circulation. The most common causes include obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, and arterial issues.
The best treatment for poor circulation depends on the cause, and problems in the arteries or veins are often responsible.
However, there might be foods that might aid with circulation which act as a complementary aid.
What are the symptoms of poor circulation?
The most common symptoms of poor circulation include:
- tingling
- numbness
- throbbing or stinging pain in your limbs
- pain
- muscle cramps
What foods help with circulation?
- Cayenne Pepper
There is a compound called capsaicin in cayenne pepper that can help your arteries work well. It can also help relax the muscles in your blood vessels so blood can flow easily.
2. Beetroot
This root vegetable is rich in nitrate, which your body can convert to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps to naturally loosen up your blood vessels and improve the flow of blood to your tissues and organs. Researchers have found that beet juice can lower your systolic blood pressure.
3. Berries
Berries are rich in antioxidants, including one that’s particularly good for your blood vessels: anthocyanin. It is the compound that gives beets the red and purple hue. Anthocyanin can help protect the walls of your arteries from damage and keep them from becoming stiff. Anthocyanin also spurs the release of nitric oxide, which helps to lower your blood pressure.
4. Pomegranates
The tiny juicy red seeds inside a pomegranate are packed with nutrients, in particular antioxidants and nitrates. These can boost your circulation. And they widen your blood vessels and lower your blood pressure. That means that more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your muscles and other tissues.
5. Garlic
Garlic contains a sulfur compound called allicin that helps your blood vessels relax. Studies show that in people who eat a diet rich in garlic, blood flows more efficiently which in turn helps keep your blood pressure down.
6. Walnuts
These nuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid, which may help blood move smoothly. A study found that eating walnuts regularly for 8 weeks improved blood vessel health, helped those vessels stay elastic, and lowered blood pressure.
7. Grapes
A study found that the antioxidants in grapes encouraged blood vessels to relax and work more efficiently. Grapes curb inflammatory and other molecules in the blood that could make blood sticky, which can get in the way of circulation.
8. Tumeric
Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric may boost the production of nitric oxide, which can help make your blood vessels wider which in turn, makes it easier for blood to flow and get to your muscles and other tissues.
9. Spinach
Nitrate-rich foods like spinach may improve your circulation. Nitrate help enlarge your blood vessels and create more room for blood to move through. Some studies have found that a diet rich in spinach helped keep arteries flexible and helped lower blood pressure.
10. Citrus fruits
Antioxidants in citrus fruits decrease inflammation, boost circulation, and help prevent blood clots. Results of one study found that people who drank orange juice regularly experienced lower blood pressure.
