One of the best things you can do to improve circulation is to exercise regularly. Even a simple walk can make a world of a difference in your health. Stop smoking. Smoking harms the walls of your arteries and causes plaque.
The most common conditions include obesity, diabetes, heart conditions and arterial issues. In fact, poor circulation can be a sneaky symptom of a serious vascular condition called Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).
Potassium (Vitamin K)
Potassium is an essential mineral for many important bodily functions, including blood circulation. It keeps the blood vessel walls strong and can even help prevent bulging veins.
Your extremities can display tingling or numbness, swelling, and heaviness. Poor circulation can even lead to gangrene of the extremities, which is the death of body tissue, which can potentially lead to amputation in severe cases. When blood isn't flowing properly, your extremities will fluctuate in temperature.
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 (the first number in a blood pressure reading), too.
Start doing daily stretching, exercises, or yoga to increase blood flow. Do aerobic or cardio exercises to get your blood moving and your heart rate up. Wear compression stockings to encourage the blood to move from your legs back up to your heart. Eat a healthy diet to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Risks include cardiovascular failure, stroke, and complications such as infected skin ulcers or blood clots. If you have poor circulation, wounds heal more slowly and it takes longer to recover from illnesses. Elderly people with this condition and who are immobile are at greater risk of stroke and blood clots.
Treating circulatory problems early can help prevent serious complications such as a stroke or heart attack.
On average, it takes about 45 seconds for blood to circulate from the heart, all around the body, and back to the heart again. An average adult's heart beats more than 100,000 times a day.
Fruits like apples, plums, pears and guavas have pectin fibre that is useful in cleansing blood. They not only bind with excess fats in your blood but also with heavy metals and other harmful chemicals or waste and remove them efficiently.
Fruits: Raisins, prunes, dried figs, apricots, apples, grapes and watermelons not only get the red blood cells flowing but also improve the blood count. Citrus fruits like oranges, amla or Indian gooseberry, lime and grapefruit help to attract iron. They play a very important role in increasing blood count.
Because they are rich in potassium, bananas help the body's circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps the body maintain a regular heartbeat, lower blood pressure and a proper balance of water in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Packed with potassium, bananas can help improve blood flow by lowering blood pressure. Too much sodium in your diet can cause high blood pressure, but potassium helps the kidneys remove extra sodium from your body, which then passes through your urine. This helps relax blood vessels and enable blood flow.
Staying hydrated helps circulation by improving blood flow throughout the body. Warm water is particularly beneficial as it encourages the veins to expand, thus allowing more room for blood to flow.
Cold hands and feet can be a result of iron deficiency anemia. People with anemia have poor blood circulation throughout their bodies because they don't have enough red blood cells to provide oxygen to their tissue.
Magnesium plays a role in blood circulation and neurotransmitter function and can help control pain by releasing pain-reducing hormones and constricting blood vessels. Improved digestion.
Which B vitamins can help circulation? Vitamin B12 is most beneficial for circulation as it helps to keep nerve and blood cells working well. Without enough vitamin B12, the body may not be able to create enough red blood cells to transport oxygen around the body.
Specifically, vitamin B3 has been shown to reduce inflammation and increase circulation. People who always have cold hands and feet may want to consider a vitamin B supplement to improve blood flow and heart health.
Not only is poor blood circulation in the legs and feet uncomfortable, but it can cause life-threatening problems if it goes unchecked. Always seek medical assistance if you're suffering from any of the symptoms, especially if you've been diagnosed with one of the known causes of poor blood circulation.