Causes of poor circulation

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Circulation-Affecting Food

Causes of poor circulation can be diverse – slipped discs, muscle spasms due to poor posture, inflammation, exposure to low
Making smart dietary changes can give circulation a big boost. Start by eliminating caffeine, alcohol, and soft drinks. And avoid foods high in sugar, starch, and fat, all of which interfere with proper circulation.
Instead, focus on getting more fiber, which can be especially helpful for anyone with unhealthy cholesterol levels. Stop eating foods containing artery-clogging substances, such as trans fats and saturated fats. Replace them with better food choices that include good fats, like the omega-3s found in fish and fish oil supplements, olive oil, grapeseed oil, and the monounsaturated fats in nuts.
Upgrading your diet to a Mediterranean-style menu, including lots of vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and nuts, can improve circulation, too. Clinical trials have repeatedly found that the Mediterranean diet protects against a number of serious conditions, including heart disease, which is closely linked to poor circulation.

Causes of poor circulation can be diverse – slipped discs, muscle spasms due to poor posture, inflammation, exposure to low tempatures, and many others.  
Sometimes our bad habits, like alcohol abuse, too much caffeine, taking drugs or strong medications, lack of postural health, nutrional deficiencies or excessive stress, can cause a deficiency in blood circulation in the extremities.
On other occasions the causes can be due to more serious health complications like obstruction of the peripheral arteries, ateriosclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, coronary disease, heart arrhythmia, kidney failure, lung infection, diabetes, hypertension, or obstruction of the blood vessels by blood clots.

The best idea is a healthy diet, and some home remedies can help not only alleviate the symptoms but also help with complete healing.

 
Smoking less, not habitually drinking alcohol, walking more, bicycling and strength training for the arms and legs, swimming or aquatic activities are all great activities.  Walking for 40 minutes is accessible for the majority of people and brings incredible improvements.  It is also recommended that you use loose clothing, especially when sleeping, and to avoid low temperatures.

Natural Nutrition

Eating foods rich in vitamin C will activate our circulation.  Those that have substantial vitamin C are the citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, kiwis, grapefruits, and limes, as well as other fruits like guavas, pomelos, strawberries, berries, and watermelon and melon.  Tomatoes, spinach, green and red peppers, Brussel sprouts, and parsley are also rich in vitamin C
Watermelon, tomatoes, and strawberries also contain lycopene, which activates blood circulation.  Another indispensable vitamin for good circulation is vitamin E.  We can find it in high concentrations in green, leafy vegetables like spinach or broccoli, as well as in brewer’s yeast or wheat germ.  They also come in fruites and vegetables rich in potassium, like bananas.
Some oils rich in vitamin E and high levels of Omega 3 are sesame oil, walnut oil, palm oil, almond oil, olive oil, although it is also the case that it is recommended that you eat the fruits: olives, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.  It is also recommended that you include egg yolks, cold-water fish, and spirulina supplements to help improve circulation.
It would be best to avoid foods rich in saturated fats like dairy products, such as butter, cream, lunchmeats, pastries, since triglycerides and cholesterol thicken the blood considerably and this directly affects circulation.  Also, do not eat an excess of salt or sodium, which absorb water and also affect the liquidity of the blood.
A very useful accompaniment are the proteinases which lower inflammation very effectively.  One such proteinase might be pineapple bromelain, which we can find as a supplement in pharmacies like serrazimes, which are derived from fungi and not from pineapple, but which have even more effects.  Take 3 to 5 per day in between meals.

Natural Remedies

In addition to a healthy, natural diet, with few saturated fats and rich in vegetables, it is a good practice to help circulation to accompany with some home remedies that work well to activate the blood flow to the extremities:aloe
  • Apply the juice of aloe vera or sabila to the affected regions.  It is also good to consume three tablespoons of this juice in between meals.
  • Apply essential oils.  Dilute lavender essential oil in almond or coconut oil and massage into legs, feet, arms, or hands.
  • Herbal infusions.  Yarrow or ginger tea, infusion of horsetail, mistletoe, passion flower, gingko biloba, thyme, sage, or rosemary are great for activating the circulation.  Drink whichever you have on hand.  Let it boil 15 minutes over low heat, then let it sit for 5 minutes, strain, and drink before each meal.
  • Eat one or two garlic cloves before breakfast, or add considerable garlic to our daily diet.  It will help increase blood flow, as well as ridding the veins of plaque and thereby preventing arteriosclerosis.
  • Drink a litre of mineral water before breakfast, drinking glass by glass, slowly, to help create better circulation.  In addition, drink sufficient healthy liquid during the day, like infusions, fruit juices, and fresh fruits, milks, and vegetable broths.
  • Apply clay poultices in affected zones, and this will help not only to improve circulation, but also swelling and varicose veins caused by poor circulation.
  • Soak feet and hands in hot water with pepper each night.  It is an ancient remedy that helps activate circulation in the extremities.
  • Soak hands and feet with ginger root.  Mix a fourth of ginger powder in two litres of hot water and then submerge the affected members in the mixture.
  • Pour a cup of fresh mint into a gallon of recently heated water, insert feet and soak for 15 minutes, and dry them well after.  One tablespoon of rosemary and another of rue in half a litre of boiled water for 10 minutes, can be used, once sufficiently cooled, to wash hands and feet.
  • Bath of rosemary, elderberry, horsetail, burdock, and comfry.  Add a fistful of these herbs in abundant boiling water, let rest for 30 minutes, and strain before adding to bath water.  Bathe for 15 minutes and then wrap yourself in a towel for another 10 minutes.
  • Take an onion bath, boiling 10 litres of water one kilo of onion, and add the broth to the bathtub with warm water, and bathe yourself in it for ten minutes.
All of these traditional remedies present great relief from symptoms as they go about activating better arm and leg circulation as well as in the rest of the body.

Conditions Caused by Poor Circulation

  • Dark Circles Under the Eyes
  • Cold Feet & Hands
  • Itching
  • Eye Problems
  • Vertigo & Dizziness
  • Muscle cramps
  • Numbness
  • Leg ulcers
  • Boils
  • Blood clots
  • Carpal Tunnel
  • Chilblains
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Raynaud's Disease
  • Varicose veins
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Memory loss

Blood Circulation in Children

While adults are typically the most common age group to contend with most circulation issues, children can be affected by them, as well. Since the heart is the primary organ in the circulatory system, responsible for pulmonary and systemic functioning, babies born with complex congenital heart defects are especially prone to experiencing difficulties.
Whether or not temporary or corrective surgical interventions were performed for this condition, any defect in normal blood flow can have a significant impact on a child’s physical and mental development, from growth to behavioral and academic performance.

Help for Circulation

Following a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to promote and maintain circulatory health. As high cholesterol levels can lead to clogged arteries, plaque deposits and hypertension, eating a high fiber and low fat diet will help keep blood flowing. Getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking will all help, as well.
 

More Information on Circulation

If you are having a hard time healing, experiencing blueness or pallor, or are experiencing hands and feet that are always cold even at a comfortable temperature, you may have blood circulation problems. You might also be wondering how to improve your circulation.

Tips for the Prevention of Poor Circulation

  • Drink plenty of water, at least eight glasses a day for proper hydration
  • Eat green, leafy vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and poultry in small portions
  • Limit sugar, alcohol, protein, dairy products, salt, caffeine and refined white flour products such as pasta
  • Drink lemonade with real lemon juice – lemon juice contains citrate
  • Exercise regularly, physical activity helps to remove the stone
  • Increase your intake of magnesium and vitamin B6 supplements
  • Use hot packs or castor oil packs to relieve the pain and cramping
  • Try massage therapy, which can also help promote circulation

Foods to Improve Circulation

  • Fruits and vegetables of any kind are good for your health, particularly oranges, which provide high levels of bioflavonoids to promote blood flow while also strengthening capillaries, as well as watermelon, a natural source of lycopene, which has been known to help prevent plaque buildup, a common hindrance to blood flow, to help promote healthy circulation.
  • Nuts are rich in vitamin B3, which helps boost the blood.
  • Garlic also helps promote circulation.
  • Avoid saturated and trans fats, as well as sugary sodas or fruit drinks. This will help thin the blood so that it passes more easily through the small blood vessels.