Can You Increase Your Blood Flow with Vitamins?

Overview

Practitioners of both traditional medical and alternative healing agree that proper blood circulation is a key factor of health and wellness. There are a number of different ways to improve blood flow, including diet and lifestyle.

You can take specific vitamins and supplements to support healthy blood flow for your entire body or for specific areas.

Vitamins and supplements for increased blood flow

Many people suffer the effects of poor circulation. If you often experience cold hands or feet, you may be among them. Not only can this be uncomfortable, but it can negatively impact your health.

For example, your cognitive function can decline if your brain is receiving inadequate blood supply. Or reduced blood flow could lead to erectile dysfunction.

There are vitamins, minerals, and supplements that many believe can help improve your circulation. For example:

  • Vitamin E. You can easily incorporate this vitamin into your diet by preparing foods using oils like wheat germ oil, hazelnut oil, sunflower oil, and other nut oils. Also, you can purchase food-grade vitamin E oil at most natural food stores and even many grocery stores.
  • B vitamins. You will find vitamin B supplements in most grocery and drugstore vitamin aisles. Leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale are great sources of these vitamins.
  • Iron. This mineral is available in supplement form, which makes it easy to ingest an adequate amount. It’s possible to get enough iron through your diet too, by eating a lot of red meats and leafy green vegetables. Because of the cardiovascular risks associated with red meat, your doctor may advise you to choose the supplement and leafy greens instead of increasing your red meat intake.
Herbs that improve blood circulation

Many vitamin supplements contain herbs that natural health advocates believe promote circulation throughout the body. Here are some of the most popular:

  • bacopa (Bacopa monnieri)
  • black pepper (Piper nigrum)
  • butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus)
  • cayenne (Capsicum annuum)
  • chickweed (Stellaria media)
  • ginger (Zingiber officinale)
  • gotu kola (Centella asiatica)
  • hawthorn (Crataegus)
  • maidenhair (Ginkgo biloba)
  • thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
  • turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Improving circulation naturally

In addition to taking vitamins and supplements to boost your blood flow, you can improve your body’s circulation by leading a healthy lifestyle that incorporates the following:

  • Exercise. This is among the top methods for getting your blood flowing. Because the heart is at the center of the body’s blood flow, it’s important to have a healthy heart if you aim for optimal circulation everywhere in your body.
  • Stress management. When a patient has poor circulation, doctors often ask them about their stress levels. This is because when the body experiences stress, blood vessels constrict. Learning to manage your stress is a great way to complement other things you are doing to improve your circulation.
  • Massage. Not only can a massage help with stress management, but it also helps improve circulation through the lymphatic and cardiovascular systems. When the muscles are manipulated effectively by a professional, your body releases chemicals called endorphins that make you feel good. Some massage therapists even offer treatment using essential oils that may help improve blood flow, such as rosemary, sage, and juniper.
  • Fluid intake. Blood has a very high water content. Keeping your body well-hydrated is an easy way to maintain or improve your circulation.
  • Stopping smoking. Smoke causes blood vessels to constrict, decreasing the amount of blood that is able to flow through those vessels.

Increasing blood flow to the penis

All the suggestions above are also recommended by natural health proponents to help increase blood flow specifically to the penis.

They also suggest that you can improve blood flow to this specific area with the use of:

  • Vitamin D. Also known as “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D has many benefits. These include keeping the cells that line the blood vessels (endothelial cells) healthy.
  • L-arginine. L-arginine is an amino acid that helps expand blood vessels and amplify blood flow.
  • Ginseng. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) and Asian ginseng (P. Ginseng) are believed by natural healers to manage male sexual dysfunction as well as boost energy and promote relaxation.
  • Yohimbe. Made from the bark of a tree native to Western Africa, yohimbe has been used for years by natural healers to treat erectile dysfunction. A concentrated and standardized version is called yohimbine.
  • Horny goat weed. A traditional remedy in China for erectile dysfunction, low libido, and other complaints, horny goat weed is believed by many advocates of natural medicine to contain a compound that blocks the effects of an enzyme that restricts blood flow to the penis.

Outlook

There are many ways to boost your circulation. Whether you’re looking to increase total body circulation or improve blood flow to your penis, many health and wellness practitioners suggest using vitamins and supplements.

You’ll get the best results if you work alongside your doctor, who can design a plan tailored specifically to your health profile and help you avoid potentially negative side effects.

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