DIET AND FITNESS:
Bad Circulation --Top 10 Causes
and Remedies
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May 4, 2010
By Rory McClenaghan, Contributing Columnist
Bad circulation affects an incredible 20 million Americans,
according to the National Health Institute. Sufferers, often
over the age of 50, complain of numbness in their hands,
feet, or legs, a cold feeling in their limbs, cramping, and an
inability to heal after infections. These symptoms at best
make life uncomfortable and at worse are dangerous to your
long-term health.
But, as ever, knowledge is the key. Knowing the causes of
bad circulation will help you eliminate risk factors and make
you less likely to suffer from the condition. Just what are the
causes of poor ciculation? Are there any foods that help to
improve your circulation? Are there exercises that help to
remedy bad circulations?
Here are the top 10 causes of bad circulation and the
remedies that help:
1. Diabetes – Bad circulation and the associated pains in your
hands and feet are some of the symptoms of diabetes, as
spelled out in Diagnosis and Management of the Metabolic
Syndrome: An American Heart Association/National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute Scientific Statement (Grundy et al,
2005).
If you feel you have bad circulation your first port of call
should be your physician, who will test for diabetes. If you
test positive, he will work with you to control it through
medication and changes to your diet and lifestyle. This
should stop your circulation problems. Here is a
recommended meal plan for diabetics.
2. Varicose Veins – Often caused by standing or walking for
long periods, varicose veins occur when the valves,
particularly in the veins of the leg, stop working. This allows
blood to flow backwards and causes a build-up in the veins,
making them stretch. The circulation of the blood is
therefore hindered.
Although serious cases of varicose veins can be treated by
surgery there are simpler methods that will help.
Compression stockings are widely available and have been
shown in studies, such as the one conducted in France in
1989 to be effective (Changes of cutaneous microcirculation
from elasto-compression in chronic venous insufficiency).
Here are some of the most effective natural remedies for
varicose veins.
3. High blood pressure – Although it is often symptomless,
high blood pressure is often either the cause or an effect of
other conditions which lead to bad circulation, according to
an important report on blood pressure, "Essential
Hypertension Part I: Definition and Etiology, University of
Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, 2000". A regular
check-up with your physician will include a blood pressure
check. Changing your diet to include foods that lower blood
pressure also helps of course.
4. Arteriosclerosis – This means the hardening of your
arteries. When the passages that blood flows through
narrow, tissue and muscle is starved of oxygenated blood
and the classic symptoms of poor circulation come rushing in
close behind. In its most serious form, arteriosclerosis can
lead to heart attacks. The main culprit in the narrowing of
the arteries is cholesterol. That's why the American Heart
Association recommends a diet avoiding trans fats. These
unsaturated fats are found in fast food, fried food and baked
goods. So the key is to eat a healthy diet.
5. Obesity – Obesity causes poor circulation. Just one of the
myriad symptoms of being overweight is poor circulation
(Obesity: Impact on Cardiovascular Disease, 1998). A high-
calorie intake combined with a lack of exercise leads to more
weight than the body can deal with, so it's no wonder your
heart has trouble getting blood to it. There's no magic fix for
this one. The key is reducing obesity is exercise and a
healthy diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables and
avoiding trans fats at all costs.
6. Deep Vein Thrombosis – Or DVT, is often associated with
long-distance air travel, but can be caused by any long
period of inactivity. For example, when recovering from an
operation. DVT is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein.
The clot stops circulation and leads to pain and swelling in
the effected limb, usually a leg. Just as with varicose veins,
compression stockings can help lower the risk of getting
DVT. Also helpful is anti-inflammatory medicine such as
aspirin, or ibuprofen, which thins the blood and makes
clotting less likely (Prevention of pulmonary embolism and
deep vein thrombosis with low dose aspirin: Pulmonary
Embolism Prevention (PEP) trial, published in Lancet, 2000)
7. High salt intake – High salt intake can lead to both a
hardening of your arteries and high blood pressure. Salt is a
major cause of poor circulation. In a 2009 report on salt
intakes around the world from The Imperial College of
London, salt was found to have a profound impact on public
health.
People often get confused about how to lower their salt
intake. Simply not adding extra salt to your food is not
enough. You need to examine the salt content of the food
you eat. We all know potato chips are salty, but less obvious
food stuffs like processed meat, soups, ketchup, soy sauce
and frozen pizza are loaded with salt. The United States
Dietary Allowance recommends taking less than 2,400mg of
salt everyday, so make sure you check the salt content on
food packaging.
8. Posture – Did you know that posture can affect your
circulation? The way you sit, stand or comport yourself in
general could be a factor in circulation problems, as pointed
out by the Chiropractors' Association of Australia among
other groups.
Posture is a particular problem for office workers and
anyone in a sedentary position for most of the day. Sitting
too long causes bad circulation. Ergonomics is a field
designed to help you be as comfortable and healthy in your
workplace as possible. Most offices will have an ergonomist
on hand or can call one in to help find the right posture for
you. This can mean adjusting your desk, chair, the way you
sit, or simply providing exercises for you to do throughout
the day to keep the blood flow constant.
9. Smoking – Tobacco smoke harms veins and also leads to
the narrowing of arteries. This is how smoking causes bad
circulation. It's not hard to think of the remedy for this
cause – stop smoking. A study by the University of California
in 2009 found that heart attack rates (closely related to bad
circulation) fell by 36 per cent in European countries in the
three years following bans on smoking in bars.
10. Lack of exercise – You may not be obese but if you don't
exercise regularly, it could be a contributing cause to your
bad circulation, according to a 2003 report, "Exercise and
Cardiovascular Health" from Stanford University.
Just a brisk walk every day can have a hugely beneficial
effect on your circulation. In addition to other health
benefits of walking, you should always walk a least 30 to 45
minutesa day just to keep your circulation healthy. If you
work in a sedentary occupation --- as so many of us do!---
get up from your seat regularly and take a walk a walk to get
the blood flowing.
Bonus Tips:
11. Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Deficiency-Vitamin B3 (niacin)
improves poor circulation generally throughout the body.
For those unaccustomed to taking niacin supplements,
Vitamin B3 supplements can make feel warm, giving you a
red "flush" in your face and skin. The first approach, if you
have a Vitamn B3 deficiency, is to eat more foods high in
Vitamin B3 such as Brewer's yeast. I you use supplements,
start slowly, gradually increasing your dosage over time to
the recommended safe limits.
You're just getting started. Learn more about the
relationship between your diet and your risk for other
diseases and conditions: Vitamin B3 (Niacin)-A Powerful Ally
Against Cholesterol / Swollen Ankles -Causes and
Cures//How Much Is Too Much Salt? /Sugar-The Disease
Connection / Are Diet Sodas Bad for Your Health? / Ideal
Breakfast for Diabetics / Ideal Breakfast for Arthritis
/Healing Foods Links / Foods That Shrink Your Waist /
Foods That Lower Cholesterol/ VLDL-The Other Cholesterol/
Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure
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