Consider the facts, the adult human body contains an average of 5 liters of blood. If the blood vessels in the adult human were joined end to end they would cover a distance of almost 100,000 km. That’s a lot of blood and a lot of distance the blood has to cover as it circulates around the body. Amongst its myriad of functions, the blood has to timeously deliver vital supplies of oxygen and nutrients to the body tissues and carry away toxic wastes for eventual expulsion from the body.
It goes without saying therefore that the blood’s circulatory system has to function well. There are many ways to improve the performance of the circulatory system.
Regular Exercise
It is vitally important to start and maintain a regular regime of exercising the body in order to improve blood circulation. Here is the reason why. Blood flow in the human body is a two-way system. At any given moment, blood is either flowing away from the heart to the body tissue under pressure provided by the pumping action of the heart or it is flowing from the tissues back towards it. In the former case, pressure due to the heart’s pumping action is sufficient to push it to its destination.
However, if a problem arises on its return journey, there is little or no residual pressure to maintain flow and it has to overcome the downward pull of gravity when flowing upwards from say the legs or hands. This is where exercise comes into place.
The blood vessels which carry blood towards the heart called veins have one-way pocket valves spaced along their entire length. The valves allow blood flow towards the heart only, for example, they prevent backflow.
When one exercise; by running, jogging, cycling, or even walking, the body muscles press and compress the veins forcing blood to flow towards the heart. Without this compressing action by muscles, blood would tend to pool in the feet and hands causing swelling and feelings of numbness.
Take Dietary Supplements
In addition to regular exercise, there is another thing one can do to improve blood circulation, the taking of food supplements. People have been taking supplements for a long time. There are many to choose from, for example, one called Rocket Man.
Supplements for blood circulation have to contain nitrate compounds and the tree bark from which rocket man is extracted has a very high content. The body converts these nitrates to nitric oxide which has such beneficial effects on the circulatory system.
Many supplements work differently, that’s why you have to choose them according to your needs. For example, Rocket Man supplements work on the circulatory system by removing plaque which builds upon the inside walls of blood vessels. It occurs mainly in older people. The buildup tends to reduce the internal diameter of blood vessels thereby restricting the flow of blood so by removing this plaque, blood flow increases, and one feels invigorated.
A Balanced Diet
A diet containing adequate and correct amounts of the right nutrients goes a long way in improving blood circulation. For example, it is medically proven that folic acid repairs damaged vascular tissue which makes up the walls of veins and arteries and makes them stronger, and lessens the chances of rupture. Folic acid also promotes the clotting of blood which speeds up the sealing up and healing of cut or damaged blood vessels thus minimizing blood loss.
To get adequate amounts of folic acid, the diet should include beans, fruits, and leafy vegetables. Another essential nutrient for improved blood circulation is flavonoids. These facilitate the smooth flowing of blood and help prevent localized flooding.
Flavonoids also help to reduce blood pressure and in the relaxation of blood vessel walls. All this has highly beneficial effects on blood circulation. These flavonoids are found in natural foods like onions, garlic, and pepper.
Processed foods with a high content of sodium should be avoided. Sodium has the adverse effect of causing the body to retain high amounts of water which has negative impacts on blood circulation. Instead, foods like potatoes should be favored as they contain potassium which reduces water retention. It is also proven that the extract from grape seeds helps stabilize blood pressure and prevent blood pooling in the legs and arms.
Counter Effects of Gravity
When a person is standing up the force of gravity tends to prevent blood from flowing upwards back towards the heart. To counter this, when at home people should sit with their legs propped up. This will allow blood to flow back easily back towards the heart.
Stop smoking
The nicotine in cigarettes thickens the blood so much that it cannot flow easily. It also reduces the natural strength of the blood vessels themselves making them more susceptible to rapture. It is therefore advisable to stop or reduce smoking in order to improve blood circulation.
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