Foods & Herbs to Increase Venous Circulation
Venous insufficiency is a group of circulatory symptoms you may experience when the circulation in your veins has diminished. Edema and varicose veins are common conditions associated with poor venous circulation. A natural way you can improve your circulation is to incorporate foods like fish, whole grains and plenty of fruits and berries into your diet. Fruits and berries are important food groups because they contain dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals like zinc, vitamin E and vitamin C, plus antioxidants and bioflavonoids, which are known to stimulate your circulation.
Foods
Foods known to increase circulation include food groups high in fiber and foods packed with antioxidants and bioflavonoids. A healthy diet with adequate amounts of dietary fiber is believed to aid in poor circulation through the association between the digestive tract and blood circulation.
Include whole grains in your diet by consuming more high-fiber grains such as barley, buckwheat, oatmeal and brown rice. All fruits and vegetables are naturally high in fiber, plus they are natural sources of antioxidants and bioflavonoids.
Antioxidant foods include green tea, grapes, hawthorn berries, blueberries, pineapples, berries, dark chocolate, chilies, garlic, fish and olive oil. High antioxidant vegetables such as garlic and chilies, which are often used as spices in cooking, should be added to food regularly.
Antioxidant foods containing oligomeric procyanidins, a phytochemical present in only some antioxidant food groups believed to especially aid in strengthening vein elasticity, are red wine, dark chocolate, pine bark, cranberry, mulberry, bilberry, blueberry and grapes.
Foods high in bioflavonoids are green tea, red wine, legumes, onions, berries, citrus fruits and soy products, including lecithin.
Rutin, another special ingredient found in some bioflavonoid food groups, is believed to aid in strengthening the vein walls and conditions of venous edema. Bioflavonoid foods high in Rutin include apricots, blueberries, cherries, citrus fruits, black tea, rose hip and buckwheat.
