Top Vitamins for Healthy Circulation
While vitamins should most often be consumed through food whenever possible, you may benefit from over-the-counter supplements with the guidance of a physician. Either way, make sure your diet is rich in the following vitamins to improve circulation.
B-Complex Vitamins
Vitamin B deficiency can harm your health in many ways, including circulation. For example, Riboflavin (B2) assists in the production of red blood cells, and Cobalamin (B12) helps prevent anemia (low red blood cell count). You need all of the B vitamins for healthy circulation and can find them in enjoyable staples like steak, brown rice, and broccoli. Did you need another reason to enjoy steak?
Potassium (Vitamin K)
Potassium is an essential mineral for many important bodily functions, including blood circulation. It keeps the blood vessel walls strong and can even help prevent bulging veins. Potassium can be found in a variety of healthy and tasty foods like bananas and avocados. So get yourself a banana on the run and tell the waiter you’ll take extra guacamole with your burrito.
Vitamin C
Famous for its role in immune support, Vitamin C offers more health benefits than we give it credit for. This includes crucial healing functions for vein membranes and the strengthening of vein walls. If you’re tired of oranges, consider other vitamin C-rich foods like brussels sprouts, kiwi, and strawberries.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is infamous for its moisturizing benefits, but it also affects your blood platelets and prevents them from clumping together or sticking to the vein walls to form blood clots. Vitamin E is found in a lot of amazing snacks, like almonds and sunflower seeds, but it’s also found in large quantities in mangos, salmon, and trout.
Snack Time! Add These Foods for Improved Circulation
While the vitamin-rich foods listed above are delicious and healthy, helping you improve your overall health and circulation, there are foods that pack a more powerful punch. If you’re looking for foods that do the most good for your veins and circulation, here are our top picks for you.
- Beets: Expand and reduce inflammation of your blood vessels, widen arteries, enhance oxygen flow to muscles, and lower blood pressure with nitrates.
- Berries: Improve circulation, lower blood pressure, widen arteries, and reduce inflammation with antioxidants in blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
- Citrus: Decrease inflammation, enhance blood flow, and help varicose veins with flavonoids and antioxidants in oranges and lemons. They’re also a rich source of Vitamin C.
- Fatty Fish: Those trendy Omega-3 fatty acids are actually good for something, stimulating nitric oxide production, opening up your blood vessels, and enhancing blood flow. They also help prevent blood clots and arterial plaque while lowering blood pressure and increasing the HDL cholesterol your doctor has begged you to improve.
- Nuts: Reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure with Vitamin E and potassium-rich nuts like walnuts. Sprinkle it on a salad or eat it instead of chips during your next snack attack.
- Onions: Put it on a salad or chop it up for a healthy soup or savory stew. Either way, onions are packed with flavonoid antioxidants which help dilate your arteries and veins for enhanced circulation. They also reduce inflammation, which improves overall health.
