Blood flow is necessary for good health. It has to constantly work to be able to supply all parts of our body. However, it can become more complex with age, especially for blood to move from the feet and legs to the heart.

On the one hand, decreased blood flow can cause illness, muscle pain, and cramps. That’s why we are often told to do exercises.

There are the reasons why you have to make it work by doing exercises, and also by eating good healthy foods.

On the other hand, some people, often the most active, may want to increase their blood flow for better athletic performance, particularly for athletes.

So let’s talk about foods to increase your blood flow and how to implement them into your consumption.

Food to increase blood flow

1/ Tomatoes

Research has proved that tomatoes simultaneously open your blood vessels and improve blood flow and circulation.

Moreover, tomatoes can reduce inflammation and disrupt platelet aggregation, essential for blood coagulation. All these facts improve blood circulation.

One nutrient content in the tomato can also delay the arrival of cardiovascular diseases.

TIP: Try to eat as many salads as possible for lunch because it’s one of the healthiest meals and add tomatoes.

2/ Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains perfect nutrients for better health and, therefore, better blood circulation.

So, it increases the blood vessel dilation like tomatoes and blood flow in the coronary artery, which supplies blood to the heart. It was shown by studies on animals.

Then, by relaxing your blood vessels, cinnamon can reduce the blood pressure in your body. In this way, it keeps you healthy.

TIP: If you tolerate this taste, add some cinnamon to your breakfast or healthy snack.

3/ Berries

Berries, in general, are incredibly healthy and one of the best foods to increase your blood flow.

You should know that inflammation can damage blood vessels and raise blood pressure. These two facts will cause circulatory problems. To counter this, berries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities that positively impact your blood flow.

So, the consumption of berries can lower blood pressure, platelet aggregation, heart rate, and inflammation in your veins.

TIP: Eating berries instead of a sugary dessert can be an excellent way to improve blood flow by removing sugar which can be very healthy as well

4/ Onions

Like berries, onions are an excellent source of antioxidants. Thus, they are beneficial to help your arteries and blood vessels to increase blood circulation.

Studies have shown that taking a few quantities of onions daily for a month significantly improved blood flow with artery dilation.

They also reduce inflammation, which will boost the blood flow, your heart health, and of course, your health in general.

TIP: Add a few slices of onions to your meals. This is not bad because it will give a little more taste to those.

5/ Beetroots

Additionally, you must know that beetroot is high in nitrates which will relax your blood vessels and increase the flow of blood at the same time.

It’s well-known that athletes supplement their meals with beetroot juice to improve their performance. This juice improves the oxygen flow in muscle tissues, stimulates blood flow, boosts your metabolism, and increases nitric oxide levels.

Furthermore, beetroots also help older persons with circulatory issues. That’s why some of the best foods increase your blood flow.

TIP: Beetroots can be good complements into healthy smoothies. So, don’t hesitate to make a smoothie with beetroots if you feel hungry.

6/ Ginger

After that, ginger can also lower blood pressure and improve circulation. By the way, that’s the reason why Indian and Chinese people use it for traditional medicine.

It was proven by studies that ginger reduces high blood pressure in both animals and humans. And people who consume the most ginger have lower risks of developing critical blood pressure.

That’s good to know, right?

TIP: For some people, ginger can be too spicy. That’s why you can mix it in juices or with other foods. Having ginger tea can be a great option as well.

7/ Fatty fishes

Fatty fishes, like salmon or mackerel, are excellent because they contain an essential source of omega-3. Not only being especially good for circulation, but they will also help you to lose weight.

Omega-3 fats help to inhibit the clumping of platelets in your blood.

Moreover, fish oil supplements will reduce high blood pressure and improve muscle flow during and after practising exercises.

Some studies proved in 10 healthy men that taking high doses of fish oils daily improved blood flow to the legs after exercise.

TIP: You can replace meats with fatty fish for all these benefits. And you will have enough protein as well to compensate with beef.

8/ Walnuts

Eating walnuts may reduce inflammation and blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. These facts can be beneficial for people having diabetes.

If you have diabetes, you can often have circulation issues and high blood pressure; walnuts and nuts generally contain a lot of vitamin E and alpha-lipoic acid (an antioxidant). These two components are going to help you.

It was shown that out of about 30 people with diabetes, those who ate nuts regularly every day significantly improved blood circulation. So eventually, it’s one of the best foods to increase your blood flow, especially if you have diabetes.

TIP: If you’re hungry mid-morning or afternoon, we recommend you eat some walnuts as a healthy snack.

9/ Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits like lemon and orange contain vitamins, antioxidants, and flavonoids.

These flavonoids can reduce the inflammation in your body, which will reduce blood pressure at the same time.

Additionally, regular consumption of citrus fruits has been associated with reduced blood pressure and a decreased risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.

TIP: If you like lemon, don’t hesitate to add some to your drinks or fish. Starting your day with a glass of water and lemon is also really healthy.

How to increase blood flow

As seen in this article, to keep excellent blood flow and a healthy lifestyle simultaneously, you can exercise yourself but try to pay attention to what you eat.

Different types of foods can improve this blood flow and reduce pressure. For instance, spices like ginger and cinnamon, and many fruits and vegetables like berries, tomatoes, onions, and beetroots. These foods are especially advised if you have diabetes or are getting older.

The goal is to keep a classic healthy diet, eat veggies and fruit, and try to implement these certain foods into your daily life.

So now you know what foods you can add to your meals to improve your blood flow!