Overview

Restricted blood flow through your body is the hallmark of many illnesses, including infamously fatal heart attacks.

For this reason, including foods that improve blood flow can lower your risk of numerous diseases (e.g., blood hypertension, heart disease).

In this article, we will cover all there is to know about the best foods to improve blood flow, as well as the reason you’d want to do that.

The best foods to improve blood flow

Walnuts

Walnuts are rich in L-arginine, alpha-lipoic acid, and vitamin E. These compounds boost the production of nitric oxide (NO), which is responsible for vasodilation (i.e., expansion of blood vessels).

Consuming walnuts can help with high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, and heart disease.

In one study, 24 diabetics consumed 56 grams of walnuts per day. After 8 weeks, they experienced significant improvement in their blood flow.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes may lower the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). This enzyme leads to vasoconstriction (i.e., blood vessel shrinkage) to control blood pressure.

According to some research, tomatoes work similarly to a class of drugs known as ACE inhibitors. These drugs are commonly prescribed for chronic blood hypertension.

Onions

Onions are loaded with antioxidants, such as flavonoids.

They also improve blood circulation by expanding your veins and arteries. In one study that included 23 men, researchers found that taking 4.3 grams of onion extract on a daily basis leads to significant arterial dilation.

Moreover, onions come with excellent anti-inflammatory properties, further optimizing their vasodilatory effects.

Cinnamon

In some animal studies, scientists found that cinnamon can lower the risk of heart attacks by improving blood flow in the coronary artery.

For instance, rats that received 200 mg of cinnamon per kilogram showed improved cardiac performance and coronary artery blood flow.

Garlic

Garlic is an established food in the high blood pressure and heart disease departments.

Some studies suggest that garlic induces blood vessel relaxation, which improves blood flow. The exact compound that promotes this effect is allicin.

 

However, all the sulfur compounds contained in garlic seem to generate similar results.

In one study, researchers recruited 42 people with coronary artery disease. Participants got divided into two groups:

The first group received garlic powder tablets, which contained 1,200 mg of allicin twice a day for three months.

The second group received a placebo twice a day for three months.

After analyzing the results, researchers found that the first group experienced a 50% improvement in blood flow relative to the second group (placebo group).

Takeaway message

Improving blood flow through the arteries and veins produces several health benefits, including a risk reduction of heart disease, high blood pressure, and aortic dissection.

We hope that this article managed to introduce the best foods to improve blood flow and the benefits to expect from them.