The three major factors that cause circulation problems, including
Heart Disease, are smoking, high blood pressure and high blood
cholesterol levels. Obesity can lead to the last two and drinking
alcohol to excess is also a major cause of high high blood pressure.
However, as they get older, many people who are not overweight and do
not smoke or drink heavily still develop high blood pressure and high
blood cholesterol levels. Fortunately, a healthy diet can significantly
reduce the risk of circulation problems.
Many studies have now linked excessive consumption of fats to
subsequent heart disease and other circulatory problems. There are two
forms of fat: unsaturated (found in seed oils and fish oils) and
saturated (mostly from animal sources). Foods high in saturated fats
include butter, cheese and fatty meats; less obvious sources include
sausages, pork pies, biscuits, potato crisps, ice cream and chocolate.
Although an excessive consumption of alcohol and sugar encourages
weight gain, eating too much fat is the prime cause of obesity.
In the right quantities no fats are unhealthy, and some can actually
help prevent circulation problems. Fats from oily fish such as
sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna, trout and salmon may help to prevent
arterial blood clots. And replacing saturated fats in the diet with
mono unsaturated or polyunsaturated fats can help to counteract
cholesterol build-up.
There is some evidence that garlic and onions, and also hot foods such
as chillies, can act as anticoagulants and may help to lower blood
pressure and cholesterol levels. A diet high in whole grains, fruit and
vegetables also helps to lower cholesterol - their soluble fiber binds
with cholesterol in the gut and helps the body to expel it as waste.
Drinking too much percolated or brewed coffee can raise blood
cholesterol levels. Salt - high levels of which can be found in stock
cubes, tinned soups, smoked foods and some snack foods - should be
limited because excess salt in the diet has also been linked with high
blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and heart disease. Nicotine
also impairs the circulation.
Bloods Long Journey
The circulation system carries blood to and from all parts of the body
through arteries, veins and tiny blood vessels that would stretch for
about 160,000 km (100,000 miles) if they were laid out end to end. The
heart is the four chambered pump that powers the entire system. The
body's extremities, which are farthest from it, are particularly prone
to circulatory problems.
The most common serious disorder associated with poor circulation is
ATHEROSCLEROSIS, in which the walls of the arteries develop fatty
deposits, thicken, become less supple and so impede the blood flow.
This increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and a variety of
other disorders depending on which arteries are affected.
Related Problems
Chest pain - perhaps at times of stress, excitement or strenuous
exercise - may be due to angina, which occurs, in late-middle and old
age, when the coronary arteries become partially obstructed as their
walls thicken. Cramping calf pains during a brisk uphill walk may be
caused by hardening of the leg arteries, while a stroke or dementia may
be the result of a blocked artery in the brain. People suffering from
diabetes are particularly prone to circulatory disorders as thickening
of the walls of the arteries is a known complication of the disease.
A condition known as Restless Legs may also be due to a circulatory
disorder and is characterized by pain and an involuntary twitching in
the legs which occurs particularly after going to bed. Vitamin E helps
the peripheral circulatory system, so including plenty of seed oils,
avocados and wheatgerm in the diet may help.
Two other circulation problems which affect the extremities include
Raynaud's Disease and chilblains. In Raynaud's disease, the fingers or
toes become white and numb when cold and, when warmed, tingle painfully
as the blood returns. Chilblains usually result from exposure to cold,
but they can be a problem at normal temperatures when people have poor
circulation.
