WEBMD – Blood is your body’s superhighway. It carries nutrients and oxygen to your heart, brain, muscles, and skin. [And importantly, your ‘thing’; good blood flow is essential for both male and female sexual health. – HEADLINE HEALTH]
A healthy diet is one way to optimize your blood flow. Next time you head to the grocery store, consider including these items in your shopping cart.
Cayenne Pepper
Thanks to a compound called capsaicin, cayenne pepper can help your arteries work well. It can also help relax the muscles in your blood vessels so blood can flow easily. And that’s good for your blood pressure.
Beets
This vegetable is rich in nitrate, which your body can convert to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps to naturally loosen up your blood vessels and improve the flow of blood to your tissues and organs. Researchers have found that beet juice can lower your systolic blood pressure, too.
Berries
Berries are rich in antioxidants, including one that’s particularly good for your blood vessels: anthocyanin. Anthocyanin can help protect the walls of your arteries from damage and keep them from becoming stiff. Plus, anthocyanin spurs the release of nitric oxide, which helps to lower your blood pressure.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, and halibut are full of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies suggest that these compounds are good for your circulation. Eating fish not only lowers your resting blood pressure; it can help keep your arteries clear and unclogged.
Pomegranates
The juicy red seeds are packed with nutrients, in particular antioxidants and nitrates. These can boost your circulation. And they widen (dilate) your blood vessels and lower your blood pressure. That means that more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your muscles and other tissues.
Garlic
Garlic contains a compound called allicin that helps your blood vessels relax. Studies show that in people who eat a diet rich in garlic, blood flows more efficiently …
