How to Improve Blood Circulation and Boost Brain Power
Why is adequate blood flow necessary for our brain?
Adequate blood flow is essential for optimal brain health as it ensures our brain functions properly. Namely, regular blood flow to the brain supplies it with oxygen and all the necessary nutrients that maintain the brain's pH level while eliminating everything our body no longer needs.
Furthermore, these nutrients maintain the alkaline degree and keep the brain cells hydrated, which is extremely important considering the cells are more than 72% liquid. With a steady flow, it's easy for our bodies to remove all toxins and unnecessary substances from the brain.
Although our brain is a small part of our body's total weight, it needs plenty of energy and resources to function properly. Approximately 1L of blood flow per minute through a blood vessel is needed to achieve optimal results and ensure adequate blood supply.
So, how do you improve blood circulation and boost brain power? Here are some great recommendations.
Keto diet
Ketogenic diets, commonly known as keto diets, are popular low-carbohydrate and high-fat diets. According to keto dieting guidelines, people shouldn't consume more than 40g of carbohydrates daily.
Therefore, consumers of keto diets need to avoid carbohydrates at all costs, including foods such as potatoes, rice, legumes, oats, and various fruits.
How is keto dieting connected to increasing blood flow and improving brain function?
Well, taking a lower amount of carbohydrates causes our bodies to enter the state of ketosis. Ketosis enables our body and brain to run on ketones, also known as fats, instead of using glucose for the same purpose.
By allowing our bodies to use ketones, the improved blood flow, and reduced inflammation increase brain function and reduce high blood pressure. Thanks to those beneficial effects, it's possible to reduce the chance of suffering from a stroke.
Nitrates
Nitrates are two naturally-occurring compounds. They're found in plant foods and soil. Some foods contain high amounts of metal nitrates, and consuming these foods can drastically stimulate blood flow to the brain and improve overall brain health.
If you're looking to boost blood flow by introducing certain foods into your diet, then nitrates are the answer. They can improve cognitive functions and protect the brain from cognitive decline.
When it comes to foods that contain high concentrations of nitrates, consider consuming beets, cabbage, spinach, celery, and a selection of other leafy green vegetables. Beet juice is particularly famous for being a rich source of nitrates, and implementing it into your diet will help you widen your blood vessels and increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain.
Intranasal insulin
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Insulin is a hormone that's produced in the pancreas. It's the primary anabolic hormone in the human body, and it's responsible for regulating the glucose levels in our bodies. Not only does insulin protect us from diseases such as diabetes, but it also influences our brain activity.
Intranasal insulin is a nasal spray used to quickly and effectively administer insulin. With the intranasal insulin device, you can spray and inhale insulin through the nasal cavity and instantly improve poor blood flow.
When you inhale intranasal insulin, you affect the insulin receptors located in the brain. Once the insulin receptors detect higher insulin levels, they speed up brain blood circulation and improve the brain's cognitive function.
In addition to boosting brain performance, intranasal insulin also helps reduce anxiety and improves the quality and quantity of information.
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Chewing gum
Chewing increases blood flow and thus improves flow to the brain. Chewing gum can be a simple method to enjoy the multiple benefits of chewing and enhance the brain's cognitive function.
Namely, the benefits associated with this activity are improvements in spatial and working memory, as well as an increase in arousal and alertness levels when an individual is focused on cognitive activity.
Besides enhancing receptivity during cognitive tasks, chewing gum also effectively reduces cortisol levels, as long as it's aspartame-free. So, you can chew gum to achieve a relaxed state since the gum alters brainwave patterns and enhances cerebral blood flow to the brain.
Chewing gum is frequently used by kids and teens since it helps them maintain healthy and functional brain activity. However, acetic acid carnitine found in chewing gum can also reverse the effects of neurodegenerative disorders by improving acetylcholine levels in brain cells.
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Physical exercise
Physical exercise has countless medical associations with health, and reducing low blood flow is one of them. Physical activity and regular exercise are necessary to maintain a healthy mind, so introducing some kind of sport or physical exercise is essential for ensuring good regional cerebral blood flow.
You don't have to choose a demanding sport or heavy exercise to improve blood flow. Any activity will keep your blood flowing, so you should go with an activity you enjoy.
Exercise shouldn't be too heavy, and choosing activities such as hiking or yoga are great examples of how light exercise can positively influence blood circulation and brain blood flow.
These physical activities work wonders for healthy blood flow and increase the flow of oxygen and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient practice and a form of alternative medicine that incorporates the insertion of thin needles into the body. The purpose of the needles is to balance the flow of qi – what ancient philosophers believed was the body's vital energy.
Although science has debunked such views of human biology over the centuries, this practice still has some benefits. Acupuncture helps reduce muscle tension, decrease inflammation, balance hormones, and neurotransmitters, and increase blood flow to the brain.
However, the practice accomplishes that without increasing the heart rate or raising blood pressure. That makes it a promising treatment for stroke patients or people with heart disease who want to boost blood flow without taking any risk factors.
One of the most popular methods is auricular acupuncture, which involves the insertion of needles into ears and ear canals. Auricular acupuncturing works wonderfully in improving brain circulation.
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Meditation
Meditation is one of the favorite relaxation methods in eastern parts of the world and on a global scale. Meditation involves special techniques that rely on focusing or mindfulness to train awareness and achieve a state of emotional calmness and mental clarity.
As such, meditation offers many benefits besides reaching an inner state of peace and calmness, including improving language fluency and logical memory. Moreover, meditation enhances blood flow and thus improves the brain's cognitive performance.
Only 15–30 minutes of meditation daily is enough to significantly increase blood flow and stimulate parts of the brain responsible for memory retrieval. Many see meditation as a perfect relaxation practice in today's busy and stressful way of living.
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Cold exposure
Chilly temperatures improve circulation and increase the brain's blood pressure. Exposure to the cold significantly affects blood flow by stimulating the heart to beat faster and increasing blood pressure.
Besides having significant benefits for the brain's blood flow, exposure to the cold can also positively affect the nervous system. The cold water helps reduce cortisol levels, a stress-inducing hormone.
Therefore, taking a cold shower can release endorphins in your brain, also known as the feel-good hormones, and help you combat poor circulation and increased levels of stress at the same time.
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Sunlight
Sun exposure has many benefits. From supplying us with the much-needed vitamin D to improving our sleep quality, there are many advantages one can experience from exposure to sunlight.
Yet another advantage of sunlight is that the bright light from the sun increases brain blood flow and thus improves brain health. Natural light does the best job of improving blood flow and brain function, but spending time in natural light isn't always a possibility.
Peer-reviewed studies showed that artificial light has some outstanding advantages too. For example, artificial light or a light box can increase blood circulation. The researchers used PET scans to measure cerebral blood flow, and the scans detected an increased blood flow activity only after a couple of light therapies.
Therefore, spending more time in the sun or using a healthy light-emitting device can help you if you're struggling with reduced blood flow.
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Music
We all know music naturally decreases cortisol levels and helps people wind off and relax. It also increases mood, so people are often happier and more inspirational after listening to some music.
However, how does music achieve this, and does any scientific background support this?
Music stimulates blood flow to the brain, and this activity seems to lead to all the other benefits people experience from listening to music. It has been proved by a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure blood flow. Scientists concluded that music could increase the brain's blood flow and positively affect circulation.
Listening to and learning the songs you genuinely enjoy makes these positive benefits of music even more effective.
Foods for Better Brain Health and Improved Blood Flow & Circulation
Certain foods can significantly improve brain health by positively affecting brain blood flow and circulation. Here's a list of the right foods you need to consume to get rid of the low blood flow to the brain.
Blueberry juice
Drinking blueberry juice can improve memory as it improves memory functions. Namely, blueberry juice increases oxygen levels in the brain and stimulates blood circulation, which is closely connected to the quality of brain memory.
That's possible thanks to pyrocloxyquinoline quinone, an enzyme found in blueberry juice, as it boosts mental activity and improves cognitive performance in an individual. Besides that, blueberry juice can also positively impact mental health.
Ginger
Ginger has a pretty high potency when it comes to blood flow. It contains polyphenols, which are plant compounds with detoxifying and anti-viral properties. Polyphenols work great against harmful chemicals found in the environment, which cause a reduction in blood flow.
Besides effectively combating reduced blood flow, ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, its regular use has been linked to a decrease in some long-term consequences of dementia and similar mental disorders.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is known to lower blood pressure, but that doesn't mean it also reduces blood circulation. High blood pressure and poor blood circulation are frequently linked, especially in hypertensive patients.
Fortunately, just a tiny amount of cinnamon can reduce blood pressure and improve blood circulation. Sprinkle some cinnamon on your breakfast cereal to instantly feel the difference.
Turmeric
If you're on the hunt for food that'll positively influence the prefrontal cortex – the big front area of the brain mainly responsible for memory and cognitive performance – turmeric is the right solution.
Turmeric's primary compound – curcumin – improves brain oxygenation and thus increases brain performance and function.
Nevertheless, turmeric is quite difficult to absorb by the human body, which limits the benefits you can receive from this superfood. Luckily, there's a simple solution. Simply mix your turmeric with the tiniest pinch of pepper to make it more bioavailable. That'll enable you to enjoy the powerful effects of turmeric fully.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is probably everyone's favorite choice when discussing foods that improve blood flow to the brain. The flavonoids found in dark chocolate stimulate blood in the blood vessels to flow more freely, which is closely connected to better brain function.
Just a square or two is more than enough to sharpen your focus and increase concentration when you need it. Dark chocolate is also an ideal pick-me-up when you're feeling blue. If you're not a fan of dark chocolate's bitter taste, you can always try hot chocolate as an alternative.
Fish
Everyone's talking about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Since omega-3 fatty acids are commonly found in fish, fish is frequently described as a food responsible for improving brain tissue health and cognitive performance.
Salmon is probably the most famous example of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It's many people's first choice when it comes to fish due to its neutral taste. Other omega-3 fatty fish include sardines, mackerel, and herring. Fish oil also contains high levels of omega-3.
Boost Your Brain Power and Increase Your Memory Abilities
Although introducing certain foods mentioned in this post can be a great way to experience improved brain power and increased memory, it's not always easy to track whether you've inserted enough of the right foods to feel the effects.
Fortunately, supplements represent an easy way to ensure you take the necessary nutrients that stimulate blood flow and secure you with all the beneficial effects. With Morilite, you can increase cerebral blood flow.
Morilite is a supplement that uses raw material extracted from a plant called Cistanche tubulosa. This flower grows in China, particularly in the Taklimakan Desert Region of Xinjiang, located in the Uyghur Autonomous Region. Cistanche tubulosa has been used for various remedies since 100 BC and is still popular today.
With Cistanche tubulosa as the main ingredient, users of Morilite can enjoy a long list of benefits connected to brain performance and memory functions. Some of these benefits include:
- Increase in cognitive functions;
- Improvement of learning abilities;
- Promotion of healthy hormone levels;
- Enhancement in energy and physical strength;
- Securement of balanced oxidation levels.
With these benefits and many others, users of Morilite can quickly improve brain blood flow and enjoy all its benefits.
Resources used in the article:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33506526/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170412181341.htm
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09637486.2021.1972411
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