Avoiding these salty and sugary foods can keep
your blood flowing healthily.
Maintaining
adequate blood circulation may not be top of mind, yet it is one of the most
important things you can do for your overall health.
"Circulation
is responsible for transporting blood, oxygen, and nutrients to all body
regions, removing waste materials, maintaining body temperature, and
facilitating muscle action and tissue healing," says Janet Coleman, RD,
founder of TheConsumerMag. "Blood flow restriction in one part of the body
might impact other parts, producing difficulties. Poor circulation in the legs,
for example, can lead to varicose veins and foot ulcers. It can be tough to use
your hands if you have poor circulation in your arms. A stroke can be caused by
poor brain circulation."
The
best part is that you have more influence over your circulation than you know,
and this is something you should take advantage of.
"Your
diet is critical to keeping your blood flowing properly. It supplies all of the
nutrients required to keep your heart pounding at an ideal rate and your
arteries clear," Coleman explains.
Consuming
a lot of meals heavy in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar, according to
Nataly Komova, RD, a fitness expert at JustCBD, can induce plaque build-up or
narrowing of blood vessels due to higher cholesterol levels. As a general rule,
you should choose whole foods over processed foods.
With
that in mind, nutritionists advise avoiding the items listed below, which can
obstruct proper blood circulation.
1.
Fried Food
Trans
fats are widely regarded as the healthiest type of dietary fat. These lipids
were linked to higher LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol and chronic inflammation,
heart disease, cancer, and diabetes in studies. Even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outlawed these fats in 2018, some foods still contain trans fat, commonly due
to the cooking procedure. Trans fats are created when heat is given to vegetable oils during the frying process, and
the trans fat level grows with each use of the oil to fry more food.
So,
what's the connection between this and blood circulation?
"Eating
meals high in trans fats and saturated fats can induce raised cholesterol
levels, leading to fat accumulation and deposition on blood vessels, inhibiting
smooth blood circulation," Komova says.
Furthermore,
breaded fried dishes are frequently high in salt. According to Coleman, too
much salt causes your body to retain water, which raises your blood pressure.
"High
blood pressure can lead to circulation issues and heart disease, which lead to
impaired circulation," she continues.
Because
it's difficult to determine how much trans fat is in a serving of French fries,
chicken tenders, or mozzarella sticks. Go for roasted, steamed, grilled, or
sautéed items instead.
2.
Ready-Made/Packaged Pastries, Cakes, and Cookies
Baking
your cookies, muffins, and cakes at home is superior to buying pre-packaged
ones at the shop. The homemade version will be free of preservatives. However,
you'll also have more control over the amount of sugar and fat used.
"Triglyceride
levels are raised by ultra-processed foods high in sugar," says Dana Ellis
Hunnes, Ph.D., RD, a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center.
Overeating
sugar can cause inflammation by producing much insulin, and persistent
inflammation has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes in studies. Diabetes is characterized by persistently high amounts of glucose
(sugar) in the blood, which coats the veins and arteries and impairs their
function. As a result, many persons with diabetes develop circulation problems.
"High-sugar
diets can damage the lining of small blood vessels, causing circulation
problems," explains Catherine Gervacio, RD, a dietician with LivingFit.
"Over time, this causes blood arteries to become stiffer and narrower,
disrupting blood flow."
Another
problem with boxed pastries and desserts is that they may include a lot of
saturated fat, such as butter or coconut oil. Saturated fat has been proven
in studies to cause the formation of fatty plaques on the interior of artery walls.
Atherosclerosis is a disorder that causes the arterial walls to harden over
time. When this happens, blood flow to the heart may be restricted.
3.
Bacon
We
hate to break it to you, but bacon is one of the worst meals you can eat for
your blood circulation – and there are multiple reasons for this.
For
starters, Bacon is high in salt, with only two slices containing 420 mg.
Not
only that, but bacon is heavy in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol
levels, contributing to atherosclerosis and clogging of blood vessels.
Like
many other processed types of meat (including hot dogs and deli meat), much
bacon is high in nitrates. This chemical preservative may increase your risk of atherosclerosis.
Even though nitrate-free bacon is available, all bacon is rich in salt and
saturated fat.
4.
Packaged Salty Snacks
Consider
this before reaching for that bag of chips, pretzels, popcorn, or cheese puffs:
these processed snacks generally contain a double punch of salt and saturated
fat, which are detrimental to your blood flow.
"Salty
meals can elevate blood pressure and increase our risk of myocardial infarction
or stroke, which is terrible for circulation," explains Hunnes.
"Excess
salt consumption has been related to damage to the innermost layer of blood
vessels," says Gervacio. "It's vital to keep the blood vessels
dilated to increase blood flow," the doctor explains.
Saturated
fat, as previously discussed, can raise LDL cholesterol, which is known to
lodge plaque inside artery walls, narrowing them and obstructing blood flow.
5.
Pizza
Pizza
may be a nice and easy supper. However, it's not good for your blood
circulation: A single slice of pizza can contain 600 to 1,500 milligrams of sodium,
more than half of the daily sodium limit of 2,300 milligrams. Frozen pizzas, in
particular, are notorious for being overly salty.
In
addition to being high in salt, cheese is also high in saturated fat, impairs
blood flow, and leads to plaque build-up in the arteries. Blood flow becomes
even more of a problem when you add cured meat toppings like pepperoni,
sausage, or prosciutto.
When you're in the mood for pizza, consider preparing one at home. By utilizing vegetable toppings instead of nitrate- and saturated fat-containing meat alternatives, you can keep the salt amount low.