A healthy circulatory system supports the entire body with blood and oxygen and is essential for long-term health.
Research shows that poor circulation can lead to heart disease. Using natural herbs for circulation may help to improve blood flow and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This article gives a review of the most significant clinical research behind the best herbs for circulation.
Table of Contents
Overview:
Blood circulation and heart health go hand-in-hand. Most diseases that develop from poor circulation affect the heart. Nearly 17% of cardiovascular diseases in the US occur from a stroke, and 100,000 people in the US die from blood clots each year.
Narrowed blood vessels, blood clots, and plaque buildup are all major causes of poor circulation. These causes are often the result of high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels.
Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, can cause stress on the heart and the arterial walls to harden, which prevents adequate blood flow throughout the body. Conversely, low blood pressure, or hypotension, can also cause an imbalance in blood flow causing a shortage of oxygen and nutrients in cells, tissues, and organs.
High LDL cholesterol levels, or hypercholesterolemia, cause fat to stick and harden to artery and vein walls. Over time, it hardens into plaque causing a blockage in the blood vessel and the consequent prevention of blood flow. This blockage is what may cause a stroke.
Reducing blood lipid levels and relaxing the arteries are two of the primary ways to improve circulation.
The Best Herbs for Circulation:
Below are the best research-backed herbs for improving circulation. These herbs have been known to benefit the circulatory and cardiovascular systems in a variety of ways.
1. Olive Leaf
Clinical research shows that olive leaf extract may help to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure between heartbeats and systolic blood pressure measures how much pressure is exerted during heartbeats.
A double-blind study observing subjects with hypertension found that olive leaf extract was comparable to the blood pressure medication Captopril. Olive leaf was able to reduce the systolic blood pressure rate by ~11.5 and the diastolic blood pressure rate by ~4.8. Researchers noted that although the results were similar in the Captopril and olive leaf groups, the olive leaf extract also decreased triglyceride levels.
In a clinical trial involving participants with pre-hypertension, subjects took 142mg of purified extract containing oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol daily. The results showed that the group given the olive leaf had a decrease in both diastolic and systolic blood pressure after 6 weeks.
A similar clinical trial observing 40 pre-hypertensive identical twins discovered that olive leaf extract had the ability to decrease blood pressure. The subjects were given 500mg of extract or 1,000mg of extract for 8 weeks. The 500mg group had a 6mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 5mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure. The 1,000mg group had a 13mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and a 5mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure.
A combination study observed the effects of olive leaf and hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in participants with hypertension. Participants were divided into three groups that consisted of a captopril group, a low dose hibiscus/olive leaf group, and a high dose hibiscus/olive leaf group. Researchers found similar results across all three groups.
In a meta-analysis study, the daily consumption of olive leaf extract was found to be helpful for reducing blood pressure.
Researchers found in an open pilot study that 100 mg/d of oleuropein and 20 mg/d of hydroxytyrosol taken daily can be supportive for reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 13 and 6.6 mmHg respectively. The study involved 663 pre-hypertensive patients.
Summary:
Research shows that olive leaf may be one of the best herbs for improving circulation due to its ability to lower blood pressure.