How to Increase Blood Flow to the Brain

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Last updated March 6, 2023.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.

Insufficient blood circulation to the brain can lead to many mental issues, from mild to serious. But there are many ways to increase blood flow.

The brain comprises only 2% of total body weight, yet receives 15-20% of its total blood supply. 

There’s a lot going on up there, so the brain requires disproportionate amounts of energy and nutrients which are delivered by the body’s blood supply. 

Why Sufficient Blood Flow to the Brain Is Critical

A steady flow of blood delivers life-giving oxygen, plus glucose, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and other nutrients, that the brain needs to survive and thrive.

Cerebral blood circulation also carries away things the brain doesn’t need or want, such as carbon dioxide, toxins, and metabolic waste products.

The brain’s blood supply keeps it hydrated which is critical since the brain is more than 70% water

Blood brings the brain the hormones and neurotransmitters it needs to function and keeps the brain at a constant temperature and pH (a measure of how acidic or alkaline it is). 

To do all this, one liter of blood flows through the 400 miles of blood vessels in the brain every minute.

But when circulation is restricted, brain cells suffer and can even die.

There’s solid evidence that reduced cerebral blood flow puts you at risk for brain disorders like vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. 

Clearly, maintaining sufficient blood circulation to the brain is of the utmost importance to brain health and function.

Symptoms of Poor Blood Flow to the Brain

Common symptoms of inadequate blood flow to the brain include brain fog, mental fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, memory loss, and frequent headaches. 

According to Harvard researcher Datis Kharrazian, PhD, DHSc, author of Why Isn’t My Brain Working?, here are other signs of impaired cerebral blood flow:

  • poor focus and concentration
  • relying on caffeine or exercise to kick your brain into gear
  • unhealthy nails — fungus or white nail beds (they should be pink)
  • cold nose, feet, or hands
  • needing to wear socks to bed
  • cramping in feet and hands

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A do-it-yourself test that Kharrazian recommends is to press firmly on a fingernail for a few seconds and release.

It should instantly turn from white to pink.

If not, this is a sign of decreased circulation.

" Physical inactivity is bad for overall circulation, but sitting hunched over a computer all day with your shoulders curled forward specifically restricts blood flow to the brain.

When circulation is reduced, areas farthest from the heart — hands, feet, and brain — suffer the most.

But unlike hands and feet, the brain doesn’t have the benefit of gravity to help deliver more blood flow.

A rule of thumb is that if circulation to your extremities is inadequate, it will almost certainly be inadequate to your brain as well.

Serious Symptoms of Restricted Blood Flow to the Brain

Vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders are diseases characterized by low blood flow to the back of the brain. 

They are most commonly caused by stroke, brain injury, or hardening of the arteries.

Symptoms of vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders include: 

  • changes in vision
  • slurred speech
  • lack of coordination
  • muscle weakness
  • headache
  • unsteady gait
  • numbness or tingling in the face or extremities

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If you experience these symptoms, especially if their onset is sudden, don’t take chances.

Call your doctor or 911 immediately.

Seriously impaired cerebral circulation can lead to brain damage and even death. 

Causes and Risk Factors for Impaired Blood Flow to the Brain

Diminished blood circulation can be caused by factors that range from ridiculously simple to quite serious.

They generally fall into two main categories: lifestyle habits or underlying health conditions.

How Modern Lifestyle Factors Impede Brain Circulation

Here are some of the ways that our modern lifestyle can wreak havoc on blood flow to the brain.

Sedentary Lifestyle

According to a study of more than one million adults, a sedentary lifestyle may be as hazardous to health as smoking. 

Sitting for long periods has been linked to a cluster of conditions, including excess body fat and high blood pressure, both of which negatively impact circulation. 

Physical inactivity is bad for overall circulation, but sitting hunched over a computer all day with your shoulders curled forward specifically restricts blood flow to the brain.

Tight Neckties

Men, if you must wear a necktie, make sure it’s not tied too tight.

This has actually been studied and was found to impede blood flow to the head

Caffeine

You may be among the billions of people who rely on caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, soda, or energy drinks to get through the day.

If so, be aware that caffeine decreases blood flow to the brain by constricting blood vessels. 

NUTRITION FOR THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION

It’s almost impossible to live a lifestyle that provides all the nutrients needed for good brain health and performance. The reason? All of us confront multiple nutrient thieves — stress, poor diet, insomnia, pharmaceuticals, pollution, and more — that steal nutrients that the brain needs to thrive.

Taking quality nutritional supplements:
  • Provides the building blocks to create new brain cells and brain chemicals
  • Helps increase resilience to stress to avoid mental burnout
  • Supplies the brain with the fuel it needs for mental energy

A foundational principle of mental health and cognitive performance is to supply the body with the best nutrition possible. And, when you buy a 3-month supply of any Performance Lab supplement, you get 1 extra month free. See why I recommend Performance Lab.

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Smoking

Smoking delivers a double whammy to the brain.

Not only does it reduce the flow of blood to the brain, it also decreases the amount of available oxygen. 

Being Overweight

Being overweight leads to a higher risk for poor brain circulation.

Considering that 74% of all Americans are considered overweight or obese, this impacts a lot of people. 

Stress

Being stressed decreases blood flow to the brain.

Here’s how that happens.

Stress triggers the fight-or-flight response.

This stress response prepares us to deal with danger by initiating a cascade of physiological reactions.

Heart rate increases, digestion shuts down, and blood flow is shunted away from the brain to the muscles.

Underlying Health Conditions That Increase Risk for Low Cerebral Blood Flow

Both physical and psychological health conditions can affect brain circulation.

You’re at increased risk for reduced blood flow to the brain if you have any of the following: 

  • anemia
  • brain injury

WHAT'S THE BEST BRAIN SUPPLEMENT?

I hear this question often. Here's my answer:

#1 Live a brain-healthy lifestyle first (Be Brain Fit tells you how).

#2 Give Mind Lab Pro a try.

This brain supplement meets all 12 of my requirements for a high-quality brain supplement, including effectiveness, safety, purity, and value. So it's easier for you to be mentally sharper, positive, and more productive.

Choosing the right brain supplement is all about quality. And, when you buy a 3-month supply, you get 1 extra month free. See why I recommend Mind Lab Pro.

Dr. Pat

Low Blood Pressure

It’s well known that high blood pressure is dangerous and increases the risk of stroke, but low blood pressure is generally regarded as unproblematic.

However, this is untrue — when blood pressure is low, blood literally can’t make its way into the brain sufficiently to feed your brain cells. 

This inevitably affects brain function and increases your risk for neurodegenerative disorders.

Increase Cerebral Blood Flow With Exercise

To improve cerebral blood flow, getting regular physical exercise should be your #1 priority.

Physical exercise may be the single most important thing you can do for the health and function of your brain. 

The best exercise to get blood flowing is any exercise that you enjoy enough to actually do regularly.

Any exercise that gets your heart pumping is good, but exercise doesn’t have to be overly strenuous.

Both walking and yoga are excellent options.

woman in a yoga inversion pose
Yoga inversion pose.

The best yoga poses for increasing circulation to the brain are inversion poses, those that place the head below the heart.

A simple and effective inversion that even beginners can do is the downward dog pose as seen in the image above.

Inversion Therapy

If you don’t practice yoga, consider inversion therapy.

It was originally popularized for back pain, but can also be used to increase circulation to the head. 

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Inversion therapy involves lying on a table or sitting in a chair designed to put the heart above the head.

Note: Don’t try inversion therapy if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or any diseases of the eye.

Other Activities to Increase Blood Flow to the Brain

There are many other activities that increase blood flow to the brain.

Some you may already do.

Others are so simple that you should consider giving them a try.

Music

Music does a lot of great things for the brain; it can make you smarter, happier, and more creative.

And one of the ways music delivers these benefits is by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Researchers can measure cerebral blood flow with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

They found that taking music lessons or even just listening to music increases blood flow to the brain, especially when it’s music you like. 

Listening to music that sounds joyful can temporarily increase blood vessel diameter by an impressive 26%. 

Foreign Language

Learning a foreign language is often cited as one of the best ways to boost mental performance and ward off brain aging.

The brains of multilingual speakers are bigger, better connected, and receive more blood flow than those who speak one language. 

Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a mind-body technique that teaches you to control autonomic body functions by consciously altering brainwave patterns.

You can use it to train yourself to stop the stress response that directs blood flow away from the brain. 

You can also use neurofeedback to address some of the risk factors for low cerebral blood flow, such as high blood pressure and stress.

One kind of neurofeedback, HEG (hemoencephalography), specifically teaches you how to redirect blood flow to different areas of the brain at will.

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Meditation

Meditation offers a wealth of brain benefits, including increased circulation to the brain

Research has confirmed that doing Kirtan Kriya meditation for 12 minutes per day increases blood flow to areas of the brain involved in memory retrieval.

Don’t let the mystical-sounding name put you off, this is one of the easiest forms of meditation to do.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient practice purported to work by balancing the flow of the body’s vital energy, known as chi or qi.

Scientific evidence shows that acupuncture works by reducing muscle tension, decreasing inflammation, balancing neurotransmitters and hormones, and increasing blood flow to the brain without raising blood pressure or heart rate. 

Acupuncture’s ability to increase blood flow makes it a promising treatment for stroke patients

Bright Light

Exposure to bright light increases blood flow to the brain.

While natural sunlight works best, it’s not always possible to spend time in the sun. 

As an alternative, you can use a lightbox, the kind used to treat seasonal affective disorder.

Chew Gum

Not only does gum chewing increase blood flow to the brain, it alters brainwave patterns to put you in a more relaxed state. 

Interestingly, the more flavorful the gum, the better it works to enhance cerebral blood flow and brain function. 

How to Increase Blood Flow to the Brain With Supplements

There are many supplements known to improve circulation to the brain.

Here’s a list of supplements proven to increase blood flow to the brain:

[To learn more about these supplements, search our site. We have comprehensive articles on many of these supplements.]

Curcumin: Exercise in a Bottle

This long list can be overwhelming.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, I suggest trying curcumin.

This compound, extracted from the spice turmeric, works like “exercise in a bottle.”

Research confirms that it improves blood flow as well as physical exercise.

If you have low blood pressure, try licorice root extract to raise it.

A Supplement to Avoid

One supplement to avoid is yohimbine.

It is often taken for weight loss and erectile dysfunction.

This herb directs blood flow away from the brain. 

Increase Cerebral Blood Flow With Food

And finally, the food you eat really can make a difference to your circulation.

Several of the supplements mentioned above are derived from foods and can easily be incorporated into your diet.

Ginger, garlic, rosemary, and turmeric are spices that not only make food tastier, but also increase circulation.

Shellfish and dark meat poultry are top sources of the amino acid taurine

Fish, especially cold-water, oily fish like salmon, is the original source of the omega-3s found in fish oil.

Resveratrol is a phytonutrient credited for many of red wine’s health benefits.

It is also found in berries, grapes, peanuts, and chocolate. 

Beets are an excellent source of nitrate, a potent blood flow regulator

The ingestion of beet juice has been shown to specifically increase blood flow to the brain

Chocolate has been shown to increase cerebral blood flow with the effects lasting for several hours after ingestion. 

And there’s one final tip that can make a big difference to your brain circulation — drink more tea and less coffee.

The relatively large amount of caffeine in coffee restricts blood flow to the brain.

While tea does contain caffeine, albeit substantially less than coffee, it also contains l-theanine.

L-theanine is a relaxing compound that offsets the reduction in cerebral blood flow caused by caffeine

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