Last updated July 29, 2024.
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
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. See why I recommend Mind Lab Pro.
Dr. Pat
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
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 and 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.
- 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. See why I recommend Performance Lab.
Dr. Pat
Smoking
Smoking delivers a double whammy to the brain.
Not only does it reduce the flow of blood to the brain, but it also decreases the amount of available oxygen.
Being Overweight
Being overweight leads to a higher risk of poor brain circulation.
Considering that 74% of all Americans are considered overweight, 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
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 not true — 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.
If you have low blood pressure, try licorice root extract to raise it.
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.
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.
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.
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 same kind used to treat seasonal affective disorder.
Chew Gum
Not only does gum chewing increase blood flow to the brain, but it also 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:
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.
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.
Recommended: Upgrading brain health is key to making your brain work better.
Mind Lab Pro is the brain supplement I recommend because, by boosting your brain health, it can help you:
- Improve your mental clarity and focus.
- Boost your memory and your ability to learn.
- Increase your capacity to think critically, solve problems, and make decisions.
P.S. Like what you've read on this page? Get more like this -- Sign up for our emails.
