30 Best natural vasodilator foods and vasodilator supplement

Containing capsaicin, both cayenne pepper and chili's have research suggesting that they may improve circulation by acting as effective vasodilators. Add them as spices to your food or use a few drops of a cayenne tincture.

Citrus fruits are very nutritious and are very high in many beneficial substances, not the least vitamin C. Vitamin C may help thin your blood which means it can circulate more freely.

Chocolate is healthy? You bet! Dark chocolate is packed full of heart-healthy antioxidants and epicatechin. We’re not talking Hershey’s or other high sugar, milk chocolate though; you need the dark stuff that contains 70% or more cocoa solids.

Studies show that subjects who consumed dark chocolate for 15 days benefited from higher NO serum levels and reduced systolic blood pressure.

Tasty and versatile, ginger has a long history of use in Indian medicine where it is frequently said to restore vitality and boost men's health.

Powdered ginger is okay but, for the real deal, buy fresh ginger root and grate it yourself. Grate into hot water to make a ginger circulation-boosting tea.

The big brother of regular ginger, Black Ginger contains rare polymethoxyflavones that are unique for this special type of ginger. It is one of the most widely used traditional medicines in Southeast Asia due to its versatility.

A study suggested that Black Ginger may have a significant effect on increasing physical fitness performance and muscular endurance by how it affects blood flow and metabolism.

Garlic is a wonder-substance that has positive links to a wide variety of health benefits, not least circulation. Add freshly crushed garlic to your meals or use garlic oil when cooking.

High in heart-healthy lycopene and the amino acid l-citrulline, watermelon support healthy N.O. levels which, as you know, dilate your blood vessels for better circulation. L-citrulline is available in supplement form but you can enjoy the circulation boosting properties of this amino acid by simply eating watermelon.

Black and green tea are light, refreshing alternatives to coffee and research have suggested both to be effective drinks to help boost blood flow and circulation. Whether you have your tea with lemon or a little milk, tea is packed with healthful antioxidants and can help you relax and unwind.

Not only is this fruit super tasty, it’s also packed with loads of essential antioxidants. While you could eat the whole fruit, they’re messy and not that easy to prepare. The juice gives you a far more efficient dose of N.O.-boosting ingredients without the mess.

Rich in the amino acid l-arginine, most nuts are beneficial to blood flow. L-arginine may help in the production of N.O. and studies suggest the amino acid to be effective for supporting cardiovascular function by improving blood flow.

Whether you drink red wine or not, drink non-alcoholic red grape juice, or just eat grapes, the active ingredients in grapes may be very good for your circulation. Red wine has long been associated with something called the French Paradox.

Despite eating lots of high-fat foods and smoking more, research has suggested that French people tend to suffer from less heart disease than other nationalities. This is believed to potentially be because of their regular consumption of red wine. Red wine contains polyphenols and resveratrol – both revered for supporting heart health.

Beetroot contains nitrates which have been revealed in research to be an excellent exercise performance enhancer because they were shown to increase blood flow to working muscles. Either eat the beets themselves or drink their juice to enjoy the N.O. and circulation benefits of this colourful vegetable.

Nitrates are known to improve stamina, but nitrate ingestion can have deleterious effects on its own when consumed from sources other than vegetables.

Popeye’s favorite vegetable, spinach is also high in nitrates which research suggest naturally boosts N.O. levels. Spinach is also high in iron which is an essential mineral to maintaining the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood.

Not to be confused with processed honey which is not much better than sugar, raw honey is naturally high in nitrates and studies reveal it may elevate N.O. levels. Delicious when added to desserts for natural sweetness or used in place of sugar in your favorite beverages.

This leafy green vegetable is high in coenzyme Q10 as well as nitrates. High in magnesium and with loads of vitamins and antioxidants, kale may also help to keep your blood thin for easier circulation.

Just like nuts, shrimps are high in l-arginine which is known to be an effective N.O. supporting amino acid. Despite containing high levels of cholesterol, shrimps and other high-cholesterol foods may not significantly increase serum cholesterol levels and are considered a healthy protein choice.

The humble onion has many of the benefits of garlic but without the vampire-repelling odor! High in vitamin C as well as N.O.-boosting quercetin, chop and lightly cook onions and add them to your main meals or chop them raw and put them on your salad.

Supplemental coenzyme Q10 can be quite expensive but you can get plenty of it plus some healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and DHA by simply eating more salmon and other oily fish. CoQ10 has been shown in research to increase N.O. production which may support relaxed arteries, increased blood flow, and lower blood pressure.

Coffee may help increase circulation by acting as a vasodilator so blood can more easily flow to your extremities. Consume two cups of coffee a day for best results but try to avoid drinking coffee near bedtime as the caffeine could interfere with getting a good nights’ sleep.

These small berries come loaded with plenty of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Antioxidants are said to protect your cells from free radical damage.

Blueberries contain an excellent array of phenols and flavonoids. These include previous mentions such as resveratrol, quercetin, and proanthocyanidin. Of course, blueberries are also high in vitamin C.

Aside from that, blueberries may also help improve arterial stiffness and lower blood pressure.

A couple of stalks of celery may support healthy hormone levels in men and also boost N.O. levels at the same time. This is a real double whammy worth shouting about. Smear your celery with l-arginine-packed natural peanut butter and drizzle with a little high-nitrate raw honey for a fabulously healthy circulation snack.

GSE may help increase N.O. levels in the body. Studies on the effects of GSE found that it supports healthy blood pressure. This is backed by several studies. Studies on animals also showed that GSE activates the body's natural nitric oxide synthase. In the study this lead to an amazing 138% increase in N.O. levels in the lab animals.

Vitamin C has been established in the medical field as an potent antioxidant and may protects N.O. molecules from degradation, extending their effects.

Garlic as previously mentioned, is one of the most useful natural vasodilators. It may help relax the blood vessels, widening the space for more blood to be able to flow through. It is also abundant in natural nitrate compounds (similar to beetroot).

Several studies on garlic suggest that it is efficient in lowering blood pressure, especially in combination with Vitamin C.

The lowering of blood pressure is one indication of healthy blood vessel dilation.

The study results were obtained by consuming 2 grams of vitamin C and four tablets of a garlic supplement (containing 6 mg allicin and 13.2 mg alliin) for at least ten days.

This is an amino acid that the kidneys convert into another amino acid called L-arginine. This is then further transformed into N.O. through the activity of N.O. synthase enzyme or eNOS.

Taking L-citrulline is a much more efficient way of supporting N.O. production than to directly supplement with L-arginine. Studies suggested that L-citrulline cause higher increases in arginine (the amino acid that gets converted to N.O.) compared to L-arginine itself.

How to get more citrulline? Eat foods that contain this molecule, such as watermelon. For faster results and more noticeable effects, vasodilator supplements are recommended.

Citrulline is better at raising arginine amino acid levels in the body but that does not mean supplementing with L-arginine is useless. It may still help support N.O. levels. This is also a staple ingredient in most pre-workout vasodilator supplements available on the market.

This patented compound is obtained from maritime pine bark extract. The extract has been standardized so that it contains 65 to 75% of procyanidin. This compound is the same active compound as found in grape seed extract.

Pycnogenol may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic benefits. Studies have also suggested that Pycnogenol enhances blood flow. Since grape seed extract is a cheaper source of procyanidin, we recommend using that if you are on a budget.

This is not just any ginseng, but Panax ginseng of the Korean red ginseng kind. The most important compound in Korean ginseng is the ginsenosides. This group of compounds have a similar molecular structure to androgens.

Numerous studies on Korean ginseng showed that their active compounds may have many benefits.

These compounds may also act as potent vasodilators, helping improve overall blood circulation. Ginsenosides relax the blood vessel wall, increasing levels of N.O.

This is among the most researched natural flavonoids of the past decade. Quercetin may help in various health conditions, but it needs to be taken with other bioflavonoids. Alone, quercetin will have a hard time producing any benefits.

Quercetin works in synergy with similar compounds extremely well. Examples are tea catechins, tannins, procyanidins and resveratrol. These combinations can all help in promoting better circulation.

Quercetin can be found naturally in foods such as garlic, grapes, chives, red wine, onions and apples. Even if you prefer to take quercetin as a supplement, eating lots of these quercetin-rich foods is enough.

This molecule is naturally found within the cellular mitochondria. Its primary function in the body is to produce energy to fuel many cellular processes.

Supplementing with CoQ10 helps prevent many problems associated with low CoQ10 levels.

CoQ10 may also influence N.O. Its presence helps in regulating the breakdown of N.O.

Vasodilator supplements containing CoQ10 can be quite expensive, but the benefits might be worth the expensive price tag. You may also get CoQ10 naturally by eating more foods such as salmon, egg yolks, spinach, red meat and organ meats (from grass-fed animals), and Brazil nuts.

Also called vitamin B3, niacin is among the essential nutrients needed for normal body function.

Research suggests that niacin may be effective in a similar fashion as statins. This is mainly because of the effect that niacin has on the enzyme N.O. synthase. It affects baseline N.O. levels and improves lipid metabolism.

An excellent natural source of niacin is red meat. You may also cover your daily needs from consuming a high-quality whole food multivitamin supplement.

This is a derivative of L-arginine. Agmatine is stored naturally within neurons. It assists in various functions of the central nervous system (CNS), in particular functions of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators.

Research also found that agmatine may assist in regulating N.O. synthesis. It exerts a positive influence on NOS, leading to extended N.O. activity. It is a very popular ingredient in pre-workout supplements for increasing pumps.