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Blood is very important to the brain. Even though the brain makes up only about 2% of your body’s weight, it uses a staggering 20% of the body’s blood flow and oxygen supply. 

This may not mean much to you, but let’s take a look at why you should pay attention to the flow of blood to your brain. 

Good blood flow is essential to the health of your brain - as well as to the health of your entire body.

Blood flowing to the brain carries with it oxygen, nutrients, vitamins, and glucose that your brain requires to function optimally. It also removes carbon dioxide and other waste products that, if left to linger in the brain, are toxic to it.

If the amount of blood flow to your brain is limited or reduced, your brain will not receive the nutrients or oxygen it needs. Many issues, both behavioural and psychiatric, can result. In fact, brain imaging studies (SPECT scans) have shown that those with the following conditions already have reduced cerebral blood flow:

• Depression

• ADHD

• Traumatic brain injury

• Bipolar disorder 

• Schizophrenia

• Suicide

• Seizure disorders

• Substance abuse

It’s only when your brain and blood vessels are healthy and blood is flowing properly that the rest of your body and mind can follow suit.

Benefits of good brain blood flow

If there is ample healthy, oxygenated blood flowing to your brain, then you may experience the following benefits:

• Improved erectile function

• Reduced risk of high blood pressure

• Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s

• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke

• Improved ability to concentrate and learn 

• Increased memory

• Better energy

• More focus 

• Better weight management 

So if you find yourself out of shape and starting to forget things, beginning an exercise program may just be what you need. Aerobic exercise in particular (aerobic means “with oxygen”), provides greater blood flow throughout your entire body, including increased flow to your brain. In fact, the area of the brain that receives the most oxygen from aerobic exercise is the hippocampus, a region of the brain that’s crucial to memory.

Studies have shown that in healthy men and women, aged 18-35, those with the highest fitness levels had a healthier, firmer, and more elastic hippocampus. Moreover, they received the best scores on memory tests.

So if you were looking for another good reason to start a consistent exercise regime, improved brain health may be it!

Do you have enough blood flow to your brain?

Despite how important blood flow is to the brain, we don’t even consider it unless disaster strikes - like a stroke or aneurysm.

Are you a smoker? Do you know someone who is? Often, we can tell when a person smokes by looking at their skin. The skin of a smoker is most likely to have deep wrinkles. It may even have a slight grey or yellow colour to it. Have you ever wondered why? 

The nicotine found in cigarettes constricts the flow of blood to all organs in the body - including the body's skin and brain. If deprived of oxygen and vital nutrients, as when there is reduced blood flow, a body will look older than it actually is and the brain will age faster.

The bottom line - smokers and those who are dealing with a TBI, depression, or seizure disorder should work to improve cerebral blood flow. 

And if you’re not a smoker or dealing with any of the conditions listed above, improving the blood flow to your brain is still important, especially considering that the flow of blood within our body gradually decreases as we age. 

The good news is that, regardless of your stage in life, you can do something about the flow of blood to your brain. And its never too late to start!

To keep our mind (and heart) young, improving blood flow is the key. In fact, doing so may even be the fountain of youth!

Factors that reduce blood flow

Curious about what can limit or distrust blood flow? Here’s a partial list:

• Stress: Excess cortisol circulating through our blood constricts the flow of blood to several other areas of the body, including the brain. 

• Nicotine: Nicotine constricts the flow of blood to every organ in your body.

• Caffeine: Caffeine directly restricts blood flow to the brain and disrupts sleep. It also contributes to dehydration. 

• Diabetes: Diabetes is a disease of the small blood vessels. It makes blood vessels brittle, limits blood flow, and prevents the body’s ability to heal damaged tissues.

• Heart disease: It should come as no surprise that heart or arterial disease will limit the flow of blood throughout the body. 

• Dehydration: If you know anything about the brain, you probably know that water makes up about 80% of its weight. If we become dehydrated, then, our brain will also dehydrate, making it harder to think.

• Toxins: Toxins of all kinds, including environmental, end up poisoning blood vessels, thereby impairing the flow of blood through them.

• Lack of sleep: Studies have shown that people who consistently get less than 6 hours of quality sleep each night have overall lower blood flow to the brain. 

• Lack of exercise: Getting little to no exercise means we’ll end up with a weaker heart. No exercise also allows blood vessels to droop and become less efficient.

• Drug abuse: Certain drugs are toxic to our circulatory system and reduce the flow of blood overall. 

• Alcohol abuse: Similarly, excess alcohol reduces blood flow overall. It has also been shown to create toxic damage to the brain specifically. 

How to improve cerebral blood flow

Now that you know some of the factors that restrict or limit the flow of blood to the brain, let’s examine what you can do to improve it. I’m sure the first few of these suggestions will be of no surprise:

• Limit exposure to toxins

• Improve the quality of your sleep

• Start moving 

• Get help for drug or alcohol abuse

• Learn stress-management techniques

• Stop smoking (if applicable)

• Limit caffeine

• Maintain balanced blood sugar levels

• Stay hydrated

Yes, if the lifestyle habits I initially listed reduce the flow of blood to your brain, then a good starting point to improve it would be to reverse or limit these factors in the first place!

In addition, there are some dietary changes you can make that may also help. They include:

• Eat more fish: Fatty fish increases your intake of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids.

• Supplement with a quality omega 3 fish oil: Additional intake of omega 3’s daily will help counter-balance any inflammatory omega 6’s you may be eating.

• Eat the rainbow: Colourful fruits and veggies like beets, green leafy vegetables, and berries provide an antioxidant boost.

• Supplement with other blood-flow boosting nutrients: These include gingko, ginseng, and L-arginine. 

• Drink more water: Getting in at least 5 glasses per day can reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

• Drink green tea: It has antioxidant properties.

• Eat foods rich in magnesium: Foods like avocados, nuts, and seeds that are high in magnesium help control blood pressure.

• Eat foods rich in potassium: Like magnesium, potassium is needed to control blood pressure. Get yours in the form of spinach and sweet potatoes.

• Eat dark chocolate: The cocoa flavanols found in dark chocolate (I recommend 85% cocoa or higher) improve levels of nitric oxide in your blood - this helps relax and dilate arteries and blood vessels to improve flow.

I hope you take my advice to “heart” ❤️ (and brain 🧠 ) and start incorporating some simple dietary changes to help improve the blood flow to your brain. Not only can it help you concentrate better and have more energy, but it may just help you look younger, too!

As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below.

If you haven’t already done so, please sign up to receive my newsletters for more information about brain health, neuronutrition, lifestyle tips, and nutritional advice. Of course, if I can help you or a loved one with your nutritional needs, make an appointment to see me today!