Boost Microcirculation to Avoid Summertime Cold Hands = L-arginine

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Boost Microcirculation to Avoid Summertime Cold Hands

Health Dispatch:

Contents:

Little Signs Can Lead To Big Problems

Cold hands and feet

Treating the Hidden Problem

Reverse blood flow obstructions

Strengthen the microvascular blood vessels

Increase microvascular elasticity

Improve poor microvascular blood flow

While it’s normal to experience cold extremities temporarily in cold

weather, a lot of people suffer cold hands or feet chronically, even when

they’

re inside a heated building, and even in the summer. This phenomenon could

be caused by many factors, including an underactive thyroid, but often is a

symptom of a larger problem with circulation.

When the conventional medical establishment hears the word “circulation,â€

it primarily focuses on **macro** circulation—increasing blood flow

through the larger arteries and veins to the heart and other vital organs.

However, the fact of the matter is that improving **micro** circulation through

the much smaller arteries, arterioles, and capillaries that supply each and

every individual cell within the body is critical.

There are over 50 trillion cells in your body, and every cell is less than

1/500th of an inch from a capillary. All told, the body has more than

60,000 miles of capillaries, which make up the “business end†of the

cardiovascular system. This is the area of the circulatory system where vital

gases,

nutrients, and waste materials are exchanged. It’s also the area that

determines whether cells will live or die, and, ultimately, the degree of

health or disease present in an individual.

The capillaries are so narrow that oxygen-carrying red blood cells have to

line up single file to move through. Malfunctions in this area can be

disastrous.

Little Signs Can Lead To Big Problems

If you have any hint of macrovascular problems such as clogging in the

arteries feeding the heart, then rest assured you also have major problems

with microvascular circulation. I would say that at least 80 percent of the

population over the age of 40 has moderately to extremely serious

microvascular problems. No one, however, seems to recognize the problem.

We’ve been

somewhat blinded, so we see only the much more obvious problems that stem

from poor microcirculation. We “can’t see the forest for the trees.â€

As we age, malfunctions at the microvascular level become more common.

These microscopic vessels begin to break down due to blockages, leaks, and

breaks. When you lose these **feeder** vessels, the cells of the various

organs receive less in the way of nutrients, proteins, essential amino acid

building blocks, minerals, essential fatty acids, protective antioxidants,

oxygen, et cetera. The cells obviously begin to lose their ability to function

properly. Their immune and reparative capabilities become impaired. When

the microcirculation of an area begins to fail, the organ or tissue being

supplied also begins to fail.

Cold hands and feet

Cold hands and feet are just two of the many signs that indicate

microvascular dysfunction. Some other common related symptoms include easy

bruising,

high blood pressure, varicose veins, and erectile dysfunction. In that

vein (please pardon the pun), poor microcirculation has been implicated as a

factor in Alzheimer’s disease, senility, kidney dysfunction, numerous eye

diseases, and the progression of diabetes complications.

Treating the Hidden Problem

If you experience unnaturally cold hands or feet, (and your doctor has

ruled out an underactive thyroid as the possible cause), or have any of the

other symptoms or conditions I just mentioned, there are a few of the steps

you should take to address your microcirculation problems.

Reverse blood flow obstructions

As we age, blockages begin to form in small vessels of our microvascular

system. To a degree, our bodies can compensate for this. Through the

process of angiogenesis, new blood vessels can form to replace those with

blockages. Other blood vessels can dilate to help compensate for those that are

blocked. Unfortunately, both of these compensation mechanisms decrease with

age. Angiogenesis, for all practical purposes, shuts down after puberty,

and, with age, blood vessels become stiffer and less elastic.

The enzyme nattokinase can be used to clear these blockages. It is truly a

remarkable supplement, one I highly recommend taking daily if you’re over

age 40. (I personally do.) Nattokinase is one of the few compounds that can

effectively remove fibrous tissue and other clotting components anywhere

in the body. I call it the **poor man*s clot buster.** Look for nattokinase

from Nutricology, at _http://www.nutricology.com_

(http://strongmail.healthydirectionsmail.com/track?type=click & enid=ZWFzPSZtYWlsa\

W5naWQ9NDMwMSZtZXNzYWd

laWQ9MTcwMiZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTE0MDQmc2VyaWFsPTE2Nzc4MDU4JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3VycHJpc2V

zaGFuMkBhb2wuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1fNTcyNTUmZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg=

= & & & 12630 & & & http://www.nutricology.com) .

Strengthen the microvascular blood vessels

The underlying cause of spontaneous bruising is capillary fragility due to

a deficiency of vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Whole, particularly raw,

foods rich in the vitamin C complex are deficient in today’s diet. When it

comes to maintaining blood vessel integrity, vitamin C requires the help of

bioflavonoids such as quercetin and rutin.

Research seems to indicate that an adequate dose of bioflavonoids to

maintain vessel integrity is about 1/10 the amount of vitamin C consumed. For

example, if you already have bruising or capillary fragility, something along

the lines of 3 to 5 grams of vitamin C daily should be taken with 500 mg

of mixed bioflavonoids.

Berries are packed with a wide variety of various bioflavonoids and are an

excellent source of these compounds. I highly recommend that you include

them in your diet whenever you can. Black currants and bilberries, both

native to Europe, have been shown to be particularly effective at improving

microcirculation. Extracts of each are now available in most health food

stores.

Increase microvascular elasticity

Almost 15 years ago, I reported in my _Alternatives_

(http://strongmail.healthydirectionsmail.com/track?type=click & enid=ZWFzPSZtYWlsa\

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zYWdlaWQ9MTcwMiZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTE0MDQmc2VyaWFsPTE2Nzc4MDU4JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3VycHJ

pc2VzaGFuMkBhb2wuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1fNTcyNTUmZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSY

mJg== & & & 12631 & & & http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/MainSite/Newsletter.aspx?utm_

campaign=dispatch & utm_source=loy-email-all & utm_medium=email & utm_content=will

iams-dispatch-073011 & sm_mid=4301 & sm_rid=4301.1404.57255) newsletter on

some of the most important and useful research I’d seen in decades related to

this subject. Dr. Anoop Chauhan of Papworth Hospital, the United Kingdom’s

main heart lung transplant center, confirmed that the ability of our

microvascular system to dilate decreases with age. More importantly, however,

he

demonstrated that we could reverse this impairment with the amino acid

L-arginine.

Dr. Chauhan found that by increasing blood levels of L-arginine, which is

converted to nitric acid, even older blood vessels will relax and dilate,

dramatically increasing blood flow through them. Just a small increase in

diameter translates into a huge improvement in blood flow. For example, if

you double the radius of a vessel, your blood flow is four times as great.

If you want to improve elasticity in your microvascular vessels,

L-arginine is the miracle substance that can do it. A dose of about 6 grams (3

grams

taken twice daily) has been shown to double blood plasma levels in just a

few weeks. L-arginine is available from Jo Mar Labs, at

_http://www.jomarlabs.com_

(http://strongmail.healthydirectionsmail.com/track?type=click & enid=ZWFzPSZtYWlsa\

W5naWQ9NDMwMSZtZXNzYWdlaWQ9MTcwMiZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTE0MDQmc2VyaWFsPT

E2Nzc4MDU4JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3VycHJpc2VzaGFuMkBhb2wuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1fNTcyNTUmZmw9Jm

V4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg== & & & 12632 & & & http://www.jomarlabs.com) or

800-538-4545.

Improve poor microvascular blood flow

Increasing blood flow increases the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide

and of nutrients and necessary raw materials for waste products. This

speeds the healing process in any condition. The easiest, least expensive way

to

increase blood flow is through exercise. That’s why it will always be

essential for optimal health.

The B vitamin niacin is also an effective way to increase microvascular

blood flow. Niacin is the vitamin that creates a “flushing†in the skin

when

taken in larger amounts. If you’ve experienced the niacin flush (which

must be something like the hot flashes of menopause) you know what I’m

talking

about. Some people dislike the temporary (15–20 minutes) noticeable surge

in blood flow to the face, chest, and/or hands, but I like it.

Niacin is undoubtedly one of the safest, least expensive, most effective,

and underutilized vitamins we have. If everyone spent a nickel a day on

niacin we’d see a dramatic decrease in our society’s overall health

problems.

One of the more powerful tools to safely increase microcirculation is the

herb ginkgo. Dozens of research studies have confirmed both its safety and

its effectiveness, at a dose of 40 mg taken three times daily of an extract

standardized to 24 percent ginkgo flavone glycosides. Nattokinase and

ginkgo offer the supplemental one-two punch to knock out microvascular

blockages and improve microvascular flow.

The writing is on the wall. If you disregard your microvascular system,

you do so at your own peril. We know how to restore and protect it with diet

and supplements. Remember it’s the “business end†of your circulation

system. Give it the proper tools and attention so it can continue to do its

job.

Until next time,

Dr.