According to Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK, up to 10 million people in the UK suffer with Raynaud’s Syndrome or Cold Hands Complaint.

Raynaud’s prevents blood from reaching the extremities, fingers, toes and sometimes the ears and nose, and can cause numbness and tingling, not to mention quite a lot of pain and a burning sensation for many sufferers. Skin can turn white and blue, before turning red. The lack of blood is caused by spasmodic contractions of the arteries, which can be triggered by temperature changes, exposure to the cold or even just by touching cold objects. Emotional stress can also trigger an episode.

If you do have Raynaud’s, or even if you just ‘feel the cold’, simple lifestyle changes can really help to improve your circulation.

For instance, if you’re a smoker, stop. Stopping smoking is the most effective way to reduce the symptoms of poor circulation, not to mention one of the healthiest decisions you’ll ever make.

Keeping warm and staying away from the cold, including draughts while you’re indoors, can also make a huge difference, as can wearing warm thermal socks and gloves, and using hand warmers, but do try to keep your whole body warm, not just your hands and feet.

Correct nutrition can also help. Reducing your consumption of meat, butter and cream, which contain lots of circulation-slowing saturated fats and cholesterol, is important, whereas oily fish or omega-3 supplements can help to reduce blood stickiness and improve circulation.

Salt hardens your arteries (which need to be elastic) so make sure you stay within the recommended 6g a day and watch your labels when buying pre-packaged and tinned foods as these often have a high salt content. Lower salt alternatives like A.Vogel’s Herbamare, which is made from sea salt, vegetables, garden herbs and kelp, are a great way of bringing your salt intake down. Simply use as you would salt.

Foods rich in vitamin C (kiwis, blueberries, cherries and most fruit and veg) are good for circulation, as are foods rich in rutin (buckwheat, citrus peel and rosehips), which helps to strengthen small blood vessels.

As far as herbal remedies are concerned, Ginkgo biloba is a firm favourite.
One of the oldest known plants on earth, records date back to 3000 BC, Ginkgo can be used to help maintain a healthy circulation and blood flow.

Try diluting 15 drops of Ginkgo biloba extract in a little water three times a day.

Finally, regular exercise may be beneficial, as it helps boost circulation. Try to exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes to get the heart racing and the blood flowing around your body, but avoid outdoor activities during cold weather.

Raynaud’s can also be indicative of another underlying health complaint and should always be investigated.

For further information contact Jay Thankey at Natural Health, 339 Ballards Lane, North Finchley, or call 020 8445 4397.