Good blood circulation is our vital source: oxygen, minerals and nutrients reach muscles, the nervous system, bones and organs thanks to a dense network of vascular channels. The journey from the heart to the periphery is the task of the arteries, which carry oxygenated blood to the organs. The return journey is more demanding and is carried out by the veins. Venous debt is an oxygen debt: if blood does not return to be oxygenated, arterial exchange suffers, and with it every organ.

Natural remedies for good circulation

Horse chestnut

The best decongestant for circulation and the liver, for detoxifying and working on digestion, weight and the venous system. The Greeks fed its leaves to the horses (hippos) destined for fast racing. A cream massaged onto the limbs is also useful.

Sepia

A feminine remedy particularly suited to the period after pregnancy, when the shape of the pelvis changes, the organs risk prolapsing and the veins suffer from compression. Sepia is also a remedy for sluggish bowels and a bloated abdomen.

Butcher's broom

A plant that restores tone to slack venous walls and their sluggish valves. It can be used alongside medical treatment for phlebitis and venous ulcers, both taken orally and applied as a cream.

Pulsatilla

A homoeopathic remedy for capillary fragility and skin mottled with white and red patches. It suits women who swell up like balloons before their menstrual cycle, when poor circulation and cellulite undermine their figure.

Cumin

A classic foot bath after a day in heels, the arch-enemies of circulation. 15 minutes soaking your feet in warm water with 3 drops of black cumin essential oil will bring your ankles back to their slender selves.

Witch hazel

Hamamelis is Hazel, the witches' shrub, the fragrant flower that blooms in winter, the branch that forms the magic wand used in divination and by water diviners. The Sioux knew it as the plant that stops the bleeding of battle wounds, and this is its phytotherapeutic use: vasoconstrictive, anti-oedematous and antiseptic. It regulates capillary circulation and decongests dark circles and heavy eyelids. As a cream it soothes sunburn, as a mouthwash it prevents gum bleeding and reduces inflammation in the mouth. Its ointment calms the spontaneous skin redness typical of those who suffer from couperose. The extract is a venous astringent and an arterial tonic, suited to those with varicose veins, dilated and congested saphenous veins, and varicose clusters that signal worn-out valves. Hamamelis works where the risk is real, where family history leaves no room for doubt and sport alone is not enough. Perfect for mothers during pregnancy, as a cream it is indicated for both the veins and the haemorrhoidal circulation.