Boosting your blood flow makes you healthy. Anything that limits blood flow such as stress, caffeine, nicotine, drugs, alcohol, lack of sleep or excercise is unhealthy.

Blood is especially important to the brain. Even though the brain is composed of only 2 percent of the body's weight, it uses 20 percent of the body's blood flow and oxygen supply. Blood flow to the brain is rarely thought about as important by the general public, unless a disaster strikes, such as a stroke or an aneurysm. Yet good blood flow is absolutely essential to the brain's health. A SPECT test specifically looks at blood flow in the brain.

Blood brings oxygen, sugar, vitamins, and other nutrients to the brain and takes away carbon dioxide and other toxic waste products. Anything that limits blood flow prematurely ages all of you body's organs.

Stress:

The overflow of the stress chemical adrenaline constricts blood flow to many areas of the body.

Caffeine:

This substance directly constricts bllod flow to the brain, disrupts sleep, and is involved in dehydration.

Nicotine:

The brain is 80 percent water. Anything that dehydrates you makes it harder to think.

Artery disease/heart disease:

Both directly limit blood flow.

Diabetes:

A small blood vessel disease, diabetes limites blookd flow, makes blook vessels brittle, and prevents the healing of damaged tissue.

Environmental toxins:

These toxins poison blood vessels.

Lack of sleep:

People who get less than six hours of sleep at night have lower overall blood flow to the brain then those who get more then six hours of sleep.

Lack of exercise:

In addition to weakening the heart pump, too little exercise allows blood vessels to become droopy and less efficient.

Drug or alcohol abuse:

These substances are directly toxic to the vascular system. Drugs or alcohol are toxic and decrease blood flow.

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