A study published in the journal Food Chemistry found that people who consumed 500 grams of strawberries every day for up to a month experienced reductions in oxidative damage of the blood cells.

What is it about strawberries that accomplished this apparent change? Scientists suspect that the key may lie in polyphenols, a group of organic compounds that give berries their red, blue or purple coloring. These flavonoids are natural antioxidants, and as such they may be able to slow the progress of cellular aging if consumed regularly, the team concluded.

Of course, the fruit also contains plenty of healthy vitamins and minerals. One-half a cup of sliced strawberries delivers 80 percent of an adult’s recommended daily value of vitamin C, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In fact, the NIH reveals there are various forms of distended or engorged veins that can occur in areas throughout the body. The Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine indicates they may be visible just under the surface of the skin as swollen, twisted clusters of blue or purple veins. Other types of visible veins may be thin red capillaries that branch out from the main veins.

Fortunately, there are many natural methods for supporting vascular health and easing the appearance of unsightly, distended veins. The NIH recommends these helpful tips to keep your veins and arteries healthy and flowing freely:

• Exercise regularly with low-impact activities such as walking, swimming or biking, which can all help improve circulation.
• Wear loose clothing to prevent circulation interruption. Specially designed stockings and socks can also be worn to help boost vascular health.
• Elevate your legs after long periods of standing or sitting.
• Promote healthy circulation when sitting by placing your feet firmly on the floor. By crossing your legs for extended periods or dangling your lower legs you risk cutting off your circulation.
• Maintain a healthy weight to avoid added pressure on your legs.

One surprising natural remedy for unsightly, distended veins may be increased consumption of pineapple and its juice. This fruit contains high levels of the enzyme bromelain that can help reduce inflammation, promote normal fluid distribution in the body, and support integrity of your veins and vessels, according to Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

“This is significant because it suggests that improving blood flow to the brain might be an effective therapeutic approach to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s,” Vassar said.

The results also show the importance of exercising, reducing cholesterol and managing blood pressure. Currently, doctors look to destroy specific protein plaque buildup within the brain, but now new therapies are focused on addressing the plaque buildup in the blood caused by similar proteins.

Not only have decreased blood flow and plaque buildup been linked to Alzheimer’s, they could lead to:

• Heart attack
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain

To avoid these and other circulation concerns, it could be beneficial to add nattokinase to your daily regimen. Discovered by the Japanese more than 1,000 years ago, this enzyme can help safely and naturally eliminate protein buildup—and increase blood flow from head to toe. In one scientific study, 173 blood clot samples were exposed to various nutrients, but results indicate nattokinase was the only nutrient to successfully break down the clots.

Krill is a shrimp-like crustacean that abounds in the ocean. In fact, this tiny sea creature is a favorite food of marine life, including Beluga whales. Krill are almost 100 percent free of heavy metals and other toxins. By contrast, large predatory fish are often "filled to the gills" with dangerous toxins.

The reason krill oil is more effective than other marine oils is the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids and extremely potent antioxidants it contains. It’s the unique combination of these essential ingredients that provide the greatest health benefits.

Krill oil has been shown to outperform fish oil supplements when it comes to lowering your bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Patients who took 1 to 1.5 grams (g) of krill oil a day—compared to three times the dose of fish oil—showed a significantly greater decrease in bad cholesterol than the fish oil patients.

In an Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) test, krill oil was shown to contain 300 times the amount of vitamin A and E, plus 48 times the antioxidant power of standard omega-3 fish oils.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your diet—and should be supplemented since your body doesn’t produce them on its own. These fatty acids are the best source to help prevent blood clotting, lower blood pressure and relieve inflammation.

Krill oil contains a healthy balance of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids—which help fight infection. These two fatty acids need each other and work together to prevent other inflammation-related ailments like heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. By supplementing with all-natural krill oil, you can protect your heart and brain for decades to come.

During a recent study, researchers had a total of 70 patients in a hypertension clinic take either supplements containing antioxidants or a placebo over the course of six months. At the beginning of the trial and at the three- and six-month marker, the team conducted several cardiovascular tests on each participant.

The results of the trial showed that individuals who had been given the antioxidant capsule had more elastic arteries, which is a sign of improved heart health. Also, the investigators discovered that these patients had better blood sugar and cholesterol levels than those who took the placebo.

Reuven Zimlichman, lead author of the study, stated that "antioxidant supplementation significantly increased large and small artery elasticity in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors." He added that "this beneficial vascular effect was associated with an improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as significant decrease in blood pressure."

In addition to antioxidants, increasing one’s intake of vitamin B can also lead to improved cardiovascular health, as a report published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart showed that vitamin B-6 and folate can reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease in women.

Results from a study conducted by researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center reveal that there are ways to help boost circulation, which can protect individuals from medical complications caused by clogged arteries.

When a patient is athletic, their blood flow is much more aggressive at pushing the blood through the vessels, which could lead to fewer clogs. Researchers believe that these findings should help physicians properly tell their patients how to stay healthy and avoid any life-threatening predicaments.

"Obviously we should all be exercising to get our hearts pumping fast, which increases blood flow force through our vessels with all of these molecular benefits," said the study’s coauthor Zheng-Gen Jin, Ph.D. "Beyond that, the designers of future therapies may manipulate HDAC5 to fine-tune the action of protective genes."

There are more than 5 million patients who suffer from the disease, which deals with the plaque build-up in arteries that can limit blood circulation to the limbs, which can ultimately cause an amputation.

According to a study found in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it was revealed that exercises help with the creation of a protein known as PGC-1alpha, which helps with the generation of new blood vessels in leg muscles. The protein senses poor circulation in the body and works to fix the problem. Researchers noticed that exercise helps boost this process, known as angiogenesis, faster.

"Our data strongly suggest a new paradigm for the process of angiogenesis in response to exercise, demonstrating that upstream beta-adrenergic signaling, likely stemming from increased nerve activity, triggers angiogenesis," the authors wrote.

You need to reverse the acid overload and return to an alkaline state to avoid these sure signs of body imbalance:

• Poor circulation
• Joint and muscle pain
• Irregular heartbeats
• Weak veins and arteries
• Low energy and fatigue
• Premature aging

To help eliminate food chemicals, additives and toxins, plus the everyday toxic invaders from the air you breathe and the water you drink… you need to maintain an optimum pH alkaline/acid balance of 7 to 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 14. This pH scale measures 1 as being highly acidic, while 14 is highly alkaline. By reaching this pH balance goal, you can avoid excess acid that can cause damage to your colon, lungs, kidneys and skin, plus you can boost your immunity so you virtually never get sick!

You can also increase the amount of alkaline-forming foods you consume. These foods can help restore your pH balance, as well. Try to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, plus high-fiber foods and whole grains. Avoid dairy, sugary snack foods and processed items. By evaluating the food you put into your body, you can help maintain a healthy pH balance and avoid the ravages of old age and sickness.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Florida conducted a study which found patients who had exercised regularly before a stroke occurred were significantly more likely to have milder impairments and were better able to care for themselves, compared to those who exercised rarely or not at all.

"It makes complete sense that a person who exercised before a stroke would recover quicker," says Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. James Meschia, the study’s lead investigator.

"A brain that generally has good blood and oxygen flow from aerobic exercise will be in a better position to compensate for neurological deficits caused by a stroke," he adds.

According to the National Institutes of Health more than 780,000 Americans die of stroke each year, making it the third leading cause of mortality.

Some people have turned to nutritional supplements that may normalize circulation and promote blood vessels function, including horse chestnut, ginger and ginkgo biloba extracts.

A researcher from the University of Illinois has found that trans fats – which are abundantly present in processed foods such as margarine – interfere with multiple enzymes that are key to the regulation of blood flow.

The study showed that in addition to interfering with the production of arachidonic acid from linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), trans fats also reduce the amount of prostacyclin needed to keep blood flowing. As a result, blood clots may develop more easily, leading to life-threatening complications such as stroke.

Authored by professor emeritus of veterinary biosciences Fred Kummerow, the research appears in the August 2009 issue of the international journal Atherosclerosis.

Kummerow, who is 94, has spent six decades studying lipid biochemistry, and is a vocal advocate for a ban on trans fats in foods.

"The industry would be helped by an FDA ban on trans fat that would save labeling costs, medical costs and lives," he believes.

Those who would like to change their lifestyle and improve their eating habits may consider the alkaline diet.

It is rich in rich in citrus fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts and legumes and may boost bone health into old age.