Doc says I have chilblains on my fingers

callig

So I did a search on google about chilblains and found an article that says a low fat diet is essential for strong circulation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_the_doctor/chilblains.shtml


I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts about cutting down on fat to improve circulation.

Thanks

EileenG

No, it's nonsense. Note that he said "a healthy low fat diet". That just means don't eat piles of junk.

In fact, I used to get chilblains when I ate low fat. I was religious about it, never ate anything with more than 3g of fat per 100g of food. Didn't stop the chilblains. When I switched to low carb, with a much higher amount of carbs, the chilblains disappeared.

One case doesn't prove anything, but it should indicate that more research is needed.

One thing that you should ask your doctor about is Niacin (vitamin B3) which is great at improving circulation, in fact, you can often feel it working. It's used to treat Raynaud's Syndrome, which is where circulation can be so bad that it cuts off blood supply to fingers and toes, even nipples occasionally.

Davei141

EileenG wrote: »

One thing that you should ask your doctor about is Niacin (vitamin B3) which is great at improving circulation, in fact, you can often feel it working. It's used to treat Raynaud's Syndrome, which is where circulation can be so bad that it cuts off blood supply to fingers and toes, even nipples occasionally.

Would you be able to buy that in shops? I have very poor circulation in my hands and occasionally my feet, like turning blue in the house bad, wouldnt mind trying it out.

EileenG

Yes, all health food shops have it and it's one of the cheaper supplements. I'd suggest you take a half dose the first time you try it, or you may feel very hot and flushed. This is normal, but can take a little getting used to.

El_Dangeroso

EileenG wrote: »

even nipples occasionally.

Teehee! I have a juvenile sense of humour

Interesting about niacin and circulation, I didn't know that.

Did you see the new study where they compared niacin and a statin and niacin alone in patients with plaque on their arteries? The niacin cause the plaque to regress and the patients just taking the statin alone had increased plaque.

Hyperdoses of niacin makes me flush and itch like crazy, but apparently the no-flush niacin isn't as effective.

EileenG

Yes, saw that. Bet the drug companies want to keep that one quiet, considering the difference in price between B3 and statins.

If you get the dose right, you shouldn't have such a problem with the flushing. Try it in very cold weather, when anything that makes you hot is welcome.