How to Support Raynaud’s Syndrome

Around ten million people in the UK are affected by Raynaud’s syndrome. Sufferers may dread the cold weather and the pain and discomfort it brings.

Read on to discover how you can support this condition naturally.

What is Raynaud’s Syndrome?

In Raynaud’s, the tiny blood vessels supplying the extremities restrict inappropriately in response to cold or stress. This impairs blood flow to the extremities, commonly the fingers and toes.

Symptoms include numbness, pain, tingling and skin discolouration. Your skin may initially appear white, then blue. When blood rushes back into the vessels, the skin then often turns red, accompanied by pain and tingling. Your lips, nose or ears might be affected too.

What Causes Raynaud’s Disease?

Your skin is sensitive to heat and cold. When it detects a drop in temperature, a message travels to your brain instructing it to constrict the blood vessels in your extremities. The aim of this is to protect you by reducing the amount of heat lost from your body. However, in Raynaud’s the blood vessels constrict and spasm with even minor drops in temperature. Therefore, it appears this response is stimulated at a lower threshold for cold than usual.

The condition sometimes develops on its own, when it’s known as primary Raynaud’s, or you might see it referred to as Raynaud’s disease. This is the most common type, and it doesn’t have any medically defined cause. However, Raynaud’s can also appear alongside other health conditions. In particular, it often occurs with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, or lupus. In this case, it’s known as secondary Raynaud’s or Raynaud’s phenomenon.

How to Naturally Support Raynaud’s

In the case of secondary Raynaud’s, the first step is to manage the underlying condition. If this is an autoimmune disease, supporting the gut is key. Poor gut health can lead to a loss of selectivity of the immune system. When this happens, it becomes unable to distinguish between invaders that it needs to attack, and your body’s own cells. In practice, this means supporting the intestinal microbiome and nurturing the gut lining.
Elevated chronic inflammation is a feature of autoimmune diseases. Inflammation can impair the functioning of the blood vessel lining, known as the endothelium. Managing inflammation is therefore key, so a diet designed to reduce inflammation may be useful. In practice this means consuming plenty of brightly coloured fresh plant foods and avoiding sugar and processed foods.
Some research has linked H pylori infection with primary Raynaud’s. This is a bacterium which can affect the stomach, frequently causing peptic ulcers and gastritis. In one study, when H pylori was eradicated, the frequency and severity of Raynaud’s attacks decreased (1). This led the researchers to suggest the bacteria were releasing substances triggering vasoconstriction.
Low levels of magnesium (2) have been seen in research to be associated with primary Raynaud’s. Magnesium is crucial to allow the muscles in the blood vessel walls to relax. If these muscles are overly contracted, the diameter of blood vessels will reduce, and blood flow will be impaired.
Other research found giving omega 3 oils – rich in oily fish and some nuts and seeds – led to fewer attacks of primary Raynaud’s (3).
Meanwhile, the herb gingko biloba was found in research to help improve circulation. It’s been linked with fewer attacks of primary Raynaud’s, too (4).
Beetroot contains substances called nitrates which encourage the release of nitric oxide in your body. One of the roles of nitric oxide is to increase the diameter of blood vessels. In one study, beetroot juice consumption improved blood flow to the thumb (5). Other substances called flavanols, a type of antioxidant, have been studied for their ability to relax blood vessels. They are particularly rich in the cocoa bean.
Alcohol, smoking, and caffeine tend to make the condition worse. Stress is a common trigger, too. When your body releases hormones in response to a stressful situation, these divert blood away from your extremities and towards your muscles, to help you to flee or fight back.

Integrative Medicine Support for Raynaud’s Syndrome

Here at the Forbes Clinic, we concentrate on the root causes of your health condition. In the case of Raynaud’s, root causes can be complex. However, we will dig deep by looking into your personal health history, lifestyle, and nutritional status to discover the circumstances triggering your Raynaud’s. We won’t simply tell you to go away and avoid the cold.

Your best starting point is an Integrative Health Assessment which is focused on improving your health from the ground up. We can then draw upon our team of specialist practitioners to further support you. For example, a Functional Nutritional Therapist can investigate whether poor gut health or food sensitivities may be contributing factors, or whether blood sugar fluctuations are causing an exaggerated stress response. Meanwhile, somatic therapies like Emotional Freedom Technique can help regulate your nervous system.

Take the first step towards overcoming Raynaud’s by booking a Discovery Call today.

How to Support Raynaud’s Syndrome

What is Raynaud’s Syndrome?

What Causes Raynaud’s Disease?

How to Naturally Support Raynaud’s

Integrative Medicine Support for Raynaud’s Syndrome

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