Foods that Dilate Blood Vessels

Dilating or widening blood vessels enhances blood flow throughout the body, which can help reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and combat heart disease. Although supplements and medications can be taken to improve blood vessel function, incorporating some foods into your everyday diet can be beneficial for dilating blood vessels.

Pomegranate Fruit

Pomegranate contains powerful antioxidants that improve blood vessel function, which in turn helps relax and dilate blood vessels. In fact, research shows that pomegranate fruit's ability to increase blood flow by dilating blood vessels might ease erectile dysfunction, a disorder in which the penis does not become erect due to a lack of blood flow. Researchers discovered that men drinking a glass of pomegranate juice per day for eight weeks experienced improvements in erectile dysfunction, according to research reported in the June 2007 issue of the "International Journal of Impotency.

Chili Peppers

Chili peppers are rich in capsaicin, a compound that helps dilate blood vessels, according to research reported in the August 2010 issue of the journal "Cell Metabolism." Zhiming Zhu and colleagues of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China, found that capsaicin increases the production of nitric oxide, a gas molecule that boosts blood flow by dilating blood vessels. This can be effective in lowering blood pressure, according to the researchers.

Watermelon

Watermelon contains the amino acid citrulline, which might improve blood vessel dilation, according to a report on the Science Daily website. Researchers from Florida State University found that citrulline increases blood levels of the amino acids arginine, a precursor to nitric oxide. Arginine increases nitric oxide production, which in turn relaxes and dilates blood vessels. Prehypertensive patients taking 6 g of citrulline for six weeks experienced improvements in blood pressure, according to the researchers.