培正健康學堂 Patrick’s Health Talk
如何避免「血管幽靈化」？

前文介紹了人體微血管的重要性及微血管變異可能帶來對健康的危害，微血管功能變異更是血管不暢的前期先兆^（1）。究竟有甚麼方法可以避免或延緩各種微血管的變異以致「幽靈化」呢？
原來，微血管的變異是可逆轉變化的^（2），適當的檢測和及早發現微血管的異常變化，並改變生活及飲食習慣，甚至治療，是有可能將變異的微血管扭轉回復正常。適當的運動^（3）對微血管的舒張規律有很大的幫助，甚至幫助血管有逆齡抗氧化的功效。醫學界普遍認為，中至輕度的運動，如體操等，對血管及微循環的好處大於劇烈運動^（3，4）。
除適當的運動外，食療都可以有效幫助血液循環及微血管的健康生長。除了日常飲食均衡，多菜少肉外，原來「肉桂樹皮」及「薑黃素」都能有效改善血液循環及微血管的正常生長^（5，6）。據日本筑波大學的一份報告顯示﹕其中「薑黃素」對血管循環及血管擴張的效果可以媲美體操訓練(Aerobic Exercise Training) ^（6,7）。

報告指出恆常適當的運動及定期食用「薑黃素」同樣可以改善血管的功能及抵抗因年齡引起的血管老化。結論甚至提出「薑黃素」可以對不便運動的人士改善血管功能。
參考文獻：

1. MASHUDU MUDAU and more, Endothelial dysfunction: the early predictor of atherosclerosis, CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 23, No 4, May 2012 AFRICA.
2. HANS STRIJDOM, Endothelial Dysfunction: are We Ready to Heed the Vasculature’s Early-Warning Signal? CVJ AFRICA CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 23, No 4, May 2012 185
3. Vona, MD and more. Effects of Different Types of Exercise Training Followed by Detraining on Endothelium-Dependent Dilation in Patients With Recent Myocardial Infarction，AHA Journals, Circulation. 2009;119:1601-1608.
4. Saeid Golbidi and Ismail Laher, Exercise and the Aging Endothelium, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada.
5. Reza Badalzadeh1 and more, The Effect of Cinnamon Extract and Long-Term Aerobic Training on Heart Function, Biochemical Alterations and Lipid Profile Following Exhaustive Exercise in Male Rats, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
6. Nobuhiko Akazawaa and more, Curcumin Ingestion and Exercise Training Improve Vascular Endothelial Function in Postmenopausal Women, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
7. Jun Sugawara1 and more, Effect of Endurance Exercise Training and Curcumin Intake on Central Arterial Hemodynamics in Postmenopausal Women: Pilot Study, Nature Publishing Group, Japan. June 2012, VOLUME 25 NUMBER 6, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION.
8. Jessica R. Santos and more, Curcumin supplementation improves vascular endothelial function in healthy middle‐aged and older adults by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and reducing oxidative stress，University of Colorado Boulder, USA. AGING 2017, Vol. 9, No. 1.
9. 杨阳，姜黄素对血管内皮细胞过氧化氢损伤的保护作用及其机制研究, 中国体外循环杂志2011年12月15日第9卷第4期。
10. science-truth.com