What Causes Cold Feet? Spoiler: Diet Coke May Be To Blame—Not Poor Circulation
Warming feet can be surprisingly easy, from reducing caffeine to an easy breathing trick
Key Takeaways
- Cold feet are often harmless and caused by fixable issues like caffeine or stress.
- Dropping estrogen levels can throw off your body's internal thermostat, resulting in cold feet.
- Too much coffee or Diet Coke can temporarily restrict blood flow to your legs and feet.
If your toes are often freezing while the rest of you is perfectly fine, we get it—ours too! Which is why we decided to do some digging into what causes cold feet for millions of women over age 50. To be honest, we expected doctors to mostly blame poor circulation (aka reduced blood flow). Instead, they shared some pretty sneaky causes and some surprisingly easy fixes. So slip on your favorite fuzzy socks and let’s figure out what’s going on with your tootsies—and how to get ‘em toasty again.
Are your cold feet caused by poor circulation? When to worry
While not as common as we thought, persistently cold feet can sometimes be a result of poor circulation due to serious underlying problems like diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD). If it happens and is left untreated, you’re at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism and more.
When should you get checked? “If one foot is colder than the other or you have pale, blue-ish skin, it’s often a circulation issue,” says Daniel Stewart, DPM, medical advisor for the virtual foot care site Stride Soles. A weaker pulse in one foot than the other can also be a sign of an underlying health condition.
Cold feet are usually no big deal, but they can be a red flag. So they’re always worth a discussion with your doctor. And if it turns out you do need to manage poor circulation, part of your treatment will likely include simple strolls. “Even a short walk can help bring blood flow and warmth back to the feet after a period of prolonged sitting,” says Dr. Stewart.
What causes cold feet? 4 sneaky triggers
These under-the-radar culprits are often the real reason you feet always feel cold.
Falling estrogen levels
Age-related dips in estrogen can impact the body’s thermostat (aka the hypothalamus gland), causing it to behave erratically. Hot flashes are one sign your hypothalamus is acting up. Ice-cold feet can be another, says Tonie Reincke, MD, medical director of Reincke Vein Center.
A fix: While few studies have been done on hacks to warm cold feet, lots have been done on strategies to cool hot flashes—and the same internal mechanism is at play. A study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found women who sipped two large glasses of milk thistle tea a day saw a 70 percent drop in symptoms, and it’s a generally safe option to experiment with. Another suggestion from Dr. Renicke: Talk to your doctor to see if menopausal hormone therapy may be right for you.
Overdoing it on coffee and Diet Coke
Surprise! “Studies show that caffeine can temporarily constrict blood flow to your extremities,” says Zachary Cartun, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of Stride Soles. And without enough blood pumping through, feet grow frigid. Making matters worse: If you drink hot coffee to try to warm up cold feet, it can have the opposite effect. “Caffeine can create difficulties in allowing cold extremities to heat back up.”
A fix: Just switch to caffeine-free options for a couple weeks to see if your toes respond, suggests Dr. Cartun. Easy peasy!
Chronically high stress levels
When stress and anxiety spikes, your body can’t tell whether it’s caused by a bear attack or a bad commute—so, to be safe, it assumes bear attack. Hormones are released that constrict blood vessels near your extremities to funnel more blood to your heart and muscles, so you’re ready to run or fight for your life, says Dr. Reincke. One side effect can be cold feet.
A fix: “The fastest way to counter this effect is slow, deep breathing,” says Dr. Reincke. We love the study-backed 4-7-8 breathing method created by integrative health pioneer Andrew Weil, MD: Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts and exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 counts. Repeat several times. It stimulates your vagus nerve, basically an off switch for anxiety. And it can be a foot warmer, too.
A B12 or iron shortfall
Either a vitamin B12 deficiency or an iron deficiency “can reduce the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to tissues,” says Dr. Cartun. As you probably guessed, this can lead to cold feet and hands. If you suspect this could be the cause of your cold feet and you already eat a pretty healthy diet, ask a doctor to check your levels. Both deficiencies can be signs of more serious issues and you may need prescription treatment or infusions to protect your health. But if you don’t have the healthiest diet…
A fix: Load up on B12-rich foods (clams, liver, salmon, tuna, beef, Greek yogurt) and iron-rich foods (liver, clams, beef, white beans, lentils, tofu, spinach). If none of those options appeals to you much, fortified breakfast cereal tends to be a good source of both nutrients. “A daily multivitamin can also be beneficial,” notes Dr. Cartun.
The bottom line on warming feet that are always cold
“For the most part, cold feet are not anything to worry about,” says Dr. Stewart. And you’re now armed with lots of strategies to warm up those piggies nicely. Start with whichever fix feels easiest: Maybe it’s swapping your afternoon Diet Coke for herbal tea or having fortified cereal as your bedtime snack. Small changes “can have a major impact.” Our toes feel a little warmer just hearing that!
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