Eating healthy isn’t a guarantee for perfect health, but it certainly helps! Vitamins and minerals found in nutritious food can assist your body in healing and may even help you avoid serious health conditions.
Have a cold? Take some extra vitamin C to boost your immune system and help your body fight it. But what about your veins? Can a healthy diet and lifestyle promote good vein health—yes it can!
Your veins carry blood from your legs back to your heart. They have valves which make sure the blood flows in one direction. Varicose veins occur when the valves get stretched out and don’t work well, causing blood to flow backward and pool in your lower leg veins. And though a healthy diet will not cure varicose veins, certain vitamins and minerals can help strengthen the vein walls, improve circulation, and aid in preventing blood clots.
Vitamin C - Helps your body produce collagen and elastin which are used to repair and maintain veins, keeping them strong and flexible.
Great sources of Vitamin C: Citrus Fruits, Berries, Tomatoes, and Broccoli
Vitamin B Complex (B6, B12, B3) - B6 and B12 help remove excess amounts of homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine levels may cause irritation of the blood vessels and are considered a risk factor for blood clots. B3 may help to improve circulation while reducing the amount of cholesterol in your blood.
Great sources of Vitamin B: Whole Grains, Fish, Eggs, Bananas, Potatoes, and Spinach
Vitamin E - Helps maintain blood flow by reducing the ‘stickiness’ of platelets within your blood, making it less likely to form blood clots or to adhere to the lining of vessel walls.
Great sources of Vitamin E: Sunflower Seeds, Almonds, Avocados, and Spinach
Vitamin K - Helps with normal blood flow and clotting after an injury. It is also known to strengthen the walls of tiny blood vessels called capillaries.
Great sources of Vitamin K: Spinach, Broccoli, Parsley, Brussel Sprouts, and Prunes
Copper - Helps maintain and repair specialized cells, endothelial cells, that line the walls of your blood vessels.
Great sources of Copper: Lentils, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Liver, and Dark Chocolate To optimize your health in general, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise. However, if you are dealing with a medical condition, it’s important to consult your physician.
Beyond varicose veins, common vein disease symptoms include: leg swelling, leg pain, cramping, restless leg, and leg ulcers. The vascular specialists at Centers for Vein Care can help you find relief from varicose veins and other vein disease symptoms. Give us a call today!