Vein health is important to shield oneself from varicose veins, and healthy eating is one of the effective ways to improve your vein health and minimise the chances of developing varicose veins. Beyond healthy weight management, it is important to keep your inner health better by consuming a balanced diet. The food you intake impacts everything inside the body, from healthy blood circulation to cholesterol and inflammation management. Any imbalance in these could be a potential trigger to varicose veins, and you may start experiencing the signs of varicose veins, like bulging of veins, pain, inflammation, and swelling in the legs. However, people who have a family history of varicose veins or underlying health conditions like diabetes are likely to develop varicose veins compared to normal people, so knowing about the vitamins and supplements that support vein health and control the risk of developing varicose veins is important.
Varicose Veins-An Understanding
Varicose veins are bulged and twisted veins that appear on the skin. The condition is mostly seen in the lower extremities, especially the legs. Both men and women are prone to this venous insufficiency due to various underlying causes. The appearance of varicose veins is unsightly and may be a cosmetic concern in the initial stages. The medical condition is progressive in the later stages. It may cause many painful varicose veins symptoms like pain, swelling, and inflammation in the legs that are quite difficult to manage as they progress to the later stages of varicose veins. The varicose veins disease needs the right nutrition to improve vein health along with optimal varicose vein treatment to hinder the progression of varicose veins and also manage their symptoms.
Why do you develop varicose veins?
You may have varicose veins in your legs when you have problems with blood flow. Veins are nothing but a strong network of blood vessels that function to return blood to the heart while defying gravity. The veins can do the job effectively only when they are healthy. If any underlying cause, like poor diet, obesity, prolonged standing or sitting, family history, and hormonal changes, hinders the functionality of veins, they cannot open and close properly, and you will suffer venous reflux. The non-functional veins cannot carry blood back to the heart effectively, and the blood starts pooling in your veins, leading to varicose veins.
Symptoms of varicose veins
As the blood tends to pool, the veins will expand and tend to bulge, causing varicose veins symptoms that impact your ability to conduct regular activities. A few of the varicose veins symptoms you could experience when you are affected by the problem include
Pain in the legs with prolonged standing
When you stand for prolonged periods, the veins may feel pressure and lose their effective functionality. The blood starts pooling in your veins, increasing the pressure and tending to cause varicose veins symptoms like painful legs. Even long hours of sitting also lead to pain. There will be no muscle movement to foster the blood flow in the legs, and it tends to pool in the veins, increasing the pressure on them.
Burning sensation
You may also experience varicose veins symptoms like a burning sensation in your legs when you have varicose veins because the pooled blood in the veins leaks fluid into the surrounding tissue. You may also experience a crawling sensation in your legs when you suffer from varicose veins.
Swelling
Swelling is another prominent symptom of varicose veins. Poor blood circulation in the body retains fluid in your legs, causing edema and making your legs swell.
Itchy skin
Varicose veins also cause symptoms like itchy skin because poor blood flow lacks enough oxygen supply to the skin. Lack of oxygen makes your skin break down and itchy.
What are the vitamins that help in preventing varicose veins?
Diet alone can never eliminate the chances of developing varicose veins in individuals. Still, it can play a vital role in fostering healthy blood circulation through veins and also reducing the pressure on blood vessels.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C tops the list of nutrients that can help in preventing varicose veins, along with various functions like healing wounds and absorbing iron into the body. Vitamin C produces elastin and collagen to maintain the elasticity of the veins for free blood flow. It also helps in handling the issues related to poor blood circulation and identifying the damaged veins throughout the body. Vitamin C aids in strengthening vein valves, making them less prone to vein problems like varicose veins. The body loses the ability to produce enough collagen as you get older, which is a probable cause of varicose veins in the aged group. Vitamin C can replace the deficit and improve the vein’s elasticity for healthy blood flow. It is recommended to add vitamin C to your regular diet to reduce the chances of developing varicose veins. You can find vitamin C in citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, pineapple, broccoli, lemon, and Brussels sprouts.
Vitamin E
You should consider adding vitamin E to your diet plan if you suffer from night cramps; it could be an early symptom of varicose veins due to the sticking of platelets that adhere to one side of the blood vessels and the hardening of arteries. Vitamin E helps in fighting poor blood circulation in the body and helps you relieve varicose vein symptoms like night cramps. The vitamin also helps in maintaining healthy skin and vision. Some of the best foods that contain vitamin E include almonds, peanuts, avocado, salmon, spinach, kiwis, and fortified cereals.
Vitamin B
There is a group of B vitamins that can help in improving blood circulation, especially in people who have a genetic history of blood clots and varicose veins. The group B complex vitamins that can aid in improving vein health include riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, folic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, vitamin B12, and pantothenic acid. They help in reducing homocysteine, an amino acid from your body, and reduce the risk of developing blood clots that could lead to varicose veins. It helps in improving overall blood circulation in the body and reduces the risk of developing varicose veins. A few foods where you can find vitamin B include eggs, fish, almonds, brown rice, broccoli, spinach, and sunflower seeds.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is also one of the key vitamins to protect vein health and prevent the development of varicose veins. They play an integral role in protecting vein health. They help strengthen the walls of the small blood vessels called capillaries and prevent them from breaking and stretching. The vitamins also help in preventing vein bruising. Including vitamin K in your diet plan plays a key role in preventing blood clots and blood pooling in veins. The supplement can help in reducing the appearance of varicose veins. Vitamin K can be found in food products like broccoli, mustard seeds, Brussels sprouts, and pumpkins.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D can be naturally obtained from the sun and has a wonderful benefit in protecting blood circulation and vein health. It helps maintain the elasticity of the arteries for healthy blood flow and blood pressure, thereby reducing the chances of developing varicose veins. Vitamin D can be found in food products like salmon, swordfish, egg yolk, tuna, beef liver, and dairy fortified with vitamin D and fortified cereals.
Copper
Along with vitamins, copper is also a vital nutrient to protect vein health because it helps repair the lines of your veins and prevents them from getting damaged, which is one of the probable causes of varicose veins in people. You can find copper in food like lentils, sunflower seeds, molasses, and apricots.
What are the foods you should avoid when you have varicose veins?
Along with vitamin intake to support vein health and manage the symptoms of varicose veins, you should know about the foods that you need to avoid when you have varicose veins. Eating these foods may worsen the symptoms of varicose veins and also increase the risk of blood clots.
- You should avoid consuming refined carbohydrates, processed foods, pizzas, and baked food because they could raise your blood sugar levels and worsen symptoms of varicose veins.
- Keep away from fried foods that could lead to swelling and inflammation, causing more discomfort.
- You should also look at reducing your salt intake every day, as high consumption could cause inflammation. Reduce the salt intake in a day to a possible extent to prevent varicose vein symptoms from worsening.
- Also, check for iron intake in your regular diet because high iron intake increases the risk of blood clots.
When you are making diet changes to manage the symptoms of varicose veins, be mindful of the foods that are listed above that not only aid in the progression of the disease but also worsen the symptoms of varicose veins.
Conclusion
Making specific dietary changes could help you handle the symptoms of varicose veins by helping to strengthen vein valves and improving the blood circulation in veins. This nutritional intake supports vein health and overall body health as well. However, diet alone cannot be an effective measure to manage the symptoms of varicose veins; you have to make some lifestyle changes, like doing exercises and wearing compression stockings. You also need to get the right varicose vein treatments to rule out the underlying cause of varicose veins and enjoy long-lasting results. Though vitamins help to improve vein health, it is part of the treatment plan; you need to undergo the right treatments at Avis Hospitals to treat the underlying cause and get relief from varicose veins.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
- Will a specific diet cure varicose veins?
No, diet alone is not a single solution to the varicose veins problem. While vitamin-rich diets help boost vein health and improve blood circulation, only effective varicose veins treatments can cure the problem completely.
- Is milk or dairy good for varicose veins?
Dairy can offer several benefits to varicose veins with abundant minerals and nutrients. Milk is also known to reduce blood pressure and prevent the worsening of varicose veins.
- Is there a cure for varicose veins?
There are effective non-invasive treatments to offer long-lasting results for varicose veins. The treatments have a high success rate, and you can reduce the chances of recurrence with some effective lifestyle changes.
- What are the foods that should be avoided when suffering from varicose veins?
If you have varicose veins, keep avoiding refined carbohydrates, fried foods, high salt intake and excessive iron-rich foods as they may harm and contribute to weight gain and inflammation, potentially worsening varicose veins.
- What are foods that contain minerals like copper for vein health?
Lentils, sunflower seeds and molasses have rich source of copper for maintaining good vein health.