While varicose vein treatment can take care of your problem veins, vitamins can help prevent more varicose veins from forming. They can also slow the progression of your chronic venous disease overall. In some cases, vitamins can help you control your varicose vein symptoms without additional varicose vein treatment in the clinic.
So, what are the best vitamins to take for varicose veins? Vein doctors at varicose vein treatment clinics get asked this all the time. As a society, we’ve come to think that vitamin supplements are these little “magic” pills that can work miracles on our health. Here’s the truth. While taking vitamins do help ward off the need for clinical varicose vein treatment, you should be careful not to buy into the sometimes overly zealous marketing hype surrounding vitamin supplements. You can expect improvements to your vein health from taking vitamins but please don’t expect the impossible.
Once a varicose vein has fully formed, i.e. the vein valves near that site are damaged and or the vein wall has become weakened, no amount of vitamins is going to reverse this damage. Unfortunately, at this stage, the damage is permanent. You will need clinical varicose vein treatment to ablate the veins that are too far damaged so they can no longer cause problems. Simultaneously, you can take vitamins to to help repair slightly damaged veins and prevent or slow the progression of other varicose veins.
Okay, now that we’ve got that major caveat out of the way, let’s explore which vitamins you should take for varicose veins.
B Complex Vitamins
B vitamins are coenzymes or cofactors (precursors to coenzymes) to a variety of vital metabolic functions in the body. All B vitamins are water soluble, meaning any excess, i.e. the part that is more than the body can use at that time, is eliminated from the body quickly. Therefore, it is important that you continually replenish your body with a daily supply. B complex vitamins help to strengthen your vein walls and your vein valves, which are made of the same materials as your vein walls.
The B complex vitamins include the following: vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), vitamin B4 (choline), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B8 (Inositol), vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin B11 (Salicylic acid), vitamin B10 (PABA), and vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin).
Please note that the FDA only officially recognizes B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 within their narrow definition of “vitamins” because they are absolutely critical for survival. However, nutritionists also recognize B4, B8, B10, B11, and other “vitamin B” vitamins we don’t list here because they help maintain optimal health. If you buy B vitamins in supplement form, look for natural sources rather than synthetically produced vitamins so you get all the vitamin B vitamins, both absolutely essential and those that are important to maintaining optimal health.
While you should strive to include all vitamin Bs in your diet, there are a few worth highlighting as a natural varicose vein treatment. Vitamin B3, especially natural forms, improves circulation. Vitamin B6 is particularly important because it helps the body absorb and utilize copper. This trace mineral is important in weaving together elastin and collagen. This helps your vein walls and valves stay strong and resist deformation. Without vitamin V12, your body cannot absorb copper properly even when it is present.
If you eat a well balanced diet full of fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, and high quality meats, you should get adequate levels of vitamin B complex without needing to supplement. However, if your diet is less than healthy, you may want to take a natural vitamin B supplement, especially if you suffer from varicose veins. Keep in mind too that meat from free roaming pastured animals foraging on a natural diet will have more B vitamins than meat from animals raised on “factory farms.”
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important to building collagen used in the walls and valves of your veins. Like the B complex vitamins, it is also water soluble so you have to be careful to get a rich daily supply of it. Vitamin C is also well known to reduce inflammation in the body. This includes reducing inflammation in the veins which can cause varicose veins over time.
While oranges and orange juice is often promoted for its high vitamin C content, lemons have twice as much vitamin C! Also, sweet peppers, strawberries, mango, papaya, and broccoli all have more vitamin C than oranges!
Vitamin E
Vitamin E reduces the “stickiness” of blood platelets. In doing so, this reduces the risk of blood clots forming in deep varicose veins which can be life threatening if they break off and travel to the lung. Vitamin C also helps to thin the blood and improve circulation. Vitamin E is found in Brassica vegetables like kale, cabbage, and broccoli.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential for the blood clotting process and in regulating calcium absorption. Vitamin K complex includes vitamin K1 (phylloquinone), vitamin K2 (menaquinone), and vitamin K3 (menadione). Vitamin K2 prevents veins from becoming coated with calcium deposits by regulating the deposition of calcium in the bones. This is accomplished by regulating MGP (matrix GLA protein) and osteocalcin.
Green leafy vegetables are very high in vitamin K. These include kale, mustard greens, spinach, beet greens, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, parsley, and all types of lettuce. Other Brassicas are also high in vitamin K. These include broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts.
Get Your Veins Checked Out at Metro Vein Centers
Metro Vein Centers is a well respected varicose vein treatment clinic. They have vein doctors and other professional vein staff with decades of experience. They also offer a wide variety of varicose vein treatment. You can simply call for an appointment without a referral.