vein-strengthening

Varicose veins do run in families, but you can get them to slow down, or sometimes even stop, with vein-strengthening, flavonoid-rich foods and flavonoid supplements. You can boost your flavonoid levels by eating blue, red, and purple foods. or taking a supplement high in flavonoids, such as bilberry, hawthorne, or ginkgo.

Also, make sure you have enough fiber in your diet. Without it, too much pressure can build up in your abdomen, which may slow blood return from your legs and worsen those varicose veins.
P.S. the bilberry used in the research was by GNC.

[sick and tired 47]

thanks for the info... Yes, they do run in families. They are in my family.. I am one the lucky "victims: to have them.
Horsechestnut also helps with the pain, achey (achy) feeling.

[Paxiled]

There are several good herbs for varicose veins, which, by the way, includes hemorrhoids.  These include horse chestnut, as mentioned, witch hazel, gota kola, and hot herbs which help circulation, such as cayenne.  Varicose veins are caused by weakness in the vascular walls, and these herbs help strengthen them.  Many companies make good formulas, including Herb Pharm and Nature's Way.  

Hey, Deep, stop pushing GNC.  They're just not reliable, and you never know what's in their supplements.  Do you know how many athletes have been banned from sports for taking supplements from GNC that contained unlisted ingredients?  Do you know how bad they do on random sampling by groups ranging from CSPI to trade groups policing the health food industry?  Everyone sells bilberry, and besides, most of the research on bilberry was done in Scandanavia.  But you're right, flavonoids can be very helpful, including blueberry, pine bark extract, grape seed extract, green tea if you can handle caffeine, white tea, and all colored vegetables and fruits.  

[deepdiver]

I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BUT THE RESEARCH USED GNC!
I can't find the info. on the study by the university!!
that is the only GNC product I use!

[Paxiled]

You can get it from just about any herb company.  Solaray makes a good standardized one.  I take it a vision complex from Gaia.