Vein-strengthening supplements
Here are a few supplements.
Horse chestnut is the best-known natural treatment for varicose veins. It helps prevent swelling and strengthens capillary and vein walls. The usual dose is 300 mg a day. Side effects are pretty rare, but if you start feeling itchy or nauseous, taper back your dose. Nature’s Way has a widely available, quality product I generally recommend.
Grape seed extract also supports the walls of blood vessels. Take 150 to 300 mg in divided doses over the course of a day. I like the Activin product from Dry Creek Nutrition.
Bilberry is actually a European type of blueberry. Best known for supporting healthy vision, it can also be useful for varicose veins. It’s similar to grape seed extract. Use 24 to 320 mg a day.
Bromelain, an enzyme from pineapple, can help prevent the hard lumpy skin that develops around varicose veins. Take 500 to 750 mg two or three times a day.
Butcher’s Broom is also another safe—and affordable—supplement that’s helpful. It works by constricting your blood vessels and improving your overall blood flow. Its anti-inflammatory properties have been used for over two thousand years to relieve the swelling and pain of varicose veins.
They’re all safe on their own and together don’t be afraid to combine them. But it’s important to note that all of the above remedies are best used under the supervision of an experienced practitioner especially Butcher’s Broom, which can increase blood pressure.
Yes, I have heard about that, but I thought that the varicose veins would show up while taking the birth control, not after stopping it. So now I am thinking what would happen if I started to take the birth control again. Would it stop the varicose veins from getting worse?
Long-term use of high-estrogen birth control pills has been shown to increase the risk of varicose veins by altering circulatory valve functioning.