10 Foods to Add to Your Diet for Healthier Veins

With COVID playing a huge part, holistic health is a topic that has been receiving a lot of attention in the past couple of years. We’ve witnessed the rise of wellness trends such as meditation, immune-boosting vitamins and supplements, plant-based diets, and so on. While the benefits of adopting some of these habits are widely known, did you know that a well-balanced diet can also help promote healthier veins?

Why are veins important?

Often, our veins aren’t something we pay much attention to until we’re given a cause for concern. To simplify, our arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart. As our blood loses oxygen when it travels throughout our bodies, our veins are responsible for transporting back the low-oxygen blood to the heart for reoxygenation. Our vein valves, which are small flaps of tissue in the veins, help this process. They help blood move to the heart by sealing off part of a vein and preventing backflow.

When our veins are damaged, our vein valves can’t function properly, leading to blood pooling, as well as swelling and pain, especially in the leg area. In some cases, damaged veins may lead to conditions such as varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, and other serious complications.

Many factors contribute to the occurrence of vein conditions such as varicose veins. These include genetics, age, pregnancy, prolonged periods of sitting and standing, and obesity. While healthier practices don’t exactly eradicate existing conditions, they can help alleviate the symptoms and reduce your risk of developing varicose veins.

Foods to Promote Healthier Veins

As mentioned above, obesity can contribute to the development of a vein disorder. When we have excess weight, our veins must work harder in delivering blood back to the heart, and this increases pressure on our vein valves.

Movement plays a role in boosting our circulation, but did you know that there are also certain foods that can promote healthier veins? Here are some that you can incorporate into your everyday diet.

1. Asparagus

Asparagus is known to contain potassium, which helps relax blood vessels and relieve blood pressure. Rich in a range of vitamins and minerals, this vegetable is also great for strengthening the veins and capillaries.

2. Avocados

Rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Glutathione, avocados boost vascular health and help protect arteries and veins from oxidant damage and blood clots.

3. Beets

Beetroot contains chemicals and nitrates that lower blood pressure and boost blood circulation. They also contain Betacyanin, a compound that lowers the amount of damage the amino acid homocysteine can do to your veins.

4. Blackberries

Rich in antioxidants, these tasty little fruits also contain rutin, a compound that is anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants. These protect the blood vessels against blood clots. Other fruits high in rutin include apples, cherries, grapes, black olives, buckwheat, and raspberries.

5. Chia Seeds and Flax Seeds

High pressure in the lower extremities may cause veins and capillaries to stretch and blood vessels to rupture. Beneficial for digestion and vascular health, chia seeds and flax seeds are fibre-rich foods that can help prevent bloating and constipation that tend to increase pressure on the veins.

6. Flavonoids

Flavonoids mainly come from plant sources such as citrus fruits and contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. They can strengthen blood vessel walls and help reduce the appearance of varicose veins.

7. Ginger

Ginger helps boost circulation, dissolve fibrin (the compound that forms blockages in veins) and provides other health benefits.

8. Rosemary

Rosemary contains rosmarinic acid, which protects your tissue from free radicals (atoms from damaged cells that cause disease and other health problems).

9. Salmon

Salmon is rich in Omega 3. This fatty acid helps stimulate blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and opens blood vessels.

10. Watercress

Watercress has a wide range of vitamins and minerals that boost the health of your blood and veins and helps improve circulation.

Foods to Avoid

Now, you may be asking, “What foods should I avoid?” When planning your meals, keep in mind that there are certain foods that not only contribute to weight gain but increase your risk of developing varicose veins and other vein conditions. These types of food have high levels of the following:

Sugar

High intake of sugary foods can affect blood circulation, blood pressure levels, water retention, and vein dilation. When there is too much sugar in the body, blood vessels become inflamed, resulting in the production of oxygen-derived free radicals and clogged veins. Veins then expand beyond capacity and may develop into varicose veins.

Sodium

Salty foods cause the body to retain water, and this can heighten blood volume and blood pressure, both of which put pressure on the venous system. In particular, water retention tends to occur in the lower extremities such as the ankles and legs, aggravating symptoms of varicose veins.

Trans Fats

The buildup of trans fats can heighten levels of harmful cholesterol in the body, contributing to hardened arteries (aka atherosclerosis). This restricts blood flow and may lead to other symptoms of varicose veins such as poor blood circulation in the lower extremities.

Seek treatment for your symptoms

If you’re experiencing twisted, enlarged, bulging veins, especially in the legs or the feet, chances are you might have varicose veins. While some people have no symptoms at all, others may feel some kind of heaviness in the legs, swelling, burning, itching, or throbbing sensations.

Luckily, there are many non-surgical treatment options available, all of which require little to no downtime. Find the best treatment option for you by filling out this form or by giving us a call at 13 VEINS (that’s 13 83467).