How to Treat Spider Veins With Diet

Spider veins are those small line-like red or purple vessels that snake through the body in twisting patterns. They most commonly occur on the legs, although the face and arms are sometimes affected as well. Those afflicted with spider veins can help manage them by making specific changes to their diets.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Berries
• Citrus fruits
• Gingko biloba
• Herbal tea
• St. John's wort
• Arnica
• Yarrow
• Salt-free spice mixes
• Zinc
• Vitamin E
• Calcium fluoride
• Lecithin

1. Add berries such as blueberries and raspberries to your diet. These foods are high in bioflavonoids, which help strengthen blood vessels. Try two tablespoons of berries in your morning cereal or yogurt each day.
2. Pick citrus fruits for snacking. Grapefruits, oranges and tangerines all have bioflavonoids in the white membranes of the fruit. Be careful not to peel the white fibers away.
3. Supplement your diet with 50 to 125 milligrams of gingko biloba per day. This herb works to strengthen the tissues that constitute vein walls. Gingko biloba can be obtained from health food stores and online from such vendors as Physician Formulas and Vitamin World (see Resources below).
4. Incorporate extra fiber into your diet to treat frequent constipation. It is believed that constipation restricts blood flow through the veins, which can result in the development of spider veins. Aim for 25 grams per day to help regulate your system. Fiber-rich foods include bran cereal, green vegetables and berries.
5. Drink four ounces of herbal tea two or three times per day to help with vein problems. You can brew the tea with one tablespoon of St. John's wort, Arnica root or yarrow. These particular herbs are purported to be effective against the development of spider veins.
6. Reduce the amount of salt you normally ingest. The dehydrating properties of sodium are detrimental to vein health. Try other sodium-free mixes made with dried herbs and spices to season your food.
7. Eat low-calorie, well-balanced meals to promote good vein health. Obese people are more likely to develop spider veins than thin ones. Obese persons who lose weight report better vein health than when they were heavier.
8. Use a combination of specific vitamins to treat spider veins. Try 50 milligrams of zinc, 300 I.U. of vitamin E, two tablets of 6X calcium fluoride and one tablespoon of lecithin granules per day.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not expect dietary changes to eliminate spider veins already present.
• Do not take more than recommended dosage of any particular vitamins.