Varicose Veins
Varicose Veins
I generally don't like to step into controversies, but here's one for you: I think there's reason to believe that eating violet flowers might help treat varicose veins.
This may sound far-fetched. None of the recent spate of "food pharmacy" books mentions violets for this common problem. But I have some intriguing evidence to support my claim that violets might prevent and treat some varicose veins and spider veins. But before we get to that, it's necessary to understand what we know about the causes of these problems.
Varicose veins occur when the valves in the veins that prevent blood from flowing backward don't work properly. Blood forms pools, and where this occurs, the veins and nearby capillaries become distended and swollen, leaking blood and fluid into surrounding tissue. This condition occurs most frequently in the legs; in areas where veins are near the surface, it causes unsightly bluish streaks, trails or spidery markings. But this condition can develop elsewhere as well. When they occur in and around the anus, these problem veins (varicosities) are known as hemorrhoids. When they occur in the scrotum, they are known as varicoceles.
Varicose veins affect about 15 percent of Americans, especially women, and the tendency to have this condition seems to run in families. When they occur in the legs, varicose veins are most common on the calves and along the inner thighs.
Green Pharmacy for Varicose Veins
A number of herbs, including violets, can help prevent or treat this problem.
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). In traditional herbal medicine, horse chestnut seeds were used to treat varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Eventually, botanists isolated the most active compound, aescin, and experiments with laboratory animals supported its traditional use as a remedy. Aescin helps strengthen capillary cells and reduce fluid leakage.
Commission E, the committee of scientific experts that advises the German counterpart of the Food and Drug Administration, endorses horse chestnut for treating varicose veins. On this side of the Atlantic, Varro Tyler, Ph.D., dean and professor emeritus of pharmacognosy (natural product pharmacy) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is also an advocate. In his excellent book for clinicians, Herbs of Choice, he singles out horse chestnut seed as by far the most effective plant drug for treating varicose veins.
In Europe, horse chestnut preparations are marketed as extracts of the leaves, bark and/or seeds, which are taken orally. Like most European plant medicines, horse chestnut extracts are standardized, and the dosage should be on the label. Unfortunately, these standardized extracts are not yet widely available in the United States.
You must obtain a standardized extract and follow package directions if you're going to use horse chestnut as a healing herb. It's simply not safe to use otherwise. If you can't find the extract, you'll have to rely on other herbs mentioned in this chapter.
Horse Chestnut
The leaves, bark and seeds of horse chestnut are made into standardized extracts, widely available in Europe, that can help treat varicose veins. |
Violet (Viola, various species). Violet flowers contain generous amounts of a compound called rutin, which helps maintain the strength and integrity of capillary walls. Medical texts say that taking 20 to 100 milligrams of rutin daily can significantly strengthen the capillaries.
According to my database and some calculations, I estimate that a half-cup of fresh violet flowers would contain anywhere from 200 to 2,300 milligrams of rutin. You'd probably need only a few tablespoons to get 100 milligrams.
Are violets safe to eat? Yes. I've eaten 100 or so violet flowers on several different occasions, and I've never suffered any ill effects. Both violets and pansies, which also contain significant amounts of rutin, are usually cited in the books about edible flowers. As far as I can determine, they are safe when consumed at these low levels, and both flowers make impressive additions to salads.
If you'd rather not munch on flowers, you might try buckwheat, which is also high in rutin. A half-cup serving could contain about 6,000 milligrams of rutin, much more than necessary to curb capillary fragility. Eating a plate of buckwheat pancakes strikes me as a particularly nice way to take medicine. You might also investigate kasha, a cereal-like product made from buckwheat groats. Packaged kasha is widely available in supermarkets.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Witch hazel comes in two commercial preparations, water extracts (witch hazel water) and alcohol extracts (tincture of witch hazel). Both are soothingly astringent, which makes witch hazel a popular external herbal treatment for various skin conditions from bruises to varicose veins.
Studies with laboratory animals have shown that this herb helps strengthen blood vessels. Commission E endorses using witch hazel extracts externally to treat both hemorrhoids and varicose veins. Simply wipe the affected area with a cotton ball that has been dipped in the extract.
Tincture of witch hazel can be taken internally for varicose veins, says the Lawrence Review of Natural Products, a respected newsletter. Or to make a tea, steep one to two teaspoons of dried witch hazel leaves in a cup of boiling water for ten minutes. You can drink two to three cups a day.
Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus). This herb has a long history of treating venous problems like hemorrhoids and varicose veins. It contains two anti-inflammatory compounds, ruscogenin and neoruscogenin, that constrict and strengthen veins.
Lemon (Citrus limon). Lemon peel helps relieve varicose veins. It contains substances known as flavonoids, including rutin, that reduce the permeability of the blood vessels, especially the capillaries. I almost always add citrus peel to my fruit juices when I'm blending up a batch. It's worth a try.
Onion (Allium cepa). Onion skin is one of our best sources of the compound quercetin. Like rutin, quercetin reportedly decreases capillary fragility. To get the full benefit of the quercetin, you should cook with whole, unpeeled onions whenever possible and discard the skin before serving.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). Bilberry helps circulation by stimulating new capillary formation, strengthening capillary walls and increasing the overall health of the circulatory system. Although capsules are available, I prefer whole bilberries whenever they are available. Related berries, which have the same benefits, include blackberries and blueberries.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Ginkgo is an all-around circulation booster. It's most widely known for its ability to increase blood flow through the brain, but it also improves circulation elsewhere in the body. German physicians use ginkgo preparations for treating varicose veins. However, large oral doses may be required, and that might prove expensive.
To use this herb, you need to buy a 50:1 extract, which will be specified on the label. No toxic side effects have ever been reported from using these standardized leaf extracts, although amounts higher than 240 milligrams daily may cause diarrhea, irritability and restlessness.
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). Several studies show that extracts of this Asian herb are useful in treating circulatory problems in the lower limbs, including venous insufficiency, water retention in the ankles, foot swelling and varicose veins. The plant has three active compounds, asiatic acid, asiaticoside and madecassic acid, that appear to work together. Although gotu kola is available in capsules, and it's fine to take it this way, I prefer to add the diced fresh leaves to juices and salads.
Spanish peanut (Arachis hypogaea). The healing agent here is not the goobers themselves but rather their reddish, papery skins. Peanut skins are one of the better dietary sources of oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs), which are compounds that decrease capillary fragility and permeability, thus helping to prevent and treat varicose veins.
Pycnogenol, a major source of OPCs, is widely available in the United States as a rather expensive supplement, and if anything, it is overpromoted. Since it occurs naturally in most fruits and vegetables, I prefer to get my OPCs from food. Munching a few handfuls of Spanish peanuts--skins and all--is a particularly nice way to get a daily dose of OPCs.
Assorted essential oils. Aromatherapists suggest massaging the affected area with the essential oils of cypress, juniper, lavender, lemon and marjoram. The oils should be diluted before they come in contact with the skin, so add a few drops of the oils of your choice to a couple of tablespoons of any vegetable oil. This massage treatment can't hurt, and it might help. Just don't ingest essential oils, as even a small amount can be toxic.