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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- WomensHealth.gov: Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Fact Sheet
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin C
- Free Radical Biology and Medicine: Vitamin E and Heart Disease: Basic Science to Clinical Intervention Trials
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Vitamins for Healthy Veins
Veins are part of your circulatory system, which includes arteries and other blood vessels. They help deliver blood from your body and lungs back to the heart, and from there oxygen and nutrients go to every cell in your body. A balanced diet that includes certain vitamins is important to help keep your veins healthy.
Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
Varicose veins are unsightly, bulging vessels that are red, blue, purple or pink. They can also cause pain, itching and discomfort. According to WomensHealth.gov, this common problem occurs when the walls of the veins stiffen and weaken 1. The valves or flaps that keep blood in the veins flowing toward the heart also weaken, leading to blood backflowing and pooling in the legs. Spider veins are much smaller varicosities closer to the surface of the skin.
- Varicose veins are unsightly, bulging vessels that are red, blue, purple or pink.
- According to WomensHealth.gov, this common problem occurs when the walls of the veins stiffen and weaken 1.
Vitamin C Builds Collagen
Vitamins That Increase Blood Flow
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Vitamin C helps build collagen and elastin, elastic fibers that keep your skin and blood vessels strong and flexible. These fibers allow the veins to resist pressure and prevent valves from leaking. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends a dosage of 500 milligrams per day for healthy vein dilation 3. You can also get vitamin C from foods such as oranges, kiwis, tomatoes, broccoli and potatoes.
- Vitamin C helps build collagen and elastin, elastic fibers that keep your skin and blood vessels strong and flexible.
Vitamin E Prevents Clots
Vitamin E can help prevent blood-clotting proteins from clumping together and forming clots. This helps ease blood flow through the veins, keeping them healthy. According to a review published in the journal "Free Radical Biology and Medicine," clinical trials show that vitamin E can help protect blood vessels, and a dosage of 100 to 800 international units of vitamin E per day is safe 6. Good sources of this vitamin include:
- eggs
- nuts
- dark green leafy vegetables
- sweet potatoes
- yams
- liver
- Vitamin E can help prevent blood-clotting proteins from clumping together and forming clots.
- According to a review published in the journal "Free Radical Biology and Medicine," clinical trials show that vitamin E can help protect blood vessels, and a dosage of 100 to 800 international units of vitamin E per day is safe 6.
Niacin Reduces Cholesterol
How to Get Rid of Veins Under Your Eyes
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Niacin, or vitamin B-3, is another vitamin important for vein health, because it can help balance blood cholesterol levels. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends 14 to 16 milligrams for most adults and 18 milligrams for pregnant women 245. If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe high doses of niacin to help treat it. Food sources of niacin include beef liver, beets, fish, sunflower seeds and peanuts.
- Niacin, or vitamin B-3, is another vitamin important for vein health, because it can help balance blood cholesterol levels.
Related Articles
References
- WomensHealth.gov: Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Fact Sheet
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Varicose Veins
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin C
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin E
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B3
- Free Radical Biology and Medicine: Vitamin E and Heart Disease: Basic Science to Clinical Intervention Trials
- Piazza G. Varicose veins. Circulation. 2014;130(7):582-7. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.008331
- Heller JA, Evans NS. Varicose veins. Vasc Med. 2015;20(1):88-90. doi:10.1177/1358863X14566224
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health. Varicose veins and spider veins. Updated March 1, 2019.
- UCLA Gonda Venus Center: Symptoms and Diagnosis of Spider Veins
- WomensHealth.gov: Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Fact Sheet (2012).
Writer Bio
Nadia Haris is a registered radiation therapist who has been writing about nutrition for more than six years. She is completing her Master of Science in nutrition with a focus on the dietary needs of oncology patients.