One in four women and one in ten men experience a feeling of heaviness in the legs, swelling, burning sensation and dilation of the calf veins. All these are symptoms of developing venous insufficiency, a serious disease, dangerous for its complications. What should be the diet and nutrition for varicose veins to avoid serious consequences?
A little about the disease
Veins, vessels that carry blood to the heart muscle, are equipped with special valves that allow fluid to be transported in all directions, including vertically upwards. After the ejection of blood, they, like a small gate, firmly close their doors, preventing the blood flow from rushing down again. But, being in a state of spasm, the valves become insolvent, and part of the blood freely penetrates back, expanding the veins and creating heaviness in the lower extremities.
The onset of the disease is evidenced by spider veins on the legs, since small vessels under the skin are the first to suffer, noticeable tubercles appearand, finally, pain and swelling, causing suffering to a person. A diet for varicose veins of the lower extremities is not able to completely eliminate the problem, but in combination with wearing compression underwear, daily exercises for the feet and foot baths, it can significantly improve the condition, removing the risk of complications. The most serious of these are phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), the formation of ulcers on the skin and the occurrence of blood clots - blood clots, a deadly disease.
Main causes of illness
Genetic predisposition is one of the main causes of varicose veins. Women are more susceptible to it. This is facilitated by improperly selected hormonal contraception and pregnancy. With it, pressure is created on the pelvic organs, in which varicose veins can also develop. A sedentary lifestyle, being in a static upright position for a long time, being overweight create increased pressure on the veins of the legs, provoking the disease.
At risk are older people with constipation, workers who lift heavy loads, and people with chronic illnesses associated with frequent sneezing and prolonged coughing. A person with a predisposition has already been shown a diet for varicose veins to minimize the risk of developing the disease.
What should be eliminated from the diet
Based on the known causes of the disease, products should be excluded from consumption:
- promoting blood thickening;
- causing a weakening of intestinal motility and leading to constipation;
- affecting weight gain;
- leading to thinning of the walls of the veins.
The list of undesirable dishes includes fatty meats and fish and strong rich broths from them, smoked meats and canned food, spicy, sweet and s alty foods, alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee and whole milk. The diet for varicose veins requires the rejection of the use of products made from premium flour, jelly, stew and marinades. Food from a series of semi-finished products, fast food and other fast food, products with dyes, GMOs and everything containing the coding "E" should be categorically excluded from the menu.
Calorie restriction
Overweight people need to control calorie consumption, remembering that even a 10% reduction in body weight can lead to a significant improvement in the condition. To spend more calories than you take in with food, you need:
- reduce diet;
- eat low-calorie foods;
- increase feasible physical activity.
Reducing the caloric content of food by 900 kcal per day can lead to a weight loss of 500 g per week. It is impossible to starve and leave the body without the necessary vitamins and minerals. This will lead to a decrease in hormone levels, a slowdown in metabolism and the destruction of muscle tissue. A diet for varicose veins on the legs requires five meals a day, which allows you to exclude snacks using flour products and sweet drinks, drinking water per day (up to 2 liters) between meals and varietyrich multivitamin and fiber menu.
The Importance of Vitamin C
Vitamin C provides the synthesis of elastin and collagen, necessary for the good condition of the veins, and also improves blood circulation. Its effect is enhanced by interaction with vitamin E. Deficiency of foods saturated with these vitamins leads to an exacerbation of the disease of the lower extremities. A diet for varicose veins should include fruits such as avocados, which, in addition to the essential elixir of life, contain glutathione, a substance that protects the cardiovascular system.
Large amounts of vitamin C are found in bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, dill, celery. Vegetables are best consumed with vegetable oil. The leader in the content of vitamin C is rose hips, a decoction of which can be drunk before breakfast, which will contribute to a good metabolism. Oranges and lemons, strawberries and raspberries are desirable on the dinner table of every person at risk for the disease.
Eating fiber
Feature of fiber is the lack of nutritional value with great importance for the digestive system. Conventionally, it can be divided into two types: soluble and insoluble. The difference is that the first, when combined with water, turns into a gel-like mass, and the second is not subject to any changes when passing through the digestive tract. Soluble fiber is indispensable in the fight against constipation, as it changes the consistency of feces. The diet for varicose veins should include foods rich infiber.
The best representatives of soluble fiber are beans, apples, pears, flax seeds, oats and carrots. The role of insoluble fiber (greens, nuts, seeds and grain husks) should not be underestimated. She, like a sponge, absorbs and retains toxins, removing them from the body, helping to cleanse the intestines.
Need for Bioflavonoids
Substances produced by plants that promote the absorption of vitamin C are often referred to as vitamin C2. These are bioflavonoids, of which rutin, quercetin, hesperidin and catechin are well studied. They are able to strengthen the walls of capillaries, prevent bleeding, improve blood circulation in the heart muscle, perfectly relax both blood vessels and digestive ducts. Unique substances leave the body with urine and sweat without oversaturating it. Eating foods rich in flavonoids is part of the comprehensive treatment for varicose veins.
The diet includes citrus fruits, buckwheat, apple skins, which contain the necessary rutin and hesperidin. Onions, green tea, dark grapes, red wine and St. John's wort contain quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize intestinal toxins. Green tea, along with apples, grapes and berries, also includes catechin, which strengthens the walls of capillary vessels.
Important foods for preventing varicose veins
From berries, one of the best foods is blueberries. Being a source of vitamins C and E, it additionally includes collagen andanthocyanidin, which promotes the restoration of proteins that form the walls of blood vessels. In addition, blueberries are a supplier of soluble and insoluble fiber, which makes them indispensable on the menu. As a seasoning for various dishes, a diet for varicose veins should include rosemary, which improves blood circulation. It contains ursolic acid, which can strengthen capillaries.
When the veins are affected, the body cannot cope with the dissolution of fibrin. This makes them painful and tight. There is a plant that can help blood vessels by improving their circulation - this is ginger. It is called a superfood for its healing properties. According to its environmental friendliness, asparagus stands out, protecting blood vessels from rupture. It is undeservedly not among the most consumed products, which is unfair. The more popular beetroot reduces the level of homocysteine in the blood, which can damage the walls of blood vessels.
Diet for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis
In case of a severe form of the disease and a complication in the form of thrombophlebitis, nutrition must be treated with particular care, observing its regimen and excluding unwanted foods. A sample menu might look like this:
| Day I | Day II | Day III | |
| Breakfast | Oatmeal on the water with raisins, figs or prunes. | Low-fat cottage cheese with honey, berries or fruits. | Rice pudding with prunes or dried apricots. |
| Second breakfast | Smoothies: kiwi andorange with honey. | Fruit mousse. | Baked pear. |
| Lunch | Vegetable salad, white meat chicken soup, Borodino bread. | Meat okroshka with whey or kefir using lean veal, baked eggplant, grain bread. | Onion soup, vegetable casserole, rye crackers. |
| Snack | Carrot and apple salad with yogurt. | Green tea with dried apricots or nuts. | Vegetable juice (beets, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkin). |
| Dinner | Seaweed salad, a portion of river fish, yesterday's wheat bread. | Beetroot salad, liver goulash, buckwheat porridge, Borodino bread. | Chicken meatballs or stuffed peppers with chicken meat, mashed potatoes, Borodino bread. |
Diet for varicose veins of the legs should include plenty of fluids between meals: water with lemon, honey, rose hips, mineral, regular filtered and always at room temperature.
