Is Your Diet Causing Varicose Veins?

What you eat does more than provide you with energy. Your dietary choices have an effect on your overall health, including your vein health. While a diet that’s high in sodium, certain fats or simple carbs won’t necessarily cause varicose veins, it can make existing vein problems worse. Along with considering laser vein treatment to get rid of existing problem veins, it can help to think of ways to change your diet to keep future vein problems from occurring.

Your Diet and Varicose Veins

Foods That Can Make Varicose Veins Worse

Varicose veins develop when the valves in the veins in your legs become weak and aren’t able to effectively pump blood back up to the heart. Blood pools around the valves, causing the veins to bulge and become visible beneath the skin. Pressure on the veins can make the problem worse.

Some foods contain ingredients that can increase pressure on the veins or otherwise interfere with your body’s ability to pump blood effectively. For example, foods that are high in sodium make you more likely to retain water and can also increase your blood pressure. High sodium foods can include processed meats, canned soups, pickles, and chips. 

Additionally, eating a lot of "empty calories," in the form of simple sugars and carbs or foods that are high in trans or saturated fats, can lead to weight gain. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for vein problems, as the extra weight puts more pressure on the veins.

Foods That Can Help Varicose Veins

While some foods or dietary choices can make your problem veins worse, others can help or at least, can help to improve your overall vein health. For example, increasing the amount of fiber in your diet can help to improve the health of your heart and veins. Since fiber fills you up more quickly than simple carbs, increasing the amount of it in your diet can also help you lose weight, as you eat less.

Other foods that can help to improve your vein health include leafy green vegetables and vegetables that are high in anti-inflammatory vitamins such as vitamin E and vitamin C.  Additionally, foods that act as natural diuretics, or that help you to flush away water, can also help to improve the health and functioning of your veins. Natural diuretics include vegetables such as celery and asparagus, cucumbers, and herbs such as parsley and basil.

Vein Treatment Options

Improving your diet might keep varicose veins from getting worse. But you are likely to need treatment to get rid of existing veins. Your Las Vegas vein treatment options include laser treatment, phlebectomy for larger veins or sclerotherapy for smaller varicose or spider veins. To learn more about your vein treatment options in Las Vegas, call 702-726-9709 to schedule a consultation at Desert Vein Institute today.