Diet for varicose veins

2 December 2023

People suffering from varicose veins must adhere to certain nutritional principles, which are auxiliary means to alleviate the patient's condition. You can learn more about what a diet for varicose veins is in our article.

The essence of a diet for varicose veins

The main essence of the diet for varicose veins is the regulation of nutrition, which will allow you to return your weight to normal (which will reduce the load on blood vessels) and reduce blood density - one of the main dangers of varicose veins. withers.

It has been proven that in varicose veins, the blood can thicken, which can lead to thrombosis. In addition, viscous blood is more difficult to pump, so the workload on the heart increases.

How to thin the blood? This will be helped, first of all, by diet, as well as maintaining a drinking regimen. According to statistics, most problems with blood vessels occur in those people who do not drink enough fluids. As a result, the body loses its own fluid, the blood becomes viscous and blood clots form in the capillaries and other vessels.

From this we can conclude that in order to compensate for fluid loss and ensure normal metabolic processes, you should drink at least 2 liters of pure water every day - this is a natural, affordable medicine to reduce blood viscosity. It is allowed to replace water with herbal or green tea without sugar, or freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices. Grape, citrus, tomato or berry juices are preferred.

Alcoholic drinks, including beer, will have to be excluded, as they do not contribute to the saturation of the body with moisture.

Before you start creating a diet menu for varicose veins, you must remember that natural products that thin and restore the blood have the greatest benefit. Most foods that contain preservatives, stabilizers, dyes and other chemicals contribute to blood clotting - they need to be eliminated from the daily diet.

Patients with varicose veins are recommended to always have two lists of food products at hand - those that are allowed and those that are not recommended and can harm the body. We will talk about such products a little later.

In addition to affecting blood circulation, food should also help facilitate liver function. The fact is that the liver is responsible for many reactions and metabolic processes that occur in our tissues. Specifically, this organ produces special components that prevent blood viscosity from increasing. Deficiencies in nutrition, bad habits, unfavorable environmental conditions, frequent and uncontrolled use of drugs negatively affect liver function. Hence the following conclusion: the diet should be made so as not to overload the liver, but to facilitate its work. That is, it is necessary to limit fatty, smoked, canned, heavy food - all those products that require additional resources for processing.

In order to alleviate the manifestations of varicose veins and prevent the aggravation of the disease, it is recommended to review your attitude towards bad habits, pay attention to the drugs you take and evaluate the advisability of taking them (especially hormonal drugs and diuretics) - all these factors greatly affect the increase in coagulabilityblood.

What substances are most needed in the treatment of varicose veins?

Vitamin E (tocopherol) ensures the elasticity of blood vessels. It can be found in sufficient quantities in sprouted grains, egg yolks and vegetable oils.
Ascorbic acid thins the blood and eliminates inflammation in blood vessels. Berries, tomatoes, citrus fruits and kiwis are rich in vitamins.
Rutin is considered an essential vitamin for healthy blood vessels. It can be found in citrus fruits (especially in the peel), black currants, nuts and green tea.
Bioflavonoids are useful substances that facilitate venous circulation. The substances are found mainly in dark varieties of cherries.
Copper is necessary for the production of a sufficient amount of elastin in the tissues, which serves to prevent the appearance of venous "knots". A lot of copper is found in seafood.
Fiber keeps the digestive system working, preventing constipation - one of the factors that causes varicose veins. Fiber is found in plant foods, bran and grains.
Water thins the blood, facilitates blood flow and reduces the load on the vascular walls.

Diet for varicose veins of the lower extremities

The lower extremities are perhaps the most susceptible to varicose veins. Basically, this can be explained by the increased load on the legs: a person walks a lot during the day, stands, sits with his legs crossed, etc. At the same time, the vessels experience quite a lot of pressure. This is especially noticeable if you are overweight or have an unfavorable heredity (one of your relatives suffers from chronic varicose veins).

If your varicose veins are associated with a genetic predisposition, then you should focus all your efforts on maintaining normal vascular permeability and tone: do not overexert your lower limbs, wear special underwear and socks, eat properly and lead a healthy lifestyle, drink enough water. It is good if your work activity does not involve prolonged stress on your legs.

If you are overweight, then the first task is to reduce it - preferably not by fasting, but by proper nutrition, with enough protein food and limiting simple sugars.

You should not deprive yourself of seafood: sea fish, shrimp, algae, squid are rich in minerals that our vessels really need. Thanks to seafood, blood vessels become elastic, their fragility and permeability decrease.

Also, food should provide the body with enough vitamins. Rutin (vitamin P) and ascorbic acid are particularly beneficial for the vascular system.

Such vitamins are found in large quantities in tea leaves, rose hips, citrus fruits, orena berries, etc. Otherwise, for a healthy person, the daily norm is from 25 to 50 mg, and in vascular diseases, this amount increases to 150 mg per day.

Vitamins C and P tend to stimulate the production of collagen, which is considered one of the main components of the skin and vascular walls. If there is no shortage of these vitamins, then the capillary walls are usually firm, elastic, durable and allow good blood flow. Normally functioning vessels mean the absence of pressure problems, swelling and varicose veins.

Changes in the diet, taking into account the enrichment of the diet with vitamins P and C, should be started already with the following symptoms:

quick fatigue in the legs;
appearance of unprovoked bruises and spider veins;
pain in the joints of the lower extremities.

Diet for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis

In thrombophlebitis, as in no other disease, blood thinning measures are relevant. Nutrition is of little importance: the food consumed must contain all the necessary substances to prevent clogging of the veins with blood clots and the development of the inflammatory process.

A diet for thrombophlebitis includes a predominant consumption of plant foods. Dishes with pineapples, watermelons, melons, ginger, all kinds of onions, as well as cinnamon are especially welcome. It is not recommended to eat bananas, legumes, meat products and soy in large quantities.

It is important to reduce the proportion of foods rich in vitamin K in the daily diet, which enhances the process of blood clotting - blood clotting. This vitamin is present in all green vegetable foods - lettuce, parsley and cilantro, any type of cabbage. There are many vitamins in nuts, eggs, whole milk, meat, liver, fish. If you like to drink herbal teas, plants such as nettles, raspberry leaves, linden and rose hips should be excluded from the teas.

In addition, it is necessary to limit the consumption of fatty foods. The fact is that fat promotes better absorption of vitamin K, because it is soluble in fat.

What food should be taken for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis? Give preference to colored vegetables, fruits, berries, dairy products and grains. You can cook casseroles, stew, steam, etc. Also, do not overeat or drink alcoholic beverages.

Diet for pelvic varicose veins

Varicose veins of the pelvis is a disease that occurs mainly in women. It is associated, in most cases, with pregnancy and childbirth, with a sedentary lifestyle and with the internal use of contraceptives. The disease especially often affects those who already have varicose veins of the extremities and hemorrhoids.

In addition to drug treatment, diet will help relieve symptoms of pelvic veins. It represents a transition to a healthy diet rich in plant-based foods with fiber. Fiber is necessary, first of all, to prevent constipation, which aggravates varicose veins, increasing the load on the vascular system of the abdominal cavity.

The body also needs protein food, which helps in the regeneration of vascular walls.

What you should first give up is alcohol, smoking, fatty and carbohydrate foods.

What dietary recommendations can be given for pelvic varicose veins:

If possible, eat a few pieces of pineapple a day;
prepare this medicine: chop 200 g of peeled garlic, mix with 300 ml of honey. Leave for a week. Take the finished mixture 1 tbsp. spoon before each meal;
Sea kale is considered an excellent remedy for varicose veins. It should be consumed several times a day every day for 3 months;
It is recommended to eat a handful of pine nuts every day;
It is useful to add a little powdered nutmeg to food, as well as cinnamon and ginger.

All other recommendations correspond to general dietary rules for varicose veins.

Diet for varicose veins of the esophagus

Varicose veins of the esophagus is a rather insidious disease, because the patient may not be aware of its existence for a long time. And only in an advanced state the disease is felt.

To expand the veins of the esophagus, a fairly strict diet is required, which reduces the load on the digestive system and facilitates the passage of food.

The number of meals should be divided into 5-6 times, and the portions should be small.
Food should be crushed and chewed well, or even better, food should be cooked in a semi-liquid state so as not to injure the walls of the esophageal tube.
The last meal of the day should be taken approximately 4 hours before bedtime.
It is not recommended to sleep on a low pillow in order to avoid the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus.
It is necessary to greatly limit (or even better eliminate) the consumption of fatty, fried, smoked food, canned food, as well as dishes with hot spices and a lot of salt.
Fasting days work well: watermelon and melon days are especially welcome, as well as days on freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices.

It is recommended to limit meat in the diet - replace it with shrimp, lean fish and squid. Forget about aspic, canned food (both fish and meat), alcohol and rich broths. The consumption of black coffee is also limited.

All dishes are steamed, in the oven, boiled or baked. Experts advise paying more attention to plant-based and fermented dairy products and grains.

Diet menu for varicose veins

In order not to think about what to cook for yourself during the day, and at the same time not to violate the diet, it is recommended to prepare a sample menu in advance. In the future, using an already composed diet, it will be possible to change it, simply by replacing some products with other similar ones.

We give an example.

First day:

For breakfast we have oatmeal with raisins.
For the second breakfast, you can make a kiwi and orange smoothie with honey.
For lunch - buckwheat soup and vegetable salad with Borodino bread.
Snack – fruit yogurt.
We have dinner with a piece of boiled fish and a portion of seaweed salad.

Other day:

For breakfast, prepare a portion of low-fat cottage cheese with fruit and honey.
Fruit jelly or mousse is suitable for the second breakfast.
We have lunch with pumpkin porridge and baked eggplant with tomatoes.
As a snack - carrot and apple salad with yogurt.
Dinner: a portion of mashed potatoes with beetroot salad.

day three:

For breakfast: rice pudding with prunes.
For the second breakfast, bake a pear with honey and walnuts.
You can have lunch with onion soup and vegetable casserole.
For a snack – a glass of tomato juice.
For dinner – steamed chicken meatballs with vegetables.

Day Four:

For breakfast we have steamed cheesecakes with fruit.
For the second breakfast: yogurt and fruit smoothie.
We have lunch with tomato soup and carrot cutlet with sour cream.
A snack with a cup of vegetable salad.
For dinner, you can cook chicken breast with mint sauce.

fifth day:

For breakfast: whole grain bread with peanut butter.
Kefir with berries is suitable for a second breakfast.
We have lunch with okroška and stuffed tomatoes.
Snack: freshly squeezed apple juice.
We have dinner with a piece of steamed salmon with lemon sauce.

sixth day:

We have breakfast with buckwheat pancakes and applesauce.
For the second breakfast - a handful of pine nuts or dried fruit.
We have lunch with rice soup and a piece of fish casserole.
Snack – an apple with cottage cheese.
We have dinner with a portion of vegetarian pilaf.

We fast on the seventh day.

Half a glass of kefir or low-fat yogurt without additives is allowed before going to bed.

Diet recipes for varicose veins

Kiwi and orange smoothie– a healthy sweet and sour drink that is quite simple to prepare. All you need is a blender and ingredients: peeled orange, kiwi (you can add tangerine or other fruit if you wish), one teaspoon. honey In the summer, it is recommended to add a few edible ice cubes for freshness. Grind all products in a blender and pour into glasses or glasses.
Baked eggplant with tomatoes- a healthy diet meal. Ingredients: two medium eggplants, 4 tomatoes, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, vegetable oil, sour cream, spices. We start cooking: cut the washed eggplants into slices (about 5 mm), do the same with the tomatoes. Peel the garlic and squeeze it through a press or simply chop it. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with some spices and place them on a sheet greased with vegetable oil. Bake in the oven until golden brown, turning once to the other side. Put the finished eggplants on a plate, put 0. 5-1 teaspoon on each circle. mix the sour cream with garlic, and put a slice of tomato on top of the sauce. Already in this form, the dish can be served on the table. If desired, you can sprinkle with grated cheese or sesame seeds.
Rice pudding with prunes- a good substitute for the usual boring porridge. Necessary ingredients for the dish: 100 g of round rice, 600 ml of milk, sugar, 2 eggs, lemon zest, cinnamon. Cooking: add sugar (about 60 g, to taste) and lemon zest to the milk. Put on fire, boil and add rice. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. After that, add dried fruit cut into pieces and washed and put the rice in the oven at t° +120°C for about 40 minutes. Stir the rice several times during cooking. Remove the cooked rice and let it cool. Meanwhile, separate the yolks from the whites. Add the egg yolk to the rice and mix well. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites and beat until stiff, then carefully mix into the rest of the mixture. Put it in the oven for another 15 minutes - you can do it directly in the pan or arrange it in special molds. We serve food in them. When serving, sprinkle with cinnamon. You can also top it with honey or fruit sauce.
Mint sauce- A delicious addition to chicken breast. Ingredients: red wine vinegar 75 ml, sugar 25 g, fresh mint leaves (about 10 g), one small onion (sweet varieties are best). Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt on the tip of a knife. Grind the mint and onion leaves, add them to the vinegar and put them in the fridge for a few hours (minimum 2-3 hours). Serve with meat.
Peanut pasteit can be used for a quick and healthy breakfast, or for the preparation of various sauces and main dishes. We will need: 200 g of roasted and peeled peanuts (without salt and pepper), ½ teaspoon. salt, 40 ml of vegetable oil, 5 g of honey. Pour the walnuts into the blender, add salt and honey and grind at maximum speed for about 1-2 minutes. Add the oil, mix and turn the blender back on for 2 minutes. The pasta is ready, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 1. 5-2 months.
Buckwheat pancakes- thin, suitable for any filling, or simply with sour cream. Ingredients: 1 cup of buckwheat flour, 1 cup of kefir, salt and sugar to taste, 1 cup of water, 2 eggs, vegetable oil. Beat eggs, add kefir, a little salt and sugar. Mix everything. Gradually add buckwheat flour with constant mixing. After that, add water little by little, mixing and controlling the consistency of the dough. Fry thin pancakes in a small pan greased with vegetable oil.

Pleasant!

If you have symptoms of such an unpleasant disease as varicose veins, then proper nutrition and diet for varicose veins can prevent further deterioration of the disease. Moreover, if varicose veins have just begun to develop, then a change in diet will help to avoid complications and negative consequences of the pathology.

What can you eat if you have varicose veins?

It is not difficult to choose products that can be useful for varicose veins. It is important to remember the main thing: the food consumed should be enriched, varied and should not contain large amounts of animal fats, unnatural additives (chemicals, preservatives), salt, simple sugars, hot spices and blood-thickening substances.

Recommended for use:

dishes from berries, fruits, vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, citrus fruits, kiwi, pears, grapes, watermelons, eggplants, pumpkins, melons);
nuts (except walnuts);
berries that reduce the permeability of the vascular wall (cranberries, currants, cherries, blueberries, sea buckthorn);
various cereals (in the form of porridges, side dishes, casseroles and soups - buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, rice);
lean fish, seafood, seaweed;
dried fruit (all types);
tea, fermented milk products, cottage cheese, unsalted cheese;
vegetable oils.

The proposed set of products will help maintain normal tone of blood vessels, control your weight and prevent fluid accumulation in the tissues. It is good if the diet is supplemented with medicines with the use of special creams and medicines prescribed by the doctor.

What should you not eat if you have varicose veins?

A proper diet for varicose veins includes limiting or eliminating the following foods:

Sweets. These include bakery products made from white flour, sweets, cakes, jam, chocolate, condensed milk, cakes, ice cream.
Hot spices: black pepper, chili, mustard, horseradish, as well as adjika, wasabi, etc.
Carbonated drinks, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, juices from the store.
Salt and sugar.
Fatty meat products: pork, fat, meat with layers of fat.
Marinades, pickles.
Canned fish and meat.
Rich broths, jellies, aspic.
Bananas, pomegranate.
Full-fat sour cream, cream, processed cheese, butter.
Legumes: lentils, beans, peas.
nuts.

Overeating is not recommended, especially at night. Fasting is also not encouraged. But fasting days are, on the contrary, beneficial. They can be stacked once a week, using, for example, kefir, watermelon, buckwheat, tomato or apple juice.