Varicose Veins & a High Fiber Diet

Each year, thousands of women experience the excruciating pain associated with varicose veins. While, cosmetically, varicose veins lead to deterioration in self image, there are many women who suffer from a great complication involving discomfort and, in some cases, an inability to perform activities of daily living.

Varicose veins are the leading type of vascular complication in American women. In fact, it is estimated that one in four American women will suffer from some form of varicose vein complication. While symptoms of varicose veins may be a slight ache or pain of the leg, a bulging blue linear appearance through the leg or even a burning and swelling, there are an estimated two million American women who find even a simple task as walking down the street is impossible due to complications associated with varicose veins.

With medical research, we have learned there are a variety of methods and measures to reducing the incidence and prevalence of varicose veins in women. From proper diet and exercise, women find they are on a quest, in early adulthood, to ward off the unsightly varicose veins they saw in their own mothers.

Of these preventative measures, a high fiber diet has shown to provide some degree of prevention in the development of varicose veins. This theory lends success to the idea that the colon, compressing down upon the major veins in the abdomen and lower extremities, can provide some degree of prevention in varicose veins when it is cleared properly. In other words, individuals who suffer from constipation, associated with low fiber diets, may be further exacerbating complications associated with the development of varicose veins due to the overwhelming heaviness of the colon, day in and day out. Therefore, to prevent varicose veins, it is recommended these same women work to reduce the colon complications, eat a high fiber diet, and alleviate the pressure placed upon their lower extremities.

To further support the theory of diet and its relationship to varicose veins, medical research has also found that women who suffer from a great incidence of varicose veins also show a great incidence in the development of diverticulitis, a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. For these two reasons, especially, consuming a high fiber diet is important.

As with any aging condition, women, often, in early adulthood begin to find measures to prevent complications they saw in their own mothers. Varicose veins, for some women, can lead to early disability and impair our mobility and independence. Therefore, when faced with a pre-disposition for varicose vein development, practice consuming a high fiber diet in an effort to ensure undue pressure is not placed against the veins of the lower extremities over a prolonged period of time.