Varicose veins and swollen legs


#1

Hi all,
Has anyone had any improvements of varicose veins and swollen legs when eating carnivore? I just started carnivore in May (still eat a little dairy) but I haven’t seen any improvement in veins or swollen legs.

Thank you


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

My understanding is that once the valves are damaged past a certain point, they can no longer repair themselves. It is often possible to have the veins stripped, as they call it, and a carnivore diet might well promote re-vascularisation, but I have seen no data to that effect.


#3

yes the varicose vein situation could be past a point of repair and a physician might be required. that is truly an individual med situation for you possibly. I have read some zc people do change but it is way more into their journey, like over a year and way more on plan when they start seeing improvements of veins. I also haven’t seen many mention it too, not a big ‘I got this improvement’ topic from my zero carb sites/chats.

Now swollen legs? Are you on meds? Medical history possibly is having effects? I don’t know the point of what your med history is and what situations could be happening there?

If you google leg swelling you get a ton of variables on why it could be happening with medical issues, then reasons due to lifestyle choices like being very inactive etc…so that is kinda an open ended question at this point also.


(Bunny) #4

This might help depending on severity?

”…Grape seed extract is commonly prescribed in France for varicose veins and other vascular problems. It contains powerful antioxidant compounds called oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), which have been found in lab and animal studies to make blood vessels more elastic and also less likely to leak fluids that cause the leg swelling often associated with varicose veins. However, the natural product I generally recommend for varicose veins is horse chestnut seed extract (HCSE), a remedy popular in Germany that is believed to work similarly to grape seed extract (to reduce pain and swelling in the legs) but has been more extensively studied. The major active ingredient in HCSE is believed to be the compound escin, which helps support normal vessel wall functioning. The dosage for varicose veins is 250 to 300 mg twice a day of standardized horse-chestnut seed extract (the equivalent of 100 mg of escin). …” - Dr. Andrew Weil MD

How does Aescin treat varicose veins?

DO NOT TAKE escin if you have kidney, liver, diabetes problems or take aspirin or blood thinning drugs so watch the video to get a full breakdown.

Grape Seed Extract, Pine Tree Bark or other OPC’s are much safer in my opinion.


#5

https://www.google.com/search?q=varicose+veins+vitamin+k

Vitamin K2 however I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone infected with covid-19 because the virus lowers blood pressure and throwing Vitamin K2 into the mix will over clot the blood.


#6

Thank you for your reply! I’m not on any meds and I’m healthy, but my mother and my paternal grandmother has varciose veins so I assume it’s a genetic issue. The swelling gets worse in the evening and in the summer when it’s hot outside. My left leg swells more than my right. I’ll talk to my physician, maybe my insurance will cover surgery!


#7

Wow! I’ll look into this :slightly_smiling_face: thanks


#8

Interesting! I’ll check it out


#9

Maybe surgery is the only way to fix it. I’ll definitely visit a vein specialist Dr sometime soon.
I think I heard one of the strongsistas saying her swollen legs were “healed” but it may not have been caused by varicose veins.


#10

Smart, genetics are there for sure :slight_smile: but visiting a Dr and seeing where you are at and maybe why would be a great first step…once that info hits you can move forward more in a direction than that just wondering feeling…best of luck!! and give us updates, you know we love to know LOL


#11

My mother use to have them and swears by the Vitamin K2 preventing them.

Vitamin D is also important if sufficient sunshine isn’t available.


#12

The pain and swelling I used to experience prior to carnivore has been greatly reduced. I stand on my feet A LOT. The pain used to be unbearable, even though it only affected one leg. Now, the affected section will bulge some, but not as much as it used to - and there is no more pain.

As the article that @atomicspacebunny posted suggests, the horse chestnut and the pine bark do help I’ve taken those on and off over the years- but after the house fire, it was just something that I didn’t think to replace. However, when I started keto, then carnivore - I hadn’t taken either supplement in at least 3 years. And, in just the last few days, I re-started pycnogenol (the helpful component in the pine bark). If I can source out a good quality horse chestnut supplement, then I will likely start that again too. The puffiness of the affected section is quite unsightly.

For me, the pain was really a huge issue. And, now its gone!


#13

Let me know your results with pycnogenol! I’m always a bit hesitant taking natural supplements since they’re not regulated and I’m a bit worried about the ingredients and their effects/side effects.


#14

Will do.

My Mom had done a pretty impressive amount of research into dietary supplements and shared it with me (and my cousin) from the time I was a young teenager. We’ve both followed in her footsteps, and often will compare notes and results. Over the years, the only one I’ve truly had an issue with was the guarana seed extract - which caused heart palpitations and dizziness. I have been blessed with finding a doctor who is also a holistic medicine practitioner, a Chinese medicine dr, as well as an MD. When I have questions or concerns - its nice having multiple people to bounce things off and get feedback from.

But, I will certainly report back to you if I experience anything negative. Pycnogenol didn’t seem to have a terribly serious list of negative side effects - which is awesome!


#15

Some people taking pycnogenol may experience bad breath, upset stomach, dizziness, sores in the mouth, or headaches.

Pycnogenol may also cause irritability and lower energy levels, especially when used in the treatment of ADHD

and way more.

over medicating on ‘safe’ natural use is obvy to a lot of us.
know what you are taking and while ‘super safe’ as branded, this crap can make ya worse.

not saying no here and don’t do it, but make sure the ‘cure is worth’ the treatment ya know :slight_smile: :slight_smile:


(Daisy) #16

My varicose veins and spider veins have improved on carnivore. I still run into bouts of restless leg syndrome and swelling, but it’s better more than it’s worse. My legs are less tender, but still tender. I take occasional magnesium glycinite when the rls is bad.