Your diet controls much more than your pants size. Good nutrition is crucial for every part of our body to stay healthy. Food can be medicine to your body, but it can also be a poison. Natural, raw foods packed with macronutrients and micronutrients fuel and replenish your body with everything it needs to run efficiently. Your diet clearly affects your vein health. When a person is overweight, the chances of developing a venous insufficiency, like varicose veins, increases. Now, “bad” or unhealthy food choices do not directly cause you to develop vein issues, but they can lead to your symptoms worsening since your body is not healthy enough to take care of itself.
A lot of “junk” food is high in sodium. When you eat an excessive amount of sodium, the body responds by retaining water to balance out the higher amount of sodium in its system. When the body retains more water, a person’s blood volume also increases. This increase in blood volume puts pressure on the veins and their valves, which can weaken them over time. The veins will begin to swell and bulge and show through the skin. If you’ve been eating a high-sodium diet for many years, there’s a chance your water retention has helped worsen your vein issues.
Sodium isn’t the only culprit. Too much sugar and simple carbohydrates cause your body to release insulin, which inhibits the body from being able to excrete sodium. Since the body is holding on to the sodium, it begins to retain water.
To improve your diet, lower your sodium, sugar, and simple carb intake. Sure, it’s fine for you to enjoy a coke or some Chinese food from time to time, but don’t make these treats part of your daily diet. All things in moderation! If you’re prone to bloating or want to release water, eat food loaded with potassium, which helps cells release water and exit the body through urination. Also, a diet high in fiber helps keep things moving through the body and decreases pressure from exertion down in the colon area.
Unfortunately, a healthy diet isn’t a miracle cure for varicose veins; sometimes, genetics win, despite a person’s best efforts to lead a healthy life. A healthy diet alone cannot prevent the occurrence of a venous insufficiency. Exercise, quit smoking, and wear loose clothing.
Have Your Veins Checked by a Tampa Vein Specialist
If you would like help with your diet and vein health, talk to a vein specialist like Dr. Peter Mikhail. Dr. Mikhail treats varicose veins, spider veins and other venous inefficiencies in the cities of Tampa, Clearwater, and New Port Richey, Florida. To book a consult, click our Tampa vein treatment page or call 727-312-4844.
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