Herbal Supplements for Varicose Veins: Gotu Kola. The Gravity Defier
The veins in our legs certainly have their work cut out for them, performing one of the more herculean circulatory tasks of pumping blood through the legs and back to the heart. A complex network of small venules, small and large veins, and valves must defy gravity and work properly for this to happen. A faulty valve within the vein is like a light out at an intersection – wreaking havoc on the flow, causing it to detour back down into the leg, inevitably leading to the weakening, breakdown, or stretching of the vein wall. This backward flow of blood– or venous insufficiency — leads to the development of progressive medical conditions like varicose veins, venous dermatitis and skin ulcers.
There are preventative measures you can take to help your veins do their job properly by keeping them healthy and strong with regular exercise, adopting a vein-friendly diet, and adding vein-friendly herbal supplements — such as gotu kola, butcher’s broom and horse chestnut, to your daily routine.
Certain herbal supplements contain key ingredients that help ward off vein disease symptoms like inflammation and feelings of heaviness, achiness, tiredness while building up the vein walls so they’re less likely to become stretched and enlarged. Gotu kola (centella asiatica) is one such herbal supplement. It strengthens the connective tissue within leg veins by reducing the connective tissue swelling within the vein walls and improving the tone of the veins. And its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant qualities are attributed to triterpenoids – the high-powered chemical compound present in gotu kola that helps repair damage and increase blood flow.
As a preventive measure, incorporating gotu kola into your vein health regime can be beneficial in relieving symptoms, including discoloration, appearance of varicose veins, itching and heavy, tired, achy feelings. Best results occur when taken internally. And for added relief, topical creams containing gotu kola may be used as a complementary treatment. There are many studies that indicate a direct correlation between dosage and relief of symptoms. One study by Tufts Medical Center states that you should give gotu kola 4 weeks to see any noticeable relief of symptoms and improvement.
Gotu kola is quite the fitting name because it is yet another one of nature’s “go to” herbs for natural relief of varicose vein and venous insufficiency discomfort. It’s readily available through respectable health food and supplement stores.
Interested in trying gotu kola? Call Dr. Hamilton at 281-565-0033 before doing so, especially if you are taking prescribed medication(s) and/or under the care of a physician at the moment. Certain herbal supplements may interfere with certain medications, so do not begin an herbal supplement regime before consulting with your doctor or Dr. Hamilton beforehand.
