Strong veins = healthy veins Q: I'm starting to get varicose veins in both my legs. My mother had a terrible case and I'm hoping to avoid the pain she went through. Are there any natural remedies for them? Dr. Wright: Like anything else, varicose veins do run in families, but you can get them to slow down, or sometimes even stop, with vein-strengthening, flavonoid-rich foods and flavonoid supplements -- the same ones I mentioned last week that reduce easy bruising (see the question and answer section of last Thursday's eTip, subject line: Un-"acceptable risk"). Also make sure you have enough fiber in your diet. Without it, too much pressure can build up in your abdomen, which may slow blood return from your legs and worsen those varicose veins. My colleague and regular Nutrition & Healing columnist Kerry Bone has also written about a very effective herbal treatment for varicose veins: horse chestnut extract. For more on this remedy, refer back to the article titled “An herbal remedy so effective for varicose veins, even mainstream medicine accepts it...in Europe” in the November 2001 issue of the newsletter. Subscribers can download it for free by visiting www.wrightnewsletter.com and logging in to the Archives with the username and password listed on page 8 of your most recent issue. | 
