Treat Varicose Veins with Apple Cider Vinegar

According to recent studies, experts estimated that almost 50% of adults suffer from varicose veins. These are not only unaesthetic, but they can also be painful and may lead to other conditions, such as fatigue, restlessness, heaviness, throbbing, and tingling in the legs.

Causes and risks

Varicose veins can be caused by a high level of bad cholesterol. The walls of the veins are covered with this type of cholesterol. Once the cholesterol is oxidized, it is transformed into free radicals. These free radicals cause harm to the walls and the valves of the veins.

Another cause of varicose veins is high resistance to insulin. This means that the level of glucose in your blood increases. This glucose also gets oxidized and harms the valves and the walls of the veins.

The risk of varicose veins increases if you have a job that requires you to stand for long hours, if you suffer from obesity, if you take birth control pills. The hormonal changes that take place during puberty, pregnancy and menopause could also lead to varicose veins.

The study and its results

The researchers from Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey, wanted to discover the effects of apple cider vinegar compresses applied directly on the affected areas.

The study involved 2 groups of 40 patients, all diagnosed with varicose veins. The patients from the first group used apple cider vinegar for their varicose veins twice a day, for one month.

The method was simple. They took a cotton compress, sunk it in apple cider vinegar, and then they rolled it around their legs. They left the compress on the affected areas 30 minutes. At the end, they applied a moisturizing lotion, in order to prevent any skin irritation. The whole process was repeated 2 times a day, for 30 days.

The patients from the second group haven’t used any apple cider vinegar. Also, all the patients have been tested at the beginning and the end of the study.

According to the study, the patients who used apple cider vinegar had significant improvements regarding their symptoms. Leg cramps were considerably reduced in many participants, while, for the others, the cramps disappeared completely. Four out of the 40 patients who used apple cider vinegar had severe edemas at the beginning of the study, but at the end, the problem was gone. The patients with mild edemas also had good results. Nine of the patients experienced tingling in the leg, but at the end of the study, only 2 of them still had this symptom.

Wonderful results have also been obtained in the case of fatigue, pain, and heaviness in the legs.

Other ways of using apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can have great results in the case of varicose veins and leg conditions if you gently massage your legs with it every evening. The results will be visible in a few months.

You can also drink daily two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, dissolved in a glass of water or include it in your cooking routine. Apple cider vinegar can be great for salad dressings.