By Lisa James<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You’re not sure when it all started, but lately you always have a bruise<\/strong> somewhere on your body. They don’t hurt, but they’re not attractive, and it’s getting to where you feel self-conscious in skirts and short-sleeved blouses. What’s going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many reasons for unexplained bruises<\/strong><\/em>, but one factor is the fragility of the body’s smallest blood vessels, known as the capillaries<\/em>. Fortunately, there are natural ways to strengthen capillaries<\/em>\u2014each thinner than a single strand of hair\u2014so bruising doesn’t occur so easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Capillaries<\/strong> link arteries, which bring oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues and veins, which carry waste products away. The skin, as the body’s largest organ, is loaded with capillaries; these can become damage if you, let’s say, bump your leg against a table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blood leaks into the affected area, causing reddish-purple marks (technically called contusions<\/em>) to form. Hard enough bumps and knocks can cause bruising in people of any age. However, older folks are more prone to this discoloration because age thins the skin<\/em>, reducing the fatty layer that cushions and supports it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several disorders and certain medications can cause easy bruising<\/strong>, which also runs in families. And the paler your skin tone<\/a> is, the more noticeable bruises will appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should bring any new tendency to develop unexplained bruises to your practitioner’s attention. If everything checks out, however, consider supporting your body’s ability to form strong, leakproof capillaries<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the skin itself, we make blood vessels of a structural protein called collagen<\/strong>. We need vitamin C for formation of collagen that’s tough yet flexible, which makes capillaries less prone to breakage<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vitamin C<\/strong> works best when paired with bioflavonoids<\/strong>, plant compounds that increase the vitamin’s activity within cells<\/em>. Like C, bioflavonoids are powerful antioxidants<\/em>, and together they help fight the free radicals<\/em> that can sap skin of its strength and leave you with a sallow complexion that shows every wayward mark. Two flavonoids, rutin<\/strong> and hesperidin<\/strong>, are particularly noted for their ability to strengthen capillaries<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know another class of phytonutrient as oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes<\/strong>. Found in grape seed, red wine, and other natural sources<\/em>, we have found OPCs<\/strong> to inhibit enzymes that degrade collagen and other crucial structural proteins<\/em>. They have also shown an ability to improve small-vessel circulation<\/em> and promote wound healing<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Green tea<\/a><\/strong> supplies its own set of phytonutrients called catechins<\/em>. Like OPCs, catechins protect collagen from being degraded by enzymes<\/em>. In addition, they help protect skin against damage caused by the sun’s <\/a>ultraviolet rays<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Green tea isn’t<\/a> the only herb that supports capillary health. Bilberry<\/strong>, best known for promoting healthy vision<\/em>, has been found to improve blood vessel tone and blood flow<\/em>. They also valued gingko<\/strong> for its ability to support small-vessel circulation<\/em> and to help vitamin C build strong collagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bothered by unsightly bruises?<\/strong> Proper nutrition can encourage them to fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally published in Energy Times, January\/February 2017 issue<\/p>\n\n\n [wps_products product_id=”1638864388131″ html_template=”product.php”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Lisa James Strengthening your smallest blood vessels can help reduce those ugly marks. You’re not sure when it all started, but lately you always have a bruise somewhere on your body. They don’t hurt, but they’re not attractive, and it’s getting to where you feel self-conscious in skirts and short-sleeved blouses. What’s going on? … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":[],"categories":[1274],"tags":[4180,1104,4185,4174,4181,4175,4177,4178,4183,4179,4184,4176,1106,1105,1101,4186,1102,4182,1100],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6941"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Easy Leakage: Capillaries and Bruising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sealing the Leaks: Bioflavonoids for Banishing Bruises <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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