Supplement Your Leg Health

It’s that time of year again: shorts weather! And if revealing your spider veins makes you self-conscious, you might want to try horse chestnut, a supplement that can help with mild cases of spider veins and general leg vein health.

According to a recent British review of eight different studies, horse chestnut appears to help make leg capillaries less porous, improve circulation, and reduce swelling in the legs. Placebo-controlled studies conducted at the University of Heidelberg showed that it reduced leg swelling about as much as wearing a compression stocking. Its key component is flavonoids, which may help strengthen blood vessel walls.

The supplement, available in most drug stores, comes in pills, creams, and drops that you use once a day.

As always, if you have problems with veins in your legs, or swelling in your legs, talk to your doctor before taking any supplement.