Mailbag: Anything that helps with easy bruising?

Bruising results from the rupture of the tiniest blood vessels, called capillaries, which allows blood to leak into surrounding tissue until those capillaries are repaired. As the escaped blood is broken down and reabsorbed over the next few days, chemical changes produce the characteristic color changes associated with bruises.

Easy bruising can be caused by a number of factors, both nutritional and non-nutritional in nature. Easy bruising relates to weakened capillary structure, or to factors that may be impairing the process of blood clot formation, or both. There can also be medical conditions for which this is a symptom, so we suggest your friend work closely with their doctor since this could be a sign of a more serious medical problem.

Nutritonally, there are a few different types of supplements people have used in that situation. It’s hard to predict which one or which combination will work best, he or she may just have to experiment.

But in terms of nutritional supplements, one type to try would be vitamin C, such as the NOW Ester C 500 with Bioflavonoids, or any other vitamin C/bioflavonoid product they like. Vitamin C supports vascular and capillary health.

For some people, vitamin K helps, either with or without vitamin C. One of vitamin K’s best-understood roles involves the process of clot formation.

NOW Foods also makes a good vitamin K supplement.

Then there’s grapeseed extract. Grapeseed extract is a potent antioxidant and very good for capillary and vein health. Enzymatic Therapy makes a very good grapeseed extract.

Bruises Result From Damage To Capillaries and Small Blood Vessels