As a semiretired health practitioner, I was recently able to give one of my close friends the name of a symptom-relieving supplement that could ease the discomfort of her annoying varicose veins—a condition that started after the birth of her third child and got worse with each consecutive pregnancy. (While my friend was grateful for each of her six beautiful children, her legs were a mess!)

Once most of her children were grown, my friend embarked on a self-improvement journey and lost a good deal of weight, and now she wanted to start repairing some of the other side effects of rearing a large family. Ironically, she also asked if I could suggest anything for her husband’s hemorrhoids, and I happily explained that the same three whole food supplements that would help her varicose veins could also help with his condition. She breathed a sigh of relief, and now my friend and her husband are both on this journey of rejuvenation together.

I never intended to spend an hour or more of consultation answering her many questions, but as a courtesy, I patiently talked her through these two conditions in depth. As she left, she looked back and cheerfully said, “Who knew how important it was to remedy these things? You should write about this!” So you guessed it, here I am to detail the nitty gritty of varicose veins and hemorrhoids—since both conditions have things in common, just in different places. (Smile)

A Book Worth Its Weight in Gold

I’m fortunate to have access to some of the absolute best health books around, so before I explain more about the medical issues I mention above, I would like to suggest that you consider taking a peek at some of the great health books available from Selene River Press.

This is where I found the indispensable book that helped me write this article: Health Is Simple, Disease Is Complicated by James Forleo, DC. It truly is worth its weight in gold. Written in easy-to-understand language, the book details the ins and outs of many health issues that plague our lives. I quote from a small portion of this book below to discuss the core cause of both varicose veins and hemorrhoids, but I highly recommended getting a copy of your own as it’s such a great reference.

So, what is the core cause of varicose veins and hemorrhoids?

In chapter 10, Forleo discusses respiration and circulation. The following quotes are from pages 321–322:

“Varicose veins occur as the result of stagnant blood remaining in the veins. This stagnant blood stimulates the liver to elevate the blood pressure in the legs in order to get the blood to return [back to the heart, which he discusses in the previous paragraph]. Hemorrhoids are also varicose veins that are directly related with liver function.

“Obesity increases the possibility of varicose veins. For every additional inch of fat, an additional five hundred miles of blood vessels must be added by the body. The more overweight we are, the more difficult it is to get deoxygenated blood from the extremities back to the heart.”

Further down on page 322 he writes:

“The liver is so rich in blood supply, and its functions so important to the body, that it basically has its own blood circulation loop. As a matter of fact, the portal circulation, which is the blood that flows to and from the liver, can contain about 30 percent of our entire blood supply at any one time.”

“If the toxic load on the liver becomes too high, the blood in the liver becomes more and more congested, requiring a higher blood pressure to push the blood through the portal circulation. Fibrous tissue in the liver slows down the ability of the liver to filter blood, which marks the beginning of liver disease.”

Repairing or Mitigating the Damage Is a High Priority

You can imagine that I simply get the chills when I hear people lightly referring to their varicose veins or hemorrhoids with little-to-no-understanding that the next step may be a stroke. These conditions should be a wake-up call to the fact that the blood vessels are weak and need to be strengthened. I hope my readers will find in this blog post a natural way to assist the body in repairing the damage. The idea that rectal salves, surgeries, or elastic stockings can do any good is simply a myth, in my humble opinion.

Bottom line: let’s talk about the remedy.

Collinsonia Root: Part I of the Protocol

This is so important that I will take the liberty of quoting from the Clinical Reference Guide.

(Note: The Clinical Reference Guide is a publication of the International Foundation for Nutrition and Health. It is only available to practitioners and members. Visit IFNH.org for more information.)

“Collinsonia Root is an herb (also called stone root). It is referred to in herb books as a ‘vascular astringent.’ In other words, it maintains proper tone in the vascular system. Magnesium phosphate is the active factor which gives it this function. We use Collinsonia primarily to prevent the formation of hemorrhoids and varicose veins, or to assist in their removal if they have already formed. These are conditions in which the vessels have become enlarged, lost their tone and become distended. The patient often has congested liver, so he would take A-F Betafood, along with the Collinsonia Root and as well Cyruta Plus, to strengthen the blood vessels.”

Other Interesting Facts About Collinsonia Root

From Henriette’s Herbal Homepage, we learn the following about Collinsonia (bold emphasis mine):

“Collinsonia is said to be an alternative, tonic, stimulant, and diuretic. It acts principally on the venous system and mucous tissues, and undoubtedly has a marked action on the vagus, relieving irritation in parts to which that nerve is distributed. It has long been a popular domestic remedy for various disorders. The bruised leaves were applied as a poultice in burns, bruises, wounds, ulcers, sores, sprains, contusions, and for internal abdominal ailments. The root was used in female complaints, piles, urinary diseases, and gastrointestinal affections.” Personal note: Piles is another name for hemorrhoids.

AF-Betafood: Part II of the Protocol

Description of A-F Betafood from Standard Process:

• Supports normal processing of dietary fats for cholesterol metabolism
• Supports healthy bowel functioning
• Supports bile production in the liver and healthy bile flow in the gallbladder
• Helps maintain healthy levels of fat in the liver
• Contains a combination of key ingredients from Cataplex A, Cataplex F, and Betafood
• Excellent source of vitamin A and iodine
• Good source of vitamin B6

Cyruta Plus: Part III of the Protocol

Description of Cyruta Plus from Standard Process:

• Supports circulatory cholesterol transport
• Supports healthy cellular glucose handling to help maintain blood sugar levels already within normal range
• Supports healthy peripheral circulation
• Contains several independent factors that help to maintain the integrity of capillary walls

It is my hope that this brief review of just how important the liver and blood vessels are to your overall health can make for a much happier and satisfying life.  Now go for the remedy and see your Standard Process practitioner soon (or find one near you).

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Afterthoughts from the Traditional Cook

Not all Collinsonia root is the same!

I remember working with a lady a few years back who listened carefully to all I said, then promptly went out and purchased Collinsonia root in bulk from her local herb shop. A few months later, she called to tell me that this whole discussion of Collinsonia root was just “so much talk.” She went on to say that she hadn’t seen even the slightest change in the few months since she’d been taking her bulk-purchased product.

I reminded her that there is a huge difference between what she purchased and what she would have received had she ordered the Standard Process brand from me or any other SP practitioner who carries and stores SP supplements properly. I also reminded her that Standard Process products, including the herbal preparations from MediHerb, are of the highest quality and pesticide-free. Most importantly, Standard Process herbal formulas are a far cry from dried herbs on the shelf of an herbal shop where they could have been stored for years and their effectiveness compromised.

Standard Process herbal formulations are grown and packaged to stay fresh and effective over the long term. She repented and started using the three-pronged protocol as stated above. After approximately six months of faithfully following my directions, she was indeed stunned to see her varicose veins slowly lighten up and was thrilled with the progress.

So once again: not all Collinsonia root is the same! By the way, I also reminded her that SP products purchased online are black market. These products may have been stored in hot warehouses, where they can become ineffective, or they are expired. Also, they usually cost more than they would through a practitioner. My dear reader, do the right thing and buy from an approved Standard Process practitioner so you’re sure to get the highest quality product.

Disclaimer: I wish to mention that although I use Standard Process products as my primary suggested supplement, I am not in any way affiliated with Standard Process and simply recommend them because I have seen them work in my clients.

Maria Atwood, CNHP

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Disclaimer from Maria Atwood, CNHP: I am a Certified Natural Health Professional, CNHP, not a medical doctor. I do not diagnose, prescribe for, treat, or claim to prevent, mitigate, or cure any human diseases. Please see your medical doctor or health practitioner prior to following any recommendations I make in my blog posts or on my website.

Images from iStock/peakSTOCK(main), Marina113 (legs), ttsz (hemorrhoid).