Vitamins for Bruising

When we get bruised, blood vessels under the skin break and pools of blood spills out into the tissue surrounding the impact area. The bruise only heals once the blood is reabsorbed. By getting enough of the right vitamins---orally or topically---you can both treat bruises and help prevent their severity in the future.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K has proven bruise-fighting properties. In fact, it gets its name from the German word "koagulation." This vitamin is known to strengthen blood vessel walls, making us less likely to bruise. In fact, vitamin K is used by doctors, particularly plastic surgeons, to teat bruises following surgery.

In addition to oral doses, research has shown that a vitamin K cream applied to the skin can fade bruises. An interesting study done by Dr. Elson examined a group of people with severe bruising. He applied the same ointments to two groups of badly bruised people. The only difference was that the first group received vitamin K in the ointment. After one month, those treated with vitamin K had significantly fewer bruises than those without.

In fact, some of the people had the cream applied to one side of a bruise but not the other. In these people, the K-infused ointment side took about 6 days less to heal.

Good options for getting more vitamin K in your diet include the leafy greens spinach, kale and collard greens.

Vitamin C

Foods high in vitamin C contain rutin, a bioflavonoid that can help strengthen capillaries, which are the smallest of our blood vessels. Vitamin C may also make the skin tissue, or collagen, around our blood vessels stronger. All of these factors will diminish our likelihood and severity of bruising.

The elderly are particularly prone to bruising, and getting enough vitamin C is doubly important. Beginning as early as age 55, vitamin C depletion is typical among this group. As with vitamin K, topical treatments of vitamin C are available. These tend to be targeted to the elderly.

Citrus fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C.

Zinc

Zinc is known to help expedite wound healings, and may also aid in bruise treatments. Zinc has not been researched as extensively as vitamins C and K, but boosting intake of this mineral could be beneficial.

Food sources for zinc include seafood, whole grains and lean meats. Oysters are a particularly good source.