Bruising is usually a minor injury, although increased bruising may be a sign of disease or nutritional insufficiency. Also, certain special diets, such as the ketogenic diet, can cause excessive bruising. A healthy diet promotes a healthy vascular system. Certain nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition can show increased incidents of bruising as a symptom. Both vitamin K and vitamin C are important to the health of blood vessels and blood cells.
About Bruises
A bruise is usually caused by an injury under the surface of your skin, in which blood leaks out of blood vessels into other tissues. Three types of bruises include contusions, hematomas and purpura. Common blunt-force injury causes contusions with pain and swelling. Hematomas have significant bleeding that pools. If these bruises occur in organs they can be life-threatening. Spontaneous bleeding of small capillaries in tiny patches is purpura. Purpura bruises result from diseases, disorders or certain conditions, not injury.
Vitamin K and Bruising
Vitamin K is an important co-factor to several proteins involved in your coagulation cascade, which stops bleeding through clot formation. If you have a vitamin K deficiency, it can cause an increased clotting time as exhibiting by bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums and blood in urine. Infants with vitamin K deficiency have high incidence of bleeding in the skull. Vitamin K deficiency is uncommon because its common in foods, but if you have diseases of the liver or fat malabsorption, it can occur more easily.
Vitamin C and Bruising
Vitamin C is an important component of collagen synthesis and collagen is the major structural component of your blood vessels. Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is not common in developed countries, but children or elderly people on restricted diets may develop the disease. Symptoms of scurvy show weakness in all tissues requiring collagen, such as blood vessels. Bleeding, bruising and joint pain result.
Malnutrition and Bruising
Malnutrition develops when your body is deprived of nutrients to maintain a healthy body. About one percent of children in the United States suffer from malnutrition. Such a dietary imbalance causes nutritional deficiencies. Symptoms of such deficiencies include bleeding gums, bruising easily, rashes, and joint pain. If you have bulimia or anorexia, you are predisposed to vitamin deficiencies caused by malnutrition and will exhibit some of the same symptoms.
Bruising in Elderly
Aging plays a role in a higher incidence of bruising. As your skin thins and the amount of tissue fat decreases, blood vessels become more prone to breakage during normal bumps and bangs. Leg and arm bruises become more common. The presence of malnutrition is 37 percent in institutionalized elderly patients and since vitamin deficiencies usually occur with malnutrition, an increased incidence of bruising is possible.
References
- Linus Pauling Instititute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon; November 2009
- Linus Pauling Instititute; Vitamin K; Jane Higdon; May 2008
- "Annals of Neurology;" Bruising and the Ketogenic Diet -- Evidence for Diet-Induced Changes in Platelet Function; E. Berry-Kravis, et al.; January 2001
- Better Medicine; What is Bruising; Brian McDonough; March 2011
- Johns Hopkins: What is Malnutrition?
- Mayo Clinic; Easy Bruising--Common as You Age; May 2011
