Many Americans eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase bruising. People who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common dietary sources of vitamin C. The diet can be assessed by nutritionally oriented doctors by using a diet diary, sometimes accompanied by computerized diet analysis. If such an analysis reveals a lack of dietary vitamin C and bioflavonoids (related compounds), the diet requires more fruits and vegetables to correct the problem.

 

Doctors of natural medicine will often suggest that people who experience easy bruising supplement with 1–3 grams of vitamin C per day for several months. This is usually accompanied by at least several hundred milligrams of bioflavonoids—vitamin-like substances that are needed to strengthen capillaries and therefore might also help with bruising.¹ If the vitamin C/bioflavonoid combination is helpful, it strongly suggests that the person’s diet was inadequate.

 

Refer to the individual supplement for information about any side effects or interactions.

 

Aescin, a compound found in horse chestnut, has been used effectively as a gel applied at least twice daily to treat bruises.² Although aescin gel is not readily available, oral preparations of horse chestnut seed extract have recently appeared in health food stores and some pharmacies. An appropriate amount of horse chestnut seed extract standardized for aescin content (16–21%) taken orally is likely to provide 50–75 mg of aescin twice per day.

In traditional herbal medicine, a compress or ointment of sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) is applied to bruises.^{3 4} Enough should be applied to cover the bruise, and several applications per day may be necessary to improve healing.

Are there any side effects or interactions?