Cruisin’ with a Bruising

dedicated to Pat    by Chris

One of the “darker sides” of biking is the potential for bruising.  It can happen with a bump against the car as you’re loading your bike in, or unfortunately, the result of a fall.

What is a bruise? It’s the bursting and breaking of small blood vessels (capillaries) near the skin’s surface that are damaged by the impact of a blow or injury. Over time, the body reabsorbs the blood and the mark disappears.

 While most bruising will go away without treatment there are things you can do to support your body for quicker healing and perhaps some prevention.  If you are in a position to do so, applying an ice pack on the area within 30 minutes of the impact will lessen the bruising.

Taking aspirin can actually make the bruising last longer, since aspirin acts as a blood thinner. 

A preventive option is to use foods to help strengthen your arteries and blood vessels. Choose foods that strengthen and clean your arteries, such as nuts, apples and beans. Two of three servings of these foods everyday will be great. Eating whole foods with minimal processing is the optimal way to use food as medicine. Here are specific foods that you can try.

§  Citrus foods to strengthen the blood vessels. These are high in bioflavonoids, which are important antioxidants that prevent capillary rupture. Alternately, you can eat bioflavonoid supplements twice a day.

• Garlic is a great multipurpose herb that offers numerous benefits to the body. Use it as often as you can, by mixing it in your dishes. When ingested daily, it can sufficiently strengthen blood vessels, by lowering cholesterol levels and preventing fats from building up in your arteries. If you can't always include garlic in your diet, try taking a garlic capsule everyday.

• Dark leafy greens contain plenty of Vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting and healing. Alfalfa is an excellent source of Vitamin K, which is available as a supplement.

Other options include extracts. Health food and natural food stores are the best places to find these kinds of products.

§  Grape seed extract. It contains proanthocyanidins, helping prevent blood vessel damage. Check the manufacturer's label, so you'll know how much you should ingest everyday.

§  Bilberry fruit extract. It has anthocyanosides, which can sufficiently strengthen the capillary walls, lessen inflammation and stabilize skin collagen.

Use your wisdom and judgment; seek professional medical help if your bruise does not fade.

Exercise is a great way to prevent bruising as well! Biking helps keep our entire system healthy with oxygen pumping to the bloodstream, making us stronger both inside and out, with each push of the pedal.