Ruvibia

Rubia root is classified in the Chinese Materia Medica with the hemostatic herbs, but it is one of a small number of such herbs that is also a valued blood-vitalizing agent. For this latter purpose it is recommended for painful swelling due to stagnant blood, and has been applied for alleviating swollen and stagnant veins. Rubia is used even more frequently in Ayurvedic medicine, known as manjistha, and in modern practice its application for blood circulation disorders is dominant. Gotu Kola is a rarely used Chinese herb for invigorating blood circulation, especially when there is damp accumulation or local infection, but common in Ayurvedic medicine, originally used for skin ailments associated with blood stagnation. The western herb Ruscus aculeatus (Butcher’s Broom) is Europe’s primary herbal remedy for vein problems, and is generally used to enhance circulation. These three herbs form the basis for improving the condition of veins and reviving normal venous circulation. The herb extracts are then supported by highly concentrated fractions of flavonoids, which are considered useful in tightening up veins that are expanded and leaking fluid. Diosmin and hesperidin are nearly identical molecules, usually combined in efforts to treat vein disorders. Both ingredients are obtained from plants of the Iberian Peninsula; in European practice of herbal medicine, isolated components have increasingly taken over for simple herb extracts. Grape seed is a cost-effective source for the grape polyphenols that have been implicated in improved circulation. Thus, Ruvibia combines the Asian herbs rubia and gotu kola (China and India) with herbs and active fractions recommended in Europe. The primary difference between the arterial and circulatory systems (aside from their roles in bringing blood from the heart or to the heart respectively) is that the veins have a more flexible structure and can thus easily be stretched and distorted, and they can more easily leak and break. The greatest number of problems with the veins occur in the legs, where the force needed to move blood upward can exceed the vein’s resilient capacity. *