Grape seeds can reduce the swelling of varicose veins

A twice-daily serving of grape seed extract soothes pain and reduces swelling in varicose veins, reports the journal Medicine — and could be an alternative to compression stockings, the standard treatment.

A study at Yonsei University, South Korea, involving 23 patients, found that it increased blood flow in the affected area, relieving pain and discomfort.

The results showed that blood flowed almost 5 cm per second faster when the patients consumed grape seed extract.

This was two to three seconds faster than when patients wore compression stockings.

Proanthocyanidin, an antioxidant in the seeds, is believed to be key; it makes blood vessels more elastic so that blood can flow more freely.

Home remedies

DIY treatments that actually work. This week: Slow, deep breathing for hot flashes

Erik Peper, a professor specializing in applied psychophysiology at San Francisco State University, was teaching breathing exercises for stress in the early 2000s when several older female students reported a decrease in hot flashes.

Then, in 1992, he found a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that suggested that deep breathing could reduce the incidence of hot flashes by about 50 percent.

“Hot flashes and breath are strongly linked,” he told Good Health. The theory is that the body relaxes in response to the hot flash, creating a “biofeedback” loop, where a relaxed state changes the body’s response.

“Stimulated breathing (i.e., slow, deep, full breaths) at six to eight breaths per minute, practiced for 15 minutes twice a day and started at the onset of hot flashes may be helpful,” reported the journal Menopause Matters in 2012.

Try this

Momo Kombucha is fermented tea rich in antioxidants and live cultures (for gut health).

Available in flavors such as turmeric and elderflower (£3.90 per 330ml bottle, ocado.com; momo-kombucha.com).

Secrets of an A-list body

This WEEK: Jennifer Garner’s cleavage

At a recent charity gala, 51-year-old Jennifer wore an off-the-shoulder white dress that emphasized her toned shoulders and chest. The actress is a fan of what she calls “hard cardio,” and starts her days at 5:30 a.m. “plyometrics.”

WHAT TO TRY: Plyometrics refers to explosive movements that cause muscles to contract and stretch at a rapid rate. One exercise to target the cleavage is the one-clap push-up.

Get on all fours, then extend your legs so that you are balanced on your hands and toes. Tighten your core and inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Exhale as you tighten your chest muscles and push back up through your hands, bringing them together in a quick clap and then back down to the floor.

This is customizable: so if you’re doing pushups on your knees or against a wall, just add that bouncy punch. Try five reps every morning.