Our blood vessels transport several thousand liters of blood through the body every day. Most people primarily think about the blood flow itself. However, the structure of the vessel wall is at least as important.
Because blood vessels are not rigid tubes. They must remain elastic, withstand stress, and at the same time allow a controlled exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and fluid.
With increasing age, prolonged sitting, lack of exercise, or persistently elevated oxidative stress, the function and resilience of the vessel wall can change. Free radicals affect vascular cells, while at the same time the efficiency of the microcirculation also plays an important role in supplying the tissue.¹
Why the vessel wall is so crucial
The health of our blood vessels does not depend solely on cholesterol levels or blood pressure.
The vessel wall consists of highly specialized endothelial cells, collagen fibers, and elastic structures. It regulates blood flow, influences the exchange with the surrounding tissue, and plays a role in determining how efficiently oxygen and nutrients are transported.²
The endothelium plays a central role in this process – the thin layer of cells that lines the inside of our blood vessels.
These cells continuously respond to mechanical, metabolic and biochemical signals and are involved in the regulation of vessel diameter, blood flow and inflammatory processes, among other things.
Oxidative stress is one of the factors that can influence the function of vascular cells.³
Anyone who wants to understand vascular health should therefore not only consider the blood flow, but also the structure and regulation of the vessel wall itself.
Stinging nettle – a traditional plant with modern relevance
The stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of the most traditional medicinal plants in Europe.
It contains a variety of bioactive plant compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol.⁴
Their antioxidant properties are being studied particularly intensively. Experimental studies show that nettle extracts can interact with reactive compounds and exhibit antioxidant activity.⁵
This means that today the stinging nettle is not only interesting from a traditional perspective, but also in connection with the research into plant constituents and oxidative processes.
Grapevine leaf and microcirculation
Red grapevine leaves contain a wide range of flavonoids and polyphenols.
Of particular interest is their scientific investigation in connection with venous vessels and microcirculation.
Clinical studies using standardized grapevine leaf extracts investigated, among other things, changes in microcirculation and various parameters in chronic venous disorders.⁶⁻⁷
The polyphenols contained in the product are also a focus of research due to their antioxidant properties and their potential interactions with vascular structures.⁸
It is precisely this combination of traditional use and clinical investigation that has made red grapevine leaves an important research subject in the field of venous vascular processes.
Horse chestnut and venous vascular function
Hardly any medicinal plant has been studied as intensively in connection with venous health as the horse chestnut.
Its characteristic ingredient, aescin, is among the best-researched plant substances in this field.⁹
Several controlled studies and a Cochrane review have investigated standardized horse chestnut seed extracts in chronic venous insufficiency.10 These studies examined parameters such as leg swelling, pain, and other venous symptoms.
The horse chestnut therefore occupies a special position within plant vascular research, as comparatively extensive clinical data are available for it.
Copper and manganese as components of connective tissue metabolism
In addition to secondary plant compounds, essential trace elements also play a role in the structures from which vessel walls are made.
Copper contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissue and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue and also supports the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
These statements are health-related claims authorized in the European Union.
Both trace elements are thus physiologically related to those structural and antioxidant processes that are also relevant for the long-term stability of vascular and connective tissue.
Why vascular health affects multiple structures
Blood vessels are not made up of just one type of tissue.
Endothelial cells, collagen structures, elastic fibers, and antioxidant defense systems work together constantly. Changes in one of these areas can therefore also affect other structures.
For precisely this reason, modern vascular research now considers different processes in parallel: the function of the endothelium, the stability of the connective tissue, the microcirculation, as well as oxidative and inflammatory stresses.
Plant compounds are increasingly being studied not solely based on a single, isolated mechanism. Different plants produce various secondary plant compounds, which in turn can be involved in different biological processes.
Nettle, grapevine leaf and horse chestnut are the focus of scientific research for different reasons – from antioxidant plant substances to microcirculation to venous vascular function.
Sources
[1] Förstermann U, Münzel T. Endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease. Circ Res. 2006.
[2] Gimbrone MA, García-Cardeña G. Endothelial Cell Biology and Vascular Disease. Circ Res. 2016.
[3] Madamanchi NR et al. Oxidative Stress and Vascular Disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005.
[4] Chrubasik JE et al. Urtica dioica: Review of its medicinal uses. Phytomedicine. 2007.
[5] Gülçin I et al. Antioxidant activity of Urtica dioica. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004.
[6] Kalus U et al. Improvement of microcirculation by red vine leaf extract. Pharmaceutical research. 2004.
[7] Rabe E et al. Efficacy of red vine leaf extract in chronic venous disorders. Pharmaceutical Research. 2011.
[8] Terra X et al. Grape polyphenols and vascular protection. Nutrition. 2009.
[9] Sirtori CR. Aescin: pharmacology and therapeutic applications. Pharmacol Res. 2001.
[10] Pittler MH, Ernst E. Horse chestnut seed extract for chronic venous insufficiency. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012.