Q. Are there any supplements or vitamins that speed up healing from bruising? I am a 38-year-old man and I have recently started playing ice hockey again. Needless to say, bruises are a part of the game.
Is there anything I can do in addition to icing the injury? I frequently take Advil before or after games to reduce inflammation in my shoulders. Does this help or hurt with respect to bruising?
A. A number of plant derivatives have been applied to bruises to help them heal faster. Some readers are enthusiastic about castor oil, while both arnica and comfrey have a long folk tradition of use for bruises. Don’t take either one internally, because they can be toxic.
Back in the Middle Ages, the flowers of St. John’s wort were soaked in olive oil. The resulting red oil was used topically on bruises and other kinds of wounds. There doesn’t appear to be scientific research to support claims for any of these potions or poultices.
A German study reported that a topical bromelain preparation could be helpful. This pineapple constituent is more likely to be found in capsules for oral consumption at your local health food store.
Probably Advil neither prevents bruises nor makes them worse. Aspirin, on the other hand, might make someone more vulnerable to bruising because it prevents blood clotting.
