Butcher's broom and leg veins
What 3 graded rows on butcher's broom agree on for leg veins, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Butcher's broom page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Butcher's broom page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Butcher's broom and leg veins
3 rows · 11,113 peopleThey agree: all 3 rows found an improvement.
- BGrade B× 1
- CGrade C× 2
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 12
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 11,113
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a meta-analysis of 719 people (2017) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 148 to 10,246 people, published from 2002 to 2017: 2 pooled reviews and 1 single study.
The rows
3 improved- BGrade BLeg heaviness, pain and swelling in chronic venous disease (Ruscus products) · Improved
Meta-analysis, 10 studies · n 719 · 2017 · Adults with chronic venous disease in double-blind placebo-controlled trials
As used in each trial · Varied
Versus placebo, Ruscus products reduced leg pain (RR 0.35, NNT 5), heaviness (RR 0.26, NNT 2.4), paresthesia and global symptoms, and reduced ankle circumference (SMD −0.74) and leg or foot volume (SMD −0.61).
Row on the Butcher's broom page · PubMed 28225220 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CVenous symptom severity (Ruscus + hesperidin methyl chalcone + vitamin C) · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 10,246 · 2003 · Adults with chronic venous insufficiency (31 studies, including 6 single-arm)
As used in each study · Varied
On a 0–3 scale, pain fell 0.44, heaviness 0.53, cramps 0.26 and paresthesia 0.29 points more than placebo; venous capacity also fell. Edema score and calf and ankle circumference did not fall significantly.
Row on the Butcher's broom page · PubMed 14612852 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CLower-leg volume in chronic venous insufficiency (single-ingredient extract) · Improved
RCT · n 148 · 2002 · Women aged 30–89 with chronic venous insufficiency (CEAP 3–4)
Daily dose per the German monograph (amount not stated in the abstract) · 12 weeks
Leg volume fell 20.5 mL more than placebo at 12 weeks, with smaller ankle and calf circumferences and less heaviness and tension. Tolerability was rated good to very good.
Row on the Butcher's broom page · PubMed 12040966 (opens PubMed)