What are the facts about blood clots that doctors want you to know? How can a diet help prevent deep vein thrombosis? Discover the top tips for reducing your risk of venous thromboembolism through lifestyle changes.

Understanding Blood Clots and Venous Thromboembolism

Under normal circumstances, blood clots can be helpful in stopping bleeding when you are injured. However, sometimes this process goes wrong, leading to the development of too many blood clots or unusual clotting patterns. This condition is known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), which affects between 300,000 to 600,000 Americans each year.

Without proper treatment, VTE can block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body, causing serious damage to tissues and organs, or even death. The good news is that you can reduce your risk of VTE through lifestyle changes and medication when appropriate.

High-Risk Patient Populations for VTE

Certain patient populations are at a higher risk of developing VTE. Around 40% of all VTE cases occur in hospitals or shortly after discharge, and about 30% occur in cancer patients. Strategies to reduce VTE in hospitalized patients include the use of low-dose blood-thinning medication, and patients should have a VTE risk assessment by their healthcare team.

Other high-risk groups include people with autoimmune diseases, those living with HIV, and individuals with a personal history of stroke or deep vein thrombosis. It’s crucial for these patients to be aware of their risk and work closely with their healthcare providers to implement appropriate prevention strategies.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of VTE

The symptoms of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, the two forms of VTE, are not always obvious. Deep vein thrombosis may cause swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth, cramps, or discoloration in the affected leg or arm. Pulmonary embolism symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pain, and rapid heartbeat.

Unfortunately, there are no routine screening tests available to detect blood clots. Doctors assess a person’s risk based on their medical history, current medications, and any signs or symptoms they may be experiencing.

Lifestyle Factors and Behaviors that Increase VTE Risk

Certain lifestyle factors and behaviors can increase the risk of developing VTE. Being sedentary, obese, and smoking all contribute to a higher risk of blood clots. While you can’t change some risk factors like age or family history, behaviors are within your control.

For example, if you have a job where you sit a lot, be sure to get up and move around periodically. If you smoke, consider quitting. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can also help lower your VTE risk.

Effective Treatments for VTE

There has been a “revolution of new drugs” in the past 5-10 years that have simplified the treatment of VTE, according to hematologist Mary Cushman, MD. These direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are less cumbersome to use compared to the previous standard treatment, warfarin, which required regular blood work for monitoring.

If you’re concerned about taking anticoagulant medication, it’s important to discuss the risks and benefits of each option with your healthcare provider. They can help you determine the best course of treatment based on your individual needs and preferences.

7 Diet Tips to Help Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis

In addition to lifestyle changes and medication, your diet can also play a role in reducing your risk of VTE. Here are seven dietary tips to help prevent deep vein thrombosis:

1. Eat More Leafy Greens

Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are rich in vitamin K, which is essential for proper blood clotting. Aim to include these nutrient-dense foods in your diet regularly.

2. Increase Your Intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Foods like fatty fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and improve blood flow. Incorporating these into your diet may help lower your VTE risk.

3. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can contribute to the formation of blood clots, so it’s important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Aim for at least 8 cups (64 ounces) of water per day, and more if you’re active or live in a hot climate.

4. Limit Sodium Intake

High sodium levels can increase blood pressure and make it easier for clots to form. Try to limit your sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day, and focus on consuming more whole, unprocessed foods.

5. Eat More Garlic and Onions

Garlic and onions contain compounds that can help thin the blood and improve circulation, which may help reduce the risk of VTE. Consider adding these flavorful ingredients to your meals more often.

6. Incorporate Turmeric

Turmeric, a spice commonly used in Indian cuisine, contains the active compound curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Incorporating turmeric into your diet may help prevent blood clots from forming.

7. Avoid Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Heavy alcohol use can contribute to dehydration and inflammation, both of which can increase the risk of blood clots. Moderate your alcohol intake to help lower your VTE risk.

By incorporating these dietary changes into your lifestyle, you can take an important step in reducing your risk of deep vein thrombosis and other forms of venous thromboembolism. Remember to always consult with your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet or medication regimen.

5 Blood Clot Facts Doctors Want You to Know

Under normal circumstances, blood clots can be helpful. For example, when you get hurt, your body forms a blood clot to stop the bleeding. After healing takes place, your body breaks down the clot and removes it. But sometimes this process goes wrong. Some people get too many blood clots, and other people have blood that clots in an unusual way. The end result: venous thromboembolism (VTE), a disorder that affects between 300,000 to 600,000 Americans each year.

Without proper treatment, VTE can block blood flow and oxygen to parts of your body. This can cause serious damage to your tissues and organs, or even death. The good news is that you can reduce your risk of VTE through lifestyle changes and medication when appropriate.

Here are five facts that doctors wish everyone knew about VTE:

1. Some Patient Populations Are at Higher Risk

“About 40 percent of all VTE occur in hospitals or shortly after discharge, and about 30 percent of all VTE occur in cancer patients,” says Mary Cushman, MD, hematologist and medical director of the thrombosis and hemostasis program at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. One strategy for reducing VTE in hospitalized patients is to use low dose blood thinning medication, notes Dr. Cushman. During a hospital stay, it’s important to have a VTE risk assessment by your healthcare team, notes the National Health Services. This will help determine the best prevention strategy for your situation.

People with cancer who are seen in outpatient settings may also benefit from low dose blood thinners. VTE risk is particularly high during chemotherapy treatment and after cancer-related surgery. There are large ongoing clinical trials to help doctors determine how best to prescribe VTE prevention treatments for cancer patients. In the meantime, patients should ask their oncologists for a risk assessment and get educated about the symptoms and signs of blood clots.

Other populations at higher risk for VTE include people with autoimmune diseases like lupus and those living with HIV. Having a personal history of stroke or a prior deep vein thrombosis also puts you at higher risk.

2. Sign and Symptoms for VTE Are Not Always Obvious

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are two forms of VTE. Deep vein thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg or thigh. A pulmonary embolism occurs when a clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs.

If you have deep vein thrombosis, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Swelling in legs or arms
• Pain or tenderness
• Increased warmth, cramps, or aching
• Red or discolored skin

The symptoms for pulmonary embolism include:

3. There Is No Routine Screening Test for VTE

Routine screening tests are available for common conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol. But there aren’t any evidence-based screening tests to detect blood clots.

“The main ways that doctors assess your risk for VTE is by taking a good medical history and by evaluating your signs and symptoms,” says Ada Stewart, MD, a family physician with the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers in South Carolina and member of the board of directors for the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Your doctor may also ask about any family history of blood clots and will review your current medication.”

Because no screening test exists for finding blood clots, it’s important to know the risk factors, such as:

• Surgery
• Sitting or being in bed for long periods of time
• Age
• Sex
• Obesity
• Hormone-based medication, like birth control
• Pregnancy
• Race and ethnicity

4. Behaviors and Lifestyle Factors Are Important for Preventing VTE

Being sedentary, obese, and smoking all increase a person’s risk for blood clots, says Dr. Stewart.

Stewart also noted that while many patients are aware that smoking is bad for cardiovascular disease and blood pressure, they don’t realize that smoking is also bad for blood clots.

You can’t change some risk factors, like age or family history, but behaviors are within your control. For example, if you have a job where you sit a lot, be sure to get up and move around periodically. If you smoke, quit. Maintain a healthy diet and get regular exercise.

5. There Are Effective Drugs to Help Treat VTE

Cushman notes that there’s been a “revolution of new drugs in the last 5 to 10 years which have simplified the treatment of VTE. These medicines, called direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), are less cumbersome to use compared with the old standard warfarin treatment, which requires regular blood work for monitoring.”

If you’re concerned about taking anticoagulant medication, talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of each option. For example, bleeding is the main side effect for blood thinners and is a concern for some patients. This may be particularly true for those who are older and have other risk factors for bleeding.

If you’d prefer to try a more natural approach for lowering your risk of VTE, weight loss and other lifestyle changes are good options. Statins can also help lower risk for blood clots. Still, it is not clear if these interventions will help prevent a recurrence once you’ve already had a blood clot. For these reasons, blood thinning drugs remain the cornerstone of treatment, notes Cushman.

How Do You Know if You Have Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Muscle cramps and pulled muscles are common causes of leg pain. A less common cause is a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs, called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

DVT is relatively rare, affecting about 900,000 people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But it can have serious health consequences.

DVT happens when a blood clot forms in a vein deep in the body, usually in the lower leg or the thigh. If left untreated, the clot can break off and travel through the bloodstream to an artery in the lungs (known as a pulmonary embolism), blocking blood flow and potentially causing death.

A clot can cause problems even if it remains in the leg. In rare cases, DVT may lead to a serious condition called phlegmasia.

“If a leg DVT is extensive enough, it creates so much pressure within the leg that it impairs arterial blood flow into the leg,” says Deborah Hornacek, MD, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic.  “There is risk of tissue injury and even limb loss if this emergency is not identified and intervened on quickly enough.”

Risk Factors for Deep Vein Thrombosis

Spotting deep vein thrombosis can be tricky, as the signs are sometimes mistaken for other conditions.

Here are signs of DVT to look for:

• The leg swells; this is the most common symptom.
• Usually, only one leg is affected.
• The area is painful and warm.
• Symptoms get worse over time, rather than dissipate as they would with a pulled muscle.

“On occasion, you can see below the skin that some of the superficial, smaller veins are dilated as they try to compensate and shift blood around that blockage,” says Andrea Obi, MD, a vascular surgeon at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor.

If you have pain and swelling in your leg, consider whether you have any risk factors that make deep vein thrombosis a more likely cause.

Risks for DVT include:

• Recent surgery, particularly orthopedic surgery
• A prior history of DVT
• Hormone medications like birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy
• Cancer or cancer therapy
• An illness or injury that has caused you to be inactive for a long period of time
• Prolonged travel in a car or airplane

Age is also a risk factor. “We haven’t figured out why, but DVT seems to be a disease of age,” Dr. Obi says. “That risk seems to take off after age 45.”

Obesity, smoking, and extensive large varicose veins can also be contributing factors, Dr. Hornacek says.

Genetics may also play a role, “but the majority of blood clots are caused by ‘provoked’ or ‘situational’ factors,” Hornacek says. “That’s why it’s important to know family history, but it often plays less of a role than most people expect.”

How Is Deep Vein Thrombosis Diagnosed?

When you seek medical help for suspected DVT, your doctor will probably perform a physical examination of the affected leg to check for pain and swelling. He or she will also check for knots that can be felt, which may indicate a blood clot.

“As you can imagine, there are many medical conditions that can cause pain and swelling, but the way we make the diagnosis of DVT is with something called a duplex ultrasound,” Obi says.

An ultrasound is a test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the veins and arteries. “This allows us to use a nonradiation technology to look at the deep veins, so it’s not risky to the patient in any way,” Obi says.

If the ultrasound doesn’t provide a clear picture, your doctor may order a venography, which involves injecting dye into a vein in the affected leg to make the vein visible on an X-ray. Signs of DVT can also be spotted through a D-dimer test, a blood test to check for a substance that is released when a blood clot breaks up.

Treatment for Deep Vein Thrombosis

If you are diagnosed with DVT, know that it is a treatable condition. Your doctor will likely prescribe anticoagulants, or blood-thinning medication, like warfarin, heparin, enoxaparin, fondaparinux, edoxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban.

“Anticoagulation helps to impressively reduce the risk for PE (pulmonary embolism) by stabilizing the clot that is there and helping the body break it down over time,” Hornacek says.

You may need to take blood thinners for several weeks or months. It’s important to take them exactly as your doctor prescribes.

Thrombolytics, sometimes referred to as “clot busters” may also be given to dissolve the clot. These medications have a higher risk of causing bleeding than blood thinners, so they are used only in severe cases.

Additionally, wearing compression stockings can help reduce the risk that blood will pool and clot and may also prevent the swelling associated with DVT.

In cases of phlegmasia, patients will need surgery to remove the blood clot and restore flow, Obi says.

Finally, patients who have been treated for DVT should take care to minimize the risk factors that led to the clot. “It’s a matter of staying active, being cognizant of not staying immobile for long periods of time, and staying well-hydrated,” Obi says.

Additional reporting by Ashley Welch

One Woman’s Story of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism

In summer 2015, Kim Burgess and a group of college friends set out on a road trip from their home state of Maryland, to Colorado. “We wanted to hike a bunch of 14ers,” says Burgess, an elementary school art teacher who was 23 at the time. That’s hiking lingo for mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet above sea level.

To save money on lodging, the group drove in shifts. After arriving in Boulder, Colorado, after 20 hours of travel, they all felt nauseated, headachy, and a little short of breath, symptoms of altitude sickness. While camping at a national forest that night, Burgess noticed that her left leg was swollen and painful.

The next day, when the group began climbing Mount Elbert, Colorado’s highest peak, Burgess felt even worse. “But we had driven all this way, so I decided to power through it,” she says. After a grueling 12 hours, the group reached the peak, then began their descent, and that’s when Burgess’s leg pain intensified. She decided to seek medical help.

In the hospital emergency department in Ouray, Colorado, Burgess was diagnosed with a superficial vein blood clot — a clot just below the surface of the skin — in her leg. “I was told to rest, apply heat, and I would be fine,” she said. But her leg became so painful, “I couldn’t even do my share of the driving,” she says.

As the road trip continued, the group stopped in another hospital emergency department, where Burgess was told her superficial vein blood clot was getting bigger, but that she would feel better in the morning after a dose of aspirin and a painkiller. Again, her symptoms got worse. On the drive home, strong painkillers kept Burgess’s leg from throbbing. But she was still having trouble breathing. “That’s when I knew something was really wrong,” she says.

As soon as the gang arrived back in Maryland, Burgess saw her primary care physician. When a pulse oximeter test showed that Burgess’s oxygen saturation was low, the doctor sent Burgess to her local hospital emergency department. There, doctors discovered that Burgess’s superficial blood clot had turned into deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which developed into a potentially deadly pulmonary embolism (PE). “Up until that point, I hadn’t realized how serious my situation was,” Burgess says. “I had just assumed I was being a wimp, that Mount Elbert had been too big for me to handle.”

Vein Clots Decoded

Blood is supposed to be fluid. But if your circulation becomes sluggish, which can happen after you sit for hours without moving, a gel-like clot can form inside the veins. If a blood clot develops in a deep vein, usually in the legs, it’s known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If the DVT blood clot breaks off and travels up to the lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism (PE). “We think of DVT and PE as the same disease, it’s just that the symptoms are different because the blood clots are in different locations in the body,” says Marcelo Gomes, MD, a vascular medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.

By itself, a DVT isn’t life threatening. But a PE can be. It can clog an artery in the lung, robbing your body of much-needed oxygenated blood.

“At some point during my trip, my superficial blood clot must have become so large that it connected to my deep vein system, broke off and traveled to my lungs,” Burgess says. About 20 to 30 percent of people with a DVT will develop a PE, Dr. Gomes says. The good news? “Most people with PE will survive if they seek immediate medical attention,” he says.

Signs of DVT and PE and How to Prevent It

DVT can cause pain, swelling, and redness or purple discoloration of the skin in an arm or, most commonly, the legs. If you experience these symptoms, see your doctor. PE can cause chest pain and shortness of breath, and you may cough up blood or faint. Have someone drive you to the emergency room or call 911 if you experience these symptoms.

The risk of DVT and PE increases if you sit for long periods without moving, such as on lengthy car trips or long-haul flights. To prevent a first or subsequent DVT and PE experience, take the following steps.

• Wear compression stockings on long car rides and flights. “Compression stockings don’t have to be super tight or prescription,” Gomes says. What’s available over the counter will suffice. Burgess will be wearing compression stockings on her upcoming honeymoon to New Zealand.
• Avoid alcohol and drink plenty of fluids, such as water. “Dehydration plays a role in travel-related DVT events,” Gomes says.
• Move about the cabin. Get up from your airplane seat and make frequent stops if you’re driving, at least every two to three hours. If that’s not possible, exercise your calf muscles to keep your blood circulating. “The calf muscles serve as pumps for the veins that run through them,” Gomes says. Draw each letter of the alphabet with your right foot, then your left, or vice versa.
• Be careful if you’re on the birth control pill. Birth control pills can put women at increased risk for DVT and PE. Before her DVT and PE, Burgess was on birth control pills for menstrual issues. After her PE, Burgess has since switched to a safer, lower-dose form of hormonal therapy.

To treat her condition, Burgess took the blood thinner warfarin for six months. If she develops another DVT, she may need to take the anticoagulant for the rest of her life. In any event, it was a close call. Burgess credits her primary care physician’s persistence for saving her life. In this or any health situation, “trust your gut, advocate for yourself and develop a relationship with a primary care physician so you have somebody to turn to who knows you well when something feels off,” she says.

11 natural blood thinners for heart health

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

Natural blood thinners are substances that reduce the blood’s ability to form clots. Blood clotting is a necessary process, but sometimes the blood can clot too much, leading to complications that can be potentially dangerous.

People who have certain medical conditions, such as congenital heart defects, may require blood-thinning medications to reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke.

It is essential to speak with a doctor before trying these remedies, as they may not work as well as medication and may interfere with some prescription drugs.

Some foods and other substances that may act as natural blood thinners and help reduce the risk of clots include the following list:

People have long used the golden spice known as turmeric for culinary and medicinal purposes. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin that has anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning or anticoagulant properties.

A study published in 2012 suggests that taking a daily dose of turmeric spice may help people maintain the anticoagulant status of their blood.

People can add turmeric to curries and soups or mix it with hot water to make a comforting tea.

Ginger is another anti-inflammatory spice that may stop blood clotting. It contains a natural acid called salicylate. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a synthetic derivative of salicylate and a potent blood thinner.

To get the anticoagulant effects of natural salicylates, people may want to use fresh or dried ginger regularly in baking, cooking, and juices.

It is unlikely, however, that natural salicylates are as effective as blood-thinning medications.

A 2015 analysis of 10 studies also suggests that ginger’s effects on blood clotting are unclear. It indicates that more research is needed to understand the potential blood-thinning properties of ginger fully.

Cayenne peppers are also high in salicylates and can act as powerful blood-thinning agents.

Cayenne pepper is quite spicy, however, and many people can only tolerate it in small amounts.

Capsules containing cayenne pepper are available in health food stores and online. Other benefits of this spice include lowering blood pressure, increasing circulation, and reducing pain sensations.

Vitamin E reduces blood clotting in a few different ways. These effects depend on the amount of vitamin E that a person takes. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements suggest that people who are taking blood-thinning drugs should avoid taking large doses of vitamin E.

It is unclear how much vitamin E thins the blood, although it is likely that people would need to take more than 400 International Units (IU) per day. Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements, for example, above 1,500 IU daily, on a long-term basis, may have negative effects.

It may be safer to get vitamin E from foods rather than supplements. Foods that contain vitamin E include:

• almonds
• safflower oil
• sunflower oil
• sunflower seeds
• wheat germ oil
• whole grains

Besides its often desirable taste in food and cooking, garlic has natural antibiotic and antimicrobial properties.

Some research reports that odorless garlic powder demonstrates antithrombotic activities. An antithrombotic agent is a substance that reduces blood clot formation.

Another review of several studies on garlic suggests that it may thin the blood, although the effects are small and short-lived.

The American Academy of Family Physicians nonetheless recommend that people stop taking high doses of garlic 7 to 10 days before a planned surgery because of its antithrombotic properties.

Cinnamon contains coumarin, a powerful blood-thinning agent. Warfarin, the most commonly used blood-thinning drug, is derived from coumarin.

Chinese cassia cinnamon contains a much higher coumarin content than Ceylon cinnamon. Taking coumarin-rich cinnamon on a long-term basis can, however, cause liver damage.

It may be best to stick to small amounts of cinnamon in the diet in addition to using other natural blood thinners.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used leaves from the Ginkgo biloba tree for thousands of years. Ginkgo is also a very popular herbal supplement in the United States and Europe. People take it for blood disorders, memory problems, and low energy.

Gingko thins the blood and has fibrinolytic effects, according to some sources. This means it may dissolve blood clots. One study reports that ginkgo extract has similar effects to streptokinase, a drug used to treat blood clots.

The research was, however, done in a laboratory, and not carried out on people or animals. Further research is necessary to see if gingko has the same effects in the human body.

There is some evidence to suggest that grape seed extract may have potential benefits for several heart and blood conditions.

It contains antioxidants that may protect the blood vessels and prevent high blood pressure.

Grape seed extract may also act as a natural blood thinner. Because of these effects, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggest that people with blood disorders, those taking blood-thinning medications, and people about to have an operation should not take grape seed extract.

Dong quai, also known as female ginseng, is another traditional Chinese herb that may reduce blood clotting.

Studies on animals report that dong quai significantly increases the length of time it takes blood to clot (prothrombin time).

This effect may result from dong quai’s coumarin content, the same substance that makes cinnamon such a potent anticoagulant.

Dong quai is taken orally, and can be consumed as part of a herbal tea or soup.

Feverfew is a medicinal herb that comes from the same family as daisies or the Asteraceae family.

People take feverfew for migraines, some digestive disorders, and fever.

Feverfew may also act as a blood thinner by inhibiting the activity of platelets and preventing blood clotting. Feverfew is available in capsule or liquid form.

Bromelain is an enzyme that people extract from pineapples. It may be an effective remedy for cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.

Research suggests that bromelain can thin the blood, break down blood clots, and reduce clot formation. The enzyme also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Bromelain is available in supplement form from health stores and drug stores.

Many natural substances may reduce clotting to some degree. But natural remedies are unlikely to be as effective as blood-thinning drugs and people at risk of blood clots should not use them instead of prescription medications.

Government authorities do not monitor herbs and supplements as closely as food and drugs. People should research the different brands carefully before buying to ensure they are known for quality and purity.

People taking prescription blood thinners should not use natural remedies without talking to their doctor first.

Even though they are natural, some substances and foods may thin the blood too much, especially when taken in conjunction with medications. This can increase the risk of bleeding.

While people can usually consume foods with potential blood-thinning properties safely in reasonable amounts, it is essential to speak to a doctor before trying herbal remedies, such as dong quai and grape seed extract.

Some of the natural blood thinners listed in this article are available for purchase online.

Some of these products should not be taken alongside blood thinning medication.

11 natural blood thinners for heart health

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

Natural blood thinners are substances that reduce the blood’s ability to form clots. Blood clotting is a necessary process, but sometimes the blood can clot too much, leading to complications that can be potentially dangerous.

People who have certain medical conditions, such as congenital heart defects, may require blood-thinning medications to reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke.

It is essential to speak with a doctor before trying these remedies, as they may not work as well as medication and may interfere with some prescription drugs.

Some foods and other substances that may act as natural blood thinners and help reduce the risk of clots include the following list:

People have long used the golden spice known as turmeric for culinary and medicinal purposes. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin that has anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning or anticoagulant properties.

A study published in 2012 suggests that taking a daily dose of turmeric spice may help people maintain the anticoagulant status of their blood.

People can add turmeric to curries and soups or mix it with hot water to make a comforting tea.

Ginger is another anti-inflammatory spice that may stop blood clotting. It contains a natural acid called salicylate. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a synthetic derivative of salicylate and a potent blood thinner.

To get the anticoagulant effects of natural salicylates, people may want to use fresh or dried ginger regularly in baking, cooking, and juices.

It is unlikely, however, that natural salicylates are as effective as blood-thinning medications.

A 2015 analysis of 10 studies also suggests that ginger’s effects on blood clotting are unclear. It indicates that more research is needed to understand the potential blood-thinning properties of ginger fully.

Cayenne peppers are also high in salicylates and can act as powerful blood-thinning agents.

Cayenne pepper is quite spicy, however, and many people can only tolerate it in small amounts.

Capsules containing cayenne pepper are available in health food stores and online. Other benefits of this spice include lowering blood pressure, increasing circulation, and reducing pain sensations.

Vitamin E reduces blood clotting in a few different ways. These effects depend on the amount of vitamin E that a person takes. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements suggest that people who are taking blood-thinning drugs should avoid taking large doses of vitamin E.

It is unclear how much vitamin E thins the blood, although it is likely that people would need to take more than 400 International Units (IU) per day. Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements, for example, above 1,500 IU daily, on a long-term basis, may have negative effects.

It may be safer to get vitamin E from foods rather than supplements. Foods that contain vitamin E include:

• almonds
• safflower oil
• sunflower oil
• sunflower seeds
• wheat germ oil
• whole grains

Besides its often desirable taste in food and cooking, garlic has natural antibiotic and antimicrobial properties.

Some research reports that odorless garlic powder demonstrates antithrombotic activities. An antithrombotic agent is a substance that reduces blood clot formation.

Another review of several studies on garlic suggests that it may thin the blood, although the effects are small and short-lived.

The American Academy of Family Physicians nonetheless recommend that people stop taking high doses of garlic 7 to 10 days before a planned surgery because of its antithrombotic properties.

Cinnamon contains coumarin, a powerful blood-thinning agent. Warfarin, the most commonly used blood-thinning drug, is derived from coumarin.

Chinese cassia cinnamon contains a much higher coumarin content than Ceylon cinnamon. Taking coumarin-rich cinnamon on a long-term basis can, however, cause liver damage.

It may be best to stick to small amounts of cinnamon in the diet in addition to using other natural blood thinners.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used leaves from the Ginkgo biloba tree for thousands of years. Ginkgo is also a very popular herbal supplement in the United States and Europe. People take it for blood disorders, memory problems, and low energy.

Gingko thins the blood and has fibrinolytic effects, according to some sources. This means it may dissolve blood clots. One study reports that ginkgo extract has similar effects to streptokinase, a drug used to treat blood clots.

The research was, however, done in a laboratory, and not carried out on people or animals. Further research is necessary to see if gingko has the same effects in the human body.

There is some evidence to suggest that grape seed extract may have potential benefits for several heart and blood conditions.

It contains antioxidants that may protect the blood vessels and prevent high blood pressure.

Grape seed extract may also act as a natural blood thinner. Because of these effects, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health suggest that people with blood disorders, those taking blood-thinning medications, and people about to have an operation should not take grape seed extract.

Dong quai, also known as female ginseng, is another traditional Chinese herb that may reduce blood clotting.

Studies on animals report that dong quai significantly increases the length of time it takes blood to clot (prothrombin time).

This effect may result from dong quai’s coumarin content, the same substance that makes cinnamon such a potent anticoagulant.

Dong quai is taken orally, and can be consumed as part of a herbal tea or soup.

Feverfew is a medicinal herb that comes from the same family as daisies or the Asteraceae family.

People take feverfew for migraines, some digestive disorders, and fever.

Feverfew may also act as a blood thinner by inhibiting the activity of platelets and preventing blood clotting. Feverfew is available in capsule or liquid form.

Bromelain is an enzyme that people extract from pineapples. It may be an effective remedy for cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.

Research suggests that bromelain can thin the blood, break down blood clots, and reduce clot formation. The enzyme also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Bromelain is available in supplement form from health stores and drug stores.

Many natural substances may reduce clotting to some degree. But natural remedies are unlikely to be as effective as blood-thinning drugs and people at risk of blood clots should not use them instead of prescription medications.

Government authorities do not monitor herbs and supplements as closely as food and drugs. People should research the different brands carefully before buying to ensure they are known for quality and purity.

People taking prescription blood thinners should not use natural remedies without talking to their doctor first.

Even though they are natural, some substances and foods may thin the blood too much, especially when taken in conjunction with medications. This can increase the risk of bleeding.

While people can usually consume foods with potential blood-thinning properties safely in reasonable amounts, it is essential to speak to a doctor before trying herbal remedies, such as dong quai and grape seed extract.

Some of the natural blood thinners listed in this article are available for purchase online.

Some of these products should not be taken alongside blood thinning medication.

How I Eat After a Blood Clot

Before I was a VTE blogger, I was a health and fitness blogger. Before I started writing about my blood journey, I wrote about my weight-loss journey. Before I was diagnosed with a DVT and PE, I was diagnosed with insulin resistance as a pre-cursor to diabetes, which motivated me to make changes in my life related to nutrition and fitness. I started running half marathons and eating better – and I eventually reversed the damage being done to my body and came off insulin-sensitivity drugs. In the process, I became enamored with nutrition, fitness and running and continued training – and writing about it – up until that weekend in June of 2012 when un-relenting calf pain turned into a blood clot in my lung and I was out of the fitness game for the next three years.

During my recovery, I gained back all of the forty pounds I had previously worked so hard to lose – and then some. I stopped focusing on making good choices when I ate food and while I didn’t go overboard, my body reached its highest weight ever and I plateaued there. There was nothing I could do – or wanted to do – to change it at the time. My singular focus was on recovery from my blood clot including managing my pain, decreased lung function, leg swelling, a fluctuating INR, multiple doctor visits, physical setbacks, emotional trauma and the numerous lifestyle changes that come with all of the above. Still, in the back of my mind, I knew I had to get the weight off. Once physically recovered from my blood clot, I still felt horrible, lethargic, fatigued and out of control because of my weight. My self-esteem took yet another beating when I already didn’t have much self-esteem left. Eating – and the choices I was making about food – were wrecking havoc on my emotional health.

It’s hard to eat consciously on a regular day, let alone when you are managing an ongoing illness. Now, some of the most common questions I receive at BCRN are, “How do I eat healthy on a blood thinner and how do I lose weight after a blood clot?” While I am not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist, I am sharing what as worked for me and some tips that I believe can help benefit anyone who is trying to lose weight or make better choices when it comes to food. Studies tend to show that in terms of weight loss, diet plays a much bigger role than exercise – and just because you are taking an anticoagulant does not mean you can’t eat for weight loss and/or optimal health. As a rule, it is important to discuss any dietary changes you want to make with your physician before you make those changes. I talked to three of my doctors – hematologist, endocrinologist and GP – before I made these changes.

Overview: Establish or find a nutrition plan.

Worst first, right? When talking about nutrition for weight loss, it is important to find a diet plan that works for you (here is the only place you will see me use the word “diet” in this context. I refer to the way I eat as a lifestyle, not a diet because it is how I prefer to eat and it is what makes me feel good). The internet, books, magazines, etc. are filled with an overwhelming amount of information about how to eat, when to eat, what to eat and what’s the right way to do things. The thing is, though, finding a plan is just as individual as the blood clot treatment plan you are on. There is no right way because each of us is different.

I have spent many years researching ways to eat and tried a multitude of the plans that are out there – Weight Watchers, Paleo, Whole 30, Low-fat, Autoimmune Protocols, Gluten-Free, Blood Type Diet, Low Calorie, High Calorie – all of them have their pros and their cons. Finding one that works is entirely up to you.

I have chosen to incorporate pieces and parts of these plans to make my own plan, with the guidance of my doctor. The basics of my plan include:

• 1,500 calories a day (or about 500 calories a meal) – drastically cutting calories does not work for anyone.
• A focus on eating macronutrients each day with a goal of not more than half of my daily intake of nutrients being carbohydrates, about 30 percent of my daily intake of nutrients being fat and about 30 percent of my daily intake of nutrients being protein.
• I do not eat (or I limit) white grains (rice, pasta, bread), potatoes (all kinds), sugar (and alcohol), dairy (cheese, sour cream, milk, creams, etc.), soy, whey, protein powders.
• I eat chicken, beef and fish (although I do limit my intake to a few times a week as a personal choice), beans, eggs, nut butters, vegetables (the list is large: peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, squash, asparagus, etc.), sweet potatoes, whole grains (limited to once a day and is either whole grain rice or bread), fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, grapes), olive oil, coconut oil, butter (not margarine) and on occasion bacon fat or lard. I cook with almost every spice except rosemary and fennel.
• I eat three meals a day and an afternoon snack, usually. I eat breakfast every single day (not an easy accomplishment) within one hour of waking up. A typical day for me is brown rice, spinach, and an egg fried in butter for breakfast; more spinach and beans or roast beef on a whole grain tortilla and spinach with mustard for lunch; chicken/steak and vegetables or a sweet potato with almond butter and vegetables for dinner. Snacks might be an apple with almond butter or Greek yogurt.
• I do allow myself to have treats. I eat out about once a week with no restrictions, have a pinch of sugar and sometimes cream in my tea each morning and consume wine every now and then.

Fill up on good things – what works for you.

Finding out what makes you feel good – and is healthy –  is important. Once you do, eat those things in excess, even in spite of calories goals. I eat spinach every day because it makes me feel healthy, strong, energized and full. Eating protein makes me feel full. Eating nut butters, fruit and on occasion chocolate makes me feel happy. If I am hungry at the end of the day, I eat a sweet potato, popcorn or a even a piece of chicken, even if I am going over on my 1,500 calorie goal.

Cut out the bad things – what doesn’t work for you.

In the beginning, I read It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, which gave me a lot of insight into how poor nutrition might be affecting our overall health, including inflammation in the body. I did the Whole 30 Challenge where I eliminated grains, dairy, sugar and alcohol according to the plan for 30 days. At the end of the thirty days, I started adding things back into my diet that I previously loved to eat and was certain I couldn’t continue living without. Certain things made me feel horrible – and still do to this day. I avoid milk and white grains (rice, pasta and bread). On the other hand, I do love white rice – especially from Chinese take-out with a lot of hot sauce. I eat it once in awhile, but I am prepared to face massive joint swelling and pain the next day so my once in awhile is really only that – once in awhile.

I rarely eat anything that is not whole – meaning I eliminate processed foods or things that come out of a box, a bag, a container, etc.

Consistency is key.

When talking about nutrition – especially if you are taking medications that can be affected by food, like warfarin – it is important to talk about consistency. Consistency is more important than elimination, especially when discussing the foods that are healthy for you. I eat about the same amount of spinach everyday. I eat about the same amount of protein in a day. I eat about the same amount of carbs in a day. I eat about the same amount of calories in a day.

I also consistently cook at home, make two or three meals out of one (before it even goes on my plate I divide it up) and shop the perimeter of the grocery store (that’s where you find whole foods like vegetables, fruits, eggs and meat).

Write it down, somewhere, somehow.

In writing down what I eat everyday (as a means to keep track of calories), I realized two things: We as human beings consume entirely way too many calories without realizing it and we eat generally the same things each day without realizing it. Write down what you eat. I think you might find consistency is more present than you realize and you eat more than you realize. I use MyFitnessPal mobile app (or checkout the desktop version) to keep track of my calories and macronutrients. It’s free to download for iOS and Android. You can also use a paper or electronic journal.

Drink water.

I exclusively drink water – and black tea in the morning with sugar and sometimes cream. If you feel thirsty, you need to drink more water. I don’t really pay attention to cups or ounces, but I do drink to not be thirsty. If I go out, I order water. I don’t drink soda, juice or coffee very often, if at all. If I want flavor in my water, which I rarely do, I put my own sliced lemon or lime in it.

Treat yourself.

You cannot eat according to plan 100 percent of the time. It’s not healthy, either. What I refer to as treat (not cheat) meals are important to your mental attitude. I do this about once – maybe even twice – a week. I do not take a treat day, but I take a treat meal where I eat what I want (usually from a restaurant) and do not worry about calories, nutrients or goals. I may or may not write my treat meal down. I eat what tastes good and looks good to me (insert Chipotle here). Over time, I have found my desire to do this is less and less and I tend to have treats that are not really meals – a chocolate bar, a glass or two of wine, or French fries with my salad at dinner.

Don’t do weight loss alone.

Apps like MyFitnessPal have a community component where you can “Like” and “Comment,” just like Facebook. Find a group, an app, an online forum, a book, etc. – anything to make connections with other people who are on the same journey as you. Not only is it motivating, it also helps hold you accountable to your own goals.

To sum it up, this is what works for me – and might not work for you too. This is what I discussed with my doctor – your doctor might make different recommendations. All of that is okay.

Weight loss takes time, dedication and hard work. Changes can be slow – they should be slow, as should weight loss. With small changes, comes lasting progress. I take one day at a time. My today is not my yesterday or my tomorrow. By eating to feel good and fueling my body well, I have noticed I feel much better – and while I am losing weight slowly, the emotional benefits far outweigh the physical ones. I feel more confident, happy and secure in my decisions to take care of myself. For me, self-care extends far beyond my initial recovery to caring for my body and my mind from this point forward.

Reader Writes In: Are you trying to lose weight or eat healthy after a blood clot? What works for you? What is your favorite treat?

There is hope for healing and you are not alone,

More information to share:

24 Best Foods for Blood Circulation

Journal of Hypertension: “Allium vegetable intakes and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and type 2 diabetes in adults: a longitudinal follow-up study.”

Cardiology Review: “Fish Oil for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease.”

American Journal of Nutrition: “Fruit, vegetable, and fish consumption and heart rate variability: the Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study.”

American Journal of Cardiology: “Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease.”

Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry: Effect of Cooking on Garlic.”

The Journal of Nutrition: Supplement: Grapes and Health.”

FDA Prescribing Information: “Angiotensin II.”

Carpenter, L. A. Conway C. J. and Pipkin F. B. Pomegranates (Punica granatum) and their effect on blood pressure: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2010;69(1)

Wright, H. and Pipkin F. B. Pomegranates (Punica granatum), kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) and blood pressure: a pilot study. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2008;67(8):1.

Stowe, C. B. The effects of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Complement Ther.Clin.Pract. 2011;17(2):113-115. View abstract.

Aviram M, Dornfeld L. Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Atherosclerosis 2001;158:195-8. View abstract.

Aviram M, Rosenblat M, Gaitini D, et al. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media t

FDA: “Avoiding Drug Interactions.”

Emergency Medicine Journal: “Possible interaction between pomegranate juice and warfarin.”

FDA: Prescribing Information: Warfarin.

American Journal of Hypertension: “Effect of ginkgo biloba on blood pressure and incidence of hypertension in elderly men and women.”

“Effects of watermelon supplementation on aortic hemodynamic responses to the cold pressor test in obese hypertensive adults.”

Journal of Clinical Psychology: “The effect of 3-month ingestion of Ginkgo biloba extract on pancreatic beta-cell function in response to glucose loading in normal glucose tolerant individuals.”

Nutrition Journal: “Drinking carrot juice increases total antioxidant status and decreases lipid peroxidation in adults.”

Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition.

Fundukian, L.J., editor, The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, third edition, 2009.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center web site: “About Herbs: Ginger.”

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine web site: “Herbs at a Glance: Ginger.”

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database web site: “Ginger.”

A.K. Cowan, B.N. Wolstenholme, in Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition): “Avocados.”

Kris-Etherton, P. Journal of the American Heart Association, January 2015. Cara Sloss, spokeswoman, British Dietetic Association.

American Heart Association: “A primer on potassium,” “How potassium can help control high blood pressure.”

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “What is potassium?”

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: “Potassium: Tips for people with chronic kidney disease,” “Diet and lifestyle changes.”

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: “Living with the DASH eating plan.”

Free Radical Research: “An almond-enriched diet increases plasma a-tocopherol and improves vascular function but does not affect oxidative stress markers or lipid levels.”

National Sunflower Association: “Nutritional Power of Sunflower Seeds”

Time: “Are Sunflower Seeds Healthy?”

American Heart Journal: “Natural antioxidants from tomato extract reduce blood pressure in patients with grade-1 hypertension: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.”

European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation: “The acute effect of green tea consumption on endothelial function in healthy individuals.”

Cedars-Sinai: “Endothelial Function Testing.”

Pharmacognosy Research: “Cinnamon: Mystic powers of a minute ingredient.”

Journal of the American Heart Association: “Dark Chocolate Acutely Improves Walking Autonomy in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.”

Journal of the American College of Nutrition: “Chronic intake of onion extract containing quercetin improved postprandial endothelial dysfunction in healthy men.”

Go Red For Women, American Heart Association: “Exercise to Prevent Heart Disease.”
PLoS One: “Elevated Sodium and Dehydration Stimulate Inflammatory Signaling in Endothelial Cells and Promote Atherosclerosis.”

Canadian Journal of Cardiology: “Obesity and Atherosclerosis: Mechanistic Insights.”

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: “Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanisms of Endothelial Dysfunction and Early Atherogenesis.”

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism: “Capsaicinoids Modulating Cardiometabolic Syndrome Risk Factors: Current Perspectives.”

The Journal of Nutrition: “Inorganic Nitrate and Beetroot Juice Supplementation Reduces Blood

Pressure in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.”

Food & Nutrition Research: “Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits.”

Nutrients: “The Effect of Anthocyanin-Rich Foods or Extracts on Vascular Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.”

Circulation: “Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Health.”

European Journal of Sport Science: “Effects of pomegranate extract on blood flow and vessel diameter after high-intensity exercise in young, healthy adults.”

Pharmacological Research: “Effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.”

The Anatolian Journal of Cardiology: “Effects of garlic on brachial endothelial function and capacity of plasma to mediate cholesterol efflux in patients with coronary artery disease.”

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Effects of chocolate, cocoa, and flavan-3-ols on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.”

Diabetes Care: “Effects of Walnut Consumption on Endothelial Function in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects: A randomized controlled crossover trial.”

The Journal of Nutrition: “Grape Polyphenols Reduce Blood Pressure and Increase Flow-Mediated Vasodilation in Men with Metabolic Syndrome.”

Aging: “Curcumin supplementation improves vascular endothelial function in healthy middle-aged and older adults by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and reducing oxidative stress.”

Clinical Nutrition Research: “Effect of Spinach, a High Dietary Nitrate Source, on Arterial Stiffness and Related Hemodynamic Measures: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults.”

Food Chemistry: “Citrus flavonoids: Molecular structure, biological activity and nutritional properties: A review.”

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Hesperidin contributes to the vascular protective effects of orange juice: a randomized crossover study in healthy volunteers.”

FDA: “Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don’t Mix.”

90,000 Dissolve the blood clot. What foods improve blood quality | Nutrition and diet | Kitchen

If you have blood problems, you are not well. And subsequently problems with blood vessels will begin, the formation of blood clots, it can even reach strokes. In general, blood is very important. It is influenced by our entire lifestyle: mobility, diet. There is also good news: with the help of special products, you can improve blood clotting or, conversely, worsen it and protect against thrombosis.

Thinning blood

Thick blood is a very dangerous phenomenon.The risk of thrombosis increases, the likelihood of varicose veins is high. The work of blood vessels is difficult, blood clots can block small vessels, slow down the supply of oxygen to various organs, and increase the risk of stroke. Therefore, if you suspect or know that you have viscous blood, you should first see your doctor. And after that – reconsider your diet. And include foods that help thin the blood.

Water. We are 90% water, and blood just needs a normal water balance in our body.Therefore, at the first sign of varicose veins and other blood problems, you need to think about whether you are drinking enough water. 2-2.5 liters per day is an average rate, if your weight is high enough, 3 liters may be needed. In any case, the body needs a lot of fluid, and the doctor will more accurately determine the individual rate.

Raspberry. Raspberries contain the same substance as aspirin, which is often drunk to lower blood viscosity. But only aspirin has side effects, it negatively affects the stomach and mucous membranes, but raspberries do not.So eat fresh raspberries, raspberry jam. Traditional medicine also recommends a decoction of raspberry and black currant leaves.

Linseed oil. It contains many polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for blood vessels, as well as vitamin E. It has the ability to restore the elasticity of blood vessels.

Fatty fish. A source of healthy fats and a fighter against atherosclerotic plaques.

Garlic. A powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, promotes the resorption of blood clots.It is recommended to use it fresh, slightly dried in the open air.

Seaweed. Products containing iodine are very useful for blood. They reduce blood viscosity and increase vascular tone. So all seafood is a prime candidate for the table.

Tomatoes. The lycopene contained in them helps to normalize cholesterol levels. And rutin strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

Persimmon. It contains many antioxidants, and due to the presence of flavonoids, persimmon thins the blood, prevents blood clots, strengthens blood vessels and normalizes blood cholesterol levels.

Red cabbage. In principle, any cabbage is useful, including sauerkraut, but red cabbage contains a lot of potassium, which is very useful for blood vessels, vitamins C and group B. Therefore, cabbage stimulates metabolism, improves blood quality, and prevents blood clots.

Citrus fruits. They contain vitamin C and a lot of liquid. Lemon is especially good for blood thinning. So tea with lemon and a spoonful of honey is a great idea.

Med. Very good effect on blood, including thinning it. Prevents blood clots.

Sprouted wheat . Excellent blood thinner if you eat at least 1 tbsp. in a day. It’s a good idea to add it to salads and drizzle with linseed oil.

Ginger, cinnamon, turmeric. Bark and roots contain coumarins. These compounds thin the blood and prevent the formation of clots. They also contain plants of our strip: horseradish root, alfalfa, angelica, celery.

Increase blood clotting

In addition to foods that thin the blood, there are those that thicken it, improve clotting. In some cases (for example, when injured), this is useful. I must say that many products have a rather weak thickening effect and a healthy person who does not have a problem of “thick blood” may not even notice the effect of their use. But this does not mean that this effect does not exist.

If you know about problems with blood viscosity, the threat of thrombophlebitis and other unpleasant diseases, you should carefully eat the following foods:

• Buckwheat groats;
• Animal fats: lard, butter, fatty dairy products;
• Entrails, especially beef liver, as well as brains, kidneys;
• Bananas;
• Walnuts;
• Rosehip;
• Rowan;
• Green vegetables;
• Nettle;
• Yarrow;
• St. John’s wort;
• Oak bark;
• Viburnum bark;
• Corn Silk.

All of these foods contain vitamin K, which increases blood clotting.

General recommendations

With thick blood, it is not only the avoidance of specific blood-clotting foods that are important. In general, you need to reconsider your approach to nutrition. Limit sweets, pastries, fatty and spicy foods. Eat more vegetables and fruits, drink more pure non-carbonated water. Simple recommendations that we hear almost every day, but do we follow …

90,000 8 products for dissolving blood clots | Vascular health

According to statistics, a considerable share of the causes of all deaths (more than 50%) is occupied by vascular and heart diseases.

essentuki.com

essentuki.com

Vascular cholesterol deposits are very dangerous, as they can lead to blockage and obstruction of blood vessels. Also dangerously high pressure, which is caused by vasoconstriction. With vasoconstriction, blood flow decreases and all organs are affected. But these diseases develop over long years and even decades.

Therefore, the greatest danger is blood clots – dangerous blood clots that can occur suddenly and also suddenly block the blood flow.

Pulmonary thromboembolism. fb.ru

Pulmonary thromboembolism. fb.ru

A blood clot can be so large that it clogs a large pulmonary artery, and in this case even the fastest ambulance team will not save you. In addition, blood clots are often the cause of strokes and heart attacks.

The most common causes of blood clots :

• blood stagnation in the body, which is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, varicose veins. Also, blood flow is often disrupted around atherosclerotic plaques.

When a plaque is damaged, a thrombus forms. monateka.com

When a plaque is damaged, a blood clot forms. monateka.com

• cardiac arrhythmias, in which the blood flow in the heart changes, which provokes the formation of blood clots;
• injuries and damage to blood vessels (high pressure can also lead to microtrauma of the vessel).

When there is a risk of blood clots, doctors must prescribe anticoagulant and absorbable blood clots. But also there are several products that will complement the effect of drugs or help dissolve blood clots , if drugs are not yet shown to you .What are these products?

1. Blueberry

recepty-kulinariya.ru

recepty-kulinariya.ru

Due to natural flavonoids blueberry strengthens vascular walls well, preventing their damage. Also, blueberries, due to the compound neomyrtillina , have the ability to lower blood sugar.

2. Garlic

It has long been known as a product useful for blood vessels. Cutting the garlic creates a beneficial compound that helps dissolve the clot.In addition, garlic is beneficial for its ability to normalize cholesterol metabolism.

3 and 4. Ginger and ginseng

wholefoodsmagazine.com

wholefoodsmagazine.com

The roots of these plants are traditionally considered to give strength and vitality. It is known that the bitter substance gingerol is an anticoagulant, i.e. disrupts the formation of blood clots.

5. Green tea

Particularly appreciated for the content of the substance epigallocatechin gallate – a powerful antioxidant that prevents damage to blood vessels and the appearance of plaques that contribute to thrombosis.Also known as a fat burner and anti-cancer agent.

Do not drink green tea with milk, as milk blocks the action of epigallocatechin.

6. Red onion

It is known that red onion contains several natural substances that are capable of disrupting platelet adhesion, that is, preventing thrombus formation.

updatedtrends.com

updatedtrends.com

7. Pomegranate

Known for its high potassium content, which is an essential mineral for proper heart function.Also, due to antioxidant substances, pomegranate protects blood vessels from damage and gives them elasticity.

8. Avocado

This product is not in vain separated from the rest. After all, the previous products can be safely included in the diet of a person who takes medications for blood clots.

svcomercio.info

svcomercio.info

But avocado has such a strong ability to dissolve blood clots and prevent their development that, when taken together with such medications, it can even lead to bleeding.

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Articles are informative in nature and do not cancel the consultation of a specialist!

Products that thin the blood and dissolve blood clots

The health of the cardiovascular system is directly dependent on your nutrition.In most cases, it is because of the wrong diet that the elasticity of the vessels is disturbed, their walls are damaged and blood clots appear.

Another reason for the formation of blood clots is a blood clotting disorder. It can occur due to a genetic predisposition, metabolic disorders or hormonal disruption.

Due to too high a viscosity, platelets actively stick together and form blood clots. They can also form when they are in one position for a long time without movement.

Nutrition is a real way that can prevent thrombosis and dissolve formed clots. We will tell you about products that are able to thin the blood and clear it of blood clots.

Red hot pepper

If you regularly eat this type of pepper, then it will briefly accelerate the process of dissolving blood clots. This effect is observed only within half an hour after eating a seasoned hot spice.

Ginger

The active substances contained in ginger are similar in their chemical composition to aspirin, a popular blood thinner.

Raspberry

The benefits of this berry lie not only in the berries, but also in the leaves. They contain vitamins, antioxidants and tannins. A large amount of vitamin C strengthens and increases the elasticity of blood vessels.

Cranberry

It strengthens blood vessels and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. If you regularly consume cranberries or jam, then the risk of blood clots is minimized.

Sea buckthorn

It has a strong anti-atherosclerotic effect, cleans blood vessels from cholesterol plaques and restores their elasticity, acts as a prophylactic agent for coronary heart disease.

Sea buckthorn juice increases the level of hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells in the blood, protects cell membranes, and also facilitates painful processes in liver cells.

The simplest ways to prevent thrombosis

Every day, 10 minutes before a meal, eat a couple of slices of grapefruit, which perfectly cleans blood vessels. A glass of tomato juice a day will reduce the stickiness of platelets, and if you eat a carrot every day, it will strengthen the walls of blood vessels, prevent blood clots and reduce the likelihood of stroke.

Fruits and vegetables, which contain a large amount of fiber and vitamin C, reduce the likelihood of blood clots. Therefore, vegetarians have less viscous blood than meat eaters.

Blood thickening products

Buckwheat, walnuts, potatoes and bananas are good for the body, but it is necessary to limit their use. But it is better to refuse fatty, smoked and too salty food. Also, the list of not useful includes – fatty meat broths, pastries, pastries and sweets, alcohol.

90,000 Ekaterina Misheneva: “Don’t let the blood stagnate”

Today in Russia mortality from cardiovascular diseases directly related to thrombosis is twice the European average and is more than 1.5 thousand people per hundred thousand population. Yekaterina Misheneva, a cardiologist at the State Institution of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Cardiological Dispensary”, told Respublika about what kind of disease it is and who is susceptible to it.

– So what is thrombosis?

– Thrombosis is a blockage of a vessel by a blood clot, while the blood does not enter the organ, and it may suffer.Most often, a person’s limbs are affected. In the body of a healthy person, the formation of such a clot helps to stop bleeding. For example, if you cut yourself or have a blood sample taken, the blood stops after a while. But sometimes it also happens that thrombosis occurs when it should not be, that is, for no apparent reason. Sometimes this is how a myocardial infarction (a blood clot in the arteries that feed the heart muscle) or a stroke (a blood clot in the arteries of the brain) occurs. And this can already threaten not only health, but also life.Such thrombosis can also occur due to some features of genes, i.e. hereditary information recorded in the cells of your body. Therefore, if a person wants to connect his life with a profession that involves high-risk situations, for example, working as a rescuer, a policeman, in professional sports, he should undergo a molecular genetic examination.
Problems begin when blood clots, attaching to the walls of blood vessels, form a plug, which at any time can come off, go swimming through the veins and arteries and, once in a narrow place, completely block the blood flow.And the person suddenly dies.
Everyone is afraid of plane crashes, but few people know that after a safe landing, you can collapse dead right at the plane’s ladder – due to the separation of a blood clot formed in the veins during the flight. It is believed that blood clots form in one of the passengers on each flight. Fortunately, not every case ends in tragedy. According to statistics, 70 percent of people experience thrombosis.

– Why do blood clots occur? Can a hazard be identified? And how to protect yourself from the threat?

– Let’s see why blood clots appear in the veins.A combination of three factors is required for blood clots to form. The first factor is damage to the inner surface of blood vessels (occurs after traumatic, tumor or inflammatory diseases). The second is a slowdown in blood flow (occurs with heart failure, prolonged bed rest and varicose veins). And the third is increased blood coagulability (observed in trauma, inflammatory processes, surgical interventions and dehydration). Sometimes one reason is enough.In the presence of all three, thrombus formation is inevitable.
There are two types of thrombosis – venous and arterial. Venous is more common. It is dangerous for its complications, the most severe of which is thromboembolism (blockage of branches) of the pulmonary artery. Surgeons claim that this diagnosis accounts for a third of sudden deaths. More than half of patients die in the first two hours after the onset of an embolism. Arterial clots are less common, but more insidious. Being in a fast blood flow, they often break off, causing first a violation of the blood supply to the organ that the artery supplies with blood, and then its death.So thrombosis of the coronary arteries leads to myocardial infarction, cerebral arteries – to stroke.
Veins are quite delicate and easily injured anatomical structures. Their walls are much thinner than those of arteries of the same diameter. The blood pressure in the veins is much lower, therefore, the middle (muscle) layer is less developed. Veins are less resistant to external compression and injury, they are easily involved in the inflammatory process even without the participation of microorganisms. In addition, there are valves in the veins, damage to which and stagnation of blood in the area of ​​their location contribute to the formation of blood clots.
The maintenance of blood in a liquid state ensures the simultaneous operation of a huge number of complex biochemical mechanisms. They maintain a precise balance between the blood coagulation and anticoagulant systems. There are a large number of typical situations, well known to doctors, in which the venous blood flow is simultaneously disturbed and the coagulation system is activated. For example, during any surgical operation, a large amount of tissue thromboplastin, a substance that stimulates blood clotting, enters the bloodstream from the tissues.The harder and more extensive the operation, the greater the release of this substance. The same happens with any injury.
This mechanism was formed in ancient times, and without it humanity as a biological species simply would not have survived. Otherwise, any trauma in our distant ancestors, and in ours, would have ended in death from bleeding. The body as a whole system is indifferent to what caused the wound – the claws of a saber-toothed tiger or a surgeon’s scalpel. In any case, there is a rapid activation of the blood coagulation potential.But this protective mechanism can often play a negative role, since it creates the prerequisites for the formation of blood clots in the venous system in operated patients.

– It is clear that any operation is a risk.

– On the first day after the operation, it is difficult for the patient to get up, move and walk. This means that the work of the muscle-venous pump is turned off and venous blood flow slows down. In case of injuries, in addition, it is necessary to apply plaster casts, skeletal traction, connect bone fragments with metal pins, which sharply limits the patient’s physical activity and contributes to the occurrence of thrombosis.Its frequency after surgical operations on the abdominal organs can reach 25-40 percent. With hip fractures, knee and hip replacement, deep vein thrombosis of the legs develops in 60-70 percent of patients.
The most serious problem is venous thromboembolic complications during pregnancy. The fact is that the woman’s body prepares itself in advance for childbirth, and therefore for blood loss. Already from the early stages of pregnancy, the blood coagulation system is activated.The inferior vena cava and iliac veins are compressed by the growing uterus. Consequently, the risk of thrombosis increases. Acute venous thrombosis can be complicated by hormonal contraception. These drugs, as it were, deceive the woman’s body, “convincing” it that pregnancy has already begun, and hemostasis, naturally, reacts by activating the coagulation system. Although pharmacologists are trying to reduce the content of hormones, primarily estrogens, in these drugs, the frequency of venous thrombosis (and, therefore, the possibility of pulmonary embolism) in women taking hormonal contraceptives is at least 3-4 times higher than in those taking who does not accept them.
The risk of thrombus formation is especially high in women who smoke, because under the influence of nicotine thromboxane is released, a powerful blood clotting factor. Actively promotes thrombus formation and overweight.
Venous thrombosis is a common complication of neoplasms, both malignant and benign. Patients with tumors, as a rule, have increased blood clotting. This is due, apparently, to the fact that the patient’s body prepares in advance for the future disintegration of the growing tumor.Often, venous thrombosis acts as the first clinical sign of an onset cancer process.
Even a long flight in a cramped airplane seat, with legs bent at the knees, in case of forced inactivity, can provoke venous thrombosis, the so-called “economy class syndrome”.
Thus, any surgical intervention, any injury, pregnancy, childbirth, any disease associated with the patient’s inactivity, circulatory failure, can be complicated by venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.This is what explains such a high incidence of venous thromboembolic complications even in countries with well-developed medicine.

– How to determine thrombosis by external signs? And who is more susceptible to this disease?

– The insidiousness of venous thrombosis is also in the fact that its clinical manifestations do not cause a feeling of great trouble in the patient. Swelling of the leg, pain, usually of a moderate nature, slight cyanosis of the limb does not frighten patients, and sometimes they do not even consider it necessary to consult a doctor.
In this case, a thrombus without any warning can break away from the vein wall in a few seconds, turn into an embolus – a thrombus that migrates through the vessels, and cause severe thromboembolism of the pulmonary arteries with an unpredictable outcome. According to experts, about 100,000 people die from pulmonary embolism in the Russian Federation every year. Thus, this disease claims more lives than car accidents, regional conflicts and criminal incidents combined.
Due to its transience and unpredictability, pulmonary embolism is perceived as a bolt from the blue not only by patients, but also by doctors. Fortunately, not every venous thrombosis is complicated by thromboembolism, although their number is very large.
Blood clots are more common in older people. The hypodynamia accompanying a sedentary lifestyle provokes blood stagnation – one of the main risk factors for the disease.
One of the most common causes of arterial thrombosis is atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerotic plaques cause the arteries to narrow.Blood flow is obstructed, and favorable conditions arise for the formation of thrombosis.
The relationship between smoking and the formation of atherosclerosis, and hence the occurrence of blood clots, has been proven.
But most often people who have a tendency to form blood clots – thrombophilia – are at risk of thrombosis. It can be genetic, associated with gene damage, and inherited. And in some cases, it can be caused by an imbalance in the coagulation and anticoagulant systems.

– Blood clots often form in summer, why?

– There are several reasons for this. The main one is travel, or rather, the accompanying air travel. Air passengers sit in uncomfortable positions for a long time, the veins are pinched, and the low pressure and extremely dry air in the aircraft cabins contribute to blood stagnation and rapid dehydration. To avoid blood clots, before the flight, you need to pull on compression hosiery (it improves blood flow in the legs), take a quarter of an aspirin tablet, which reduces blood viscosity.And during the flight, stretch your legs more often: try to get up and walk around the cabin after the plane has gained altitude, every 30 minutes.
The second reason is the summer desire to lose weight. Blood clots are more often formed in women who are on diets (the withdrawal of excess fluid from the body is the basis of diets, and with this dehydration of the body begins) or taking birth control pills (they increase blood clotting).

– Can you sense the lurking danger?

– Symptoms of venous thrombosis – heaviness in the muscles (most often the calf), swelling of only one lower limb, compaction along the veins, cyanosis of the skin, pain.
If venous thrombosis is complicated by thromboembolism in the pulmonary arteries, then chest pains, aggravated by breathing, coughing, hemoptysis, and fever, are added to the swelling and pain in one of the limbs. Often, such patients are treated by a neurologist with a diagnosis of intercostal neuralgia or a physician with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Sometimes such “minor” embolism may not appear at all until repeated episodes lead to more severe changes in pulmonary blood flow.
The signs of arterial thrombosis depend on where the blood clot is located. With arterial thrombi of the arms or legs, patients complain of a sharp pain, a cold snap in this limb and a drop in sensitivity. If it is a hand, then it is often difficult to measure blood pressure on it, or it is impossible to measure it at all. Blood clots in the arteries of the abdomen cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Thrombosis of the arteries of the brain can manifest itself as a stroke. Blood clots in the coronary arteries – myocardial infarction – severe pressing or burning pains behind the sternum.
However, about 30 percent of venous thrombosis can be asymptomatic. They are the most dangerous. To find them, you need to undergo examinations. Planned thrombi, as a rule, are not removed, but are dissolved with special preparations.

– How are thrombosis treated?

– The fight against deadly thromboembolism of the pulmonary arteries is the fight primarily against acute venous thrombosis. Of course, it is much more effective to prevent thrombosis than to treat it. That is why the attention of doctors of various specialties is now focused on the problem of preventing venous thromboembolic complications.That is why surgeons, oncologists, gynecologists, physical therapy doctors are so persistently trying to get their patients out of bed the next day after the operation, or even the same day, in order to take a few steps around the ward (often listening to accusations from their patients of all mortal sins ). By the way, in this case, the common phrase “movement is life” comes to mind.
If thrombosis of the great veins has already developed, then doctors direct all their efforts primarily to prevent pulmonary embolism.Previous attempts to remove the thrombus were completely futile, since against the background of altered hemostasis, a new thrombus appears on the inflamed vein wall, which is looser and even more dangerous. The venous thrombosis does not threaten the leg’s viability, since the arteries passable for blood flow regularly bring oxygen and nutrients. Venous gangrene is a very rare complication; it develops if blood clots close absolutely all veins, both deep and subcutaneous. Therefore, simultaneously with antithrombotic or anticoagulant therapy, aimed at preventing the growth and spread of the thrombus, the patient is examined to identify floating, embolic forms of venous thrombosis.
For a long time, only phlebography was used for this, that is, an X-ray study of the great veins using a contrast agent. Currently, in most patients, the diagnosis can be made using ultrasound techniques. First of all, this is an ultrasound examination of the veins, which does not require puncture of the veins, the introduction of a toxic contrast agent and, which is very important, especially when examining pregnant women, is not associated with the patient’s irradiation. At the same time, the information content of the study is not inferior to phlebography.
But the most dangerous, often catastrophic course of the situation acquires with an already occurred pulmonary embolism. Thromboemboli, as a rule, are of considerable size, and in most patients they close the pulmonary trunk or the main pulmonary arteries.

– So how to protect yourself from blood clots?

– First of all, lead an active lifestyle – physical activity improves blood circulation, prevents blood stagnation, improves metabolic processes in the body.
You need to eat right – the basis of the diet should be plant foods that do not contain cholesterol. Do not allow dehydration of the body – a lack of fluid increases the viscosity of the blood.
Take care of yourself: injuries, operations, infectious diseases are a risk factor for blood clots. Get your examinations on time. Duplex ultrasound scanning of veins, during which the diameter of the vein is measured, determines the blood flow velocity. Often the blood clot itself can be seen on ultrasound.Donate blood for cholesterol, undergo a coagulogram (blood clotting test). Get a biochemical blood test (a high level of an indicator called D-dimer is a key indicator of thrombosis, but can be increased in other diseases).
In-depth studies for thrombophilia are expensive enough to be done to everyone concerned about their health, but we still recommend them when some of the relatives (dad, mom, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandmothers, grandfathers) had thrombosis in the family or thromboembolism, as well as cases of sudden death of relatives under the age of 55.Or in the case of a thrombosis in a person under the age of 50. We also recommend in case of unreasonable recurrence of thrombosis of any localization.
These examinations are necessary to determine a more accurate method of treatment.
Modern medicine has a wide range of tools for the diagnosis and treatment of acute venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that the best way to deal with this most dangerous complication is prevention, carried out in the collaboration of a doctor and a patient.
Fighting overweight, uncontrolled intake of hormonal drugs, smoking, physical inactivity, conscious and active implementation of medical recommendations can significantly reduce the frequency of tragedies and accidents caused by this disease.

World experts named 10 products that cleanse blood from blood clots

The risk of blood clots is very high in the heat, as the body loses water, as a result of which the blood thickens.

In order to protect yourself from strokes, heart attacks and blood clots, you need to be very careful about your diet.

The renowned French physician, Dr. Serge C. Renaud, claims to prevent education; blood clots can dramatically reduce the likelihood of a heart attack in a year, while lowering cholesterol takes longer to achieve the same effect. However, many foods affect both (for example, onions and garlic), so you’ll get double the benefits.

At one time, cardiologists believed that heart attacks were caused by irregularities in the heart rhythm, which occurred due to the narrowing of the arteries as a result of the buildup of plaque.But now it is widely believed that the direct cause of 80-90% of heart attacks and strokes is a blood clot. Thrombus formation depends on a number of factors, largely determined by nutrition. One is how much platelets – the smallest blood cells – tend to accumulate, forming blood clots and sticking to the walls of blood vessels. Another factor is blood fibrinogen, a protein that is a raw material for blood clots. High levels of fibrinogen in the bloodstream are an important sign of heart disease and strokes.

An important role is played by the fibrinolytic system, which destroys and dissolves unnecessary and dangerous blood clots. How active this system is, as well as the level of fibrinogen – “the first determinant of heart disease,” says Harvard cardiologist Dr. Victor Gurevich.

How nutrition can control thrombus formation

Doctors always warn patients not to take aspirin before surgery. They are afraid of “blood thinning”, deterioration of its coagulability.From this, bleeding can stop poorly, which will cause complications and jeopardize recovery. The blood must coagulate quickly to close the scalpel wound.

But has a surgeon ever told you not to eat Chinese food before surgery? Or avoiding high doses of ginger, garlic, black mushrooms, and oily fish like salmon and sardines? The fact is that all of these products are also anticoagulants, which can dramatically reduce blood clotting, often following the same biological mechanism as aspirin.They block the action of a substance called thromboxane, which slows down the clumping of platelets (an important stage in blood clots).

Fatty foods like cheese and steak make your blood thicker because they make your platelets stickier and more easily collect in blood clots.

In addition, some foods increase or decrease the level of fibrinogen, which plays an important role in the formation of blood clots, and also speed up or slow down the processes of clot dissolution. There are also foods that affect the viscosity and flow of blood by promoting or preventing blood clots, which can block blood vessels in the heart, brain, legs, and lungs.Undoubtedly, the regular use of some of them, even in very small quantities, can have a powerful pharmacological effect on the tendency of blood to thrombus and thereby save from cardiovascular catastrophe.

One of the most important tools in dealing with heart attacks and strokes – if not the most important – is eating foods that have a beneficial effect on clotting factors. Here’s what you need and don’t need to eat.

Onions – a formidable opponent of fats

To prevent your blood from clotting, eat onions, both raw and cooked.Dr. Victor Gurevich from Harvard advises all his patients with coronary artery disease to consume onions daily, because the substances in its composition slow down the accumulation of platelets and accelerate the process of dissolution of blood clots. Onions have a truly amazing ability to resist the clotting effects of fatty foods. N.N.Gapta, a professor of medicine from the K.G. Medical College in Lucknow (India) conducted such a study: at first he gave male subjects a very fatty lunch with butter and cream and determined that the body’s ability to dissolve blood clots in them sharply decreased …He then gave them a similar meal, this time adding 60 grams of onions – raw, boiled, or fried. Blood tests two and four hours later showed that the onions completely blocked the harmful effects of fatty foods. Less than half a cup of onions was enough for this.

What is in an onion that prevents blood clots? Possibly quercetin, a powerful antioxidant with a broad spectrum of action. It helps block the formation of blood clots and the processes that lead to clogged arteries. One Finnish study found that subjects who consumed the highest amounts of bioflavonoids, mainly quercetin, were the least likely to suffer fatal heart attacks.Most of the quercetin is found in red and yellow onions. There is less of it in white. By the way, soon a person will have a super-powerful variety of onions at his disposal. At the University of Wisconsin and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Research Center, scientists are developing a variety that contains large amounts of quercetin and other nutrients. A lot of quercetin is found in red wine, broccoli, and tea.

Conclusion: when eating fatty foods, do not forget about onions. A slice of onion in a hamburger, omelette, or pizza can counteract the clotting properties of these fatty foods.

Dr. Jain’s advice on how to thin the blood with garlic

One of the most powerful and well-known anticoagulants in garlic is called ajoen. Here’s how to get the most Ajoen from garlic, according to Professor Mahendra K. Jane.

• Do not chop the garlic, but crush it. This releases enzymes and allicin, which is converted to ajoen.
• Saute the garlic lightly. Heat treatment helps, too.
• Cook garlic with tomatoes or add to other acidic foods. Even a small amount of acid promotes the release of ajoen.
• Add some vodka to the crushed garlic to top it over, and let it sit for a few days without a lid. This also releases ajoen. Yes, the old Russian folk recipe for blood thinning does help, as the experiments of Dr. Jane have shown. In addition, he found that a lot of ajoen was released by mixing crushed garlic with feta cheese and olive oil (a well-known Greek remedy for heart disease).

Would you like some fish pate?

Fish is the best way to block blood clots because it contains many of the healthiest omega-3 fatty acids. Almost all scientists explain the benefits that fish brings to the heart, its remarkable properties to influence blood clotting. Since 80% of strokes are caused by blood clots, oily fish can help you prevent them because it acts as a mild anticoagulant to slow blood clots.According to a recent Dutch study, men who eat 20 grams or more of fish per day are half as likely to be hit as those who do not eat fish. Most likely, the fact is that fewer blood clots form in their blood.

When you eat fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, or any other with some fat, this fat starts attacking blood clots from different directions. It thins the blood by inhibiting platelet buildup and fibrinogen, and helps dissolve blood clots.Paul Nestel, head of the Center for Human Nutrition Research at the Alliance Science and Technology Research Organization in Australia, and colleagues found that eating about 150 grams of salmon or sardines a day reduced dangerous fibrinogen levels by an average of 16% and increased bleeding time by 11% in thirty one men. Interestingly, during the same study, fish oil capsules had no effect on clotting factors. One explanation, according to Dr. Nestel, is that fish contains substances other than fat that act on clotting factors.

Similar results were obtained by Harvard researchers. They suggested that eating 195 grams of canned tuna might “thin the blood” as effectively as aspirin. Antithrombotic effects were observed approximately four hours after eating tuna. In addition, tuna was also found to be more effective than fish oil capsules in this study.

The wonderful secret of blood thinning fish oil

Eating oily fish literally changes the shape of the platelets in the blood, and they cannot adhere to each other and form unwanted blood clots.This was discovered by scientists from the US Department of Agriculture. When you eat fatty fish, your platelets release much less thrombox-on, which tells them to clump together. So says a researcher from the Agricultural Department, Ph.D. Norbert Schöne.

Even more surprising, thromboxane is responsible for the production of sticky platelets. It causes them to turn into small balls and grow thorns with which they cling to other platelets.In this state, they are “activated” or “sticky”, ready and able to gather together into blood clots.

Thus, the fish, by suppressing the action of thromboxane, maintains a healthy disc-shaped form of platelets, and they cannot collect and form blood clots that clog your arteries.

Bottom Line: A beneficial anti-thrombotic effect can be achieved by eating about 105 grams of oily fish (mackerel, herring, salmon and sardines) or about 180 grams of canned tuna.

Wonderful anticoagulant in red wine

A couple of sips of red wine often thin the blood and slow down the formation of blood clots.It’s not just about alcohol, but also about other complex ingredients in red wine. French scientists Martin Senor and Jacques Bonnet, M.D., of the Cardiological Hospital in Pesac, conducted a classic study testing the effect of three alcoholic beverages on blood clots in fifteen healthy men. Every day for two weeks, they drank half a liter of either red burgundy or white burgundy, or synthetic wine made from water, alcohol and flavorings. Here are the results: Synthetic wine increased platelet accumulation and lowered the level of “bad” LDL cholesterol.White wine slightly increased the level of harmful LDL and significantly increased the level of good HDL cholesterol, but did not affect platelets. Red wine won a clear victory! It both reduced platelet count and raised HDL cholesterol. Thus, according to the researchers, red wine has unique anticoagulant properties that help protect the heart.

These results are supported by French animal studies, which have shown that thrombus hazards (stickiness or platelet accumulation) are suppressed by red and white wine and plain alcohol.However, fourteen hours later, researchers discovered a “ricochet effect” after white wine and alcohol. After red wine, the blood clotting ability was still 60% reduced, and those who drank white wine had a 46% increase in blood stickiness. For those who drank plain alcohol, the figure was 124%.

One possible exception is one type of white wine – champagne. It looks like it has anticoagulant and anti-thrombotic properties, according to Dr. Serge Renaud, a renowned French scientist.He explains that in the production of champagne, grape skins often remain in the wine longer than in the production of other white wines.

Across the Atlantic, Dr. John Folts of the University of Wisconsin and Madison School of Medicine found that drinking two and a half glasses of red wine reduced platelet stickiness, which means their ability to form life-threatening trams by 40% within forty-five minutes. Red grape juice also helps, he says, but it takes three times as much to achieve the same effect.

What explains the resistance of red wine and grape juice to the formation of blood clots? The French said they were not sure if this knowledge was needed, arguing that “the medicine is already available in an extremely digestible form.” Scientists at Cornell University have suggested that the main active ingredient in wine in this case is resveratrol, which is contained in the skin. Other researchers attribute the antithrombotic effects of nitric oxide and several other antioxidants called polyphenols or flavonoids.

Why does grape affect blood clots?

A bunch of grapes brings us joy. Whenever a fungal infection hits grapes, the berries defend themselves by releasing a natural pesticide, much like the human body produces antibodies to fight infections. This herbal pesticide is also an excellent medicine for humans. Japanese researchers say this substance is the main active ingredient in the ancient branch of Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine that dealt with blood diseases.The Japanese made this substance, resveratrol, a medicine, and tests have shown that it slows down the process of platelet accumulation and reduces fatty deposits in the liver of animals.

If you drink red grape juice or red wine, you are injecting some resveratrol into your body, says Leroy Creasy, Ph.D., professor at Cornell University College of Agriculture. Dr. Creasy found high concentrations of this substance in red wine, but not in white.Here’s how he explains it: in the production of red wine, the crushed grapes are fermented along with the skins. In the production of white wine, the grapes are pressed and the skins rich in resveratrol are thrown away. Dr. Creasy’s analysis of thirty varieties of wine showed that the most resveratrol is found in red French Bordeaux, and least of all in white Bordeaux.

Additionally, Dr. Creasy found this anticoagulant in red (but not white) grape juice. He also believes that it takes three times more than Bordeaux red wine to introduce the same amount of the substance into the body.Table grapes sold in supermarkets are likely to be low in resveratrol because they are grown carefully to keep out fungal infections and diseases. However, according to Dr. Creasy, 450 grams of homemade grapes can contain as much resveratrol as two cups of red wine.

Bottom Line: Regular intake of red wine in moderation with meals appears to promote anti-thrombotic activity and prevent heart disease.This means that women should drink a glass, and men should drink two a day. In contrast, drinking large amounts of alcohol and drinking irregularly from wine can contribute to blood clots and damage to blood vessels, and increase the risk of breast cancer. It is important to drink red wine with food so that it counteracts harmful factors in other foods.

Drink tea to keep your arteries healthy

As strange as it may seem, tea really prevents blood clots from arteries.In 1967, the British scientific journal Nature published unique images of the aorta of rabbits fed a diet high in fat and cholesterol, as well as drinking water or tea. The aortas of rabbits who drank tea were much less damaged by a fatty diet. Tea, researchers at Lawrence-Livermore Laboratories in California concluded, almost completely protected the arteries. Their experiments were inspired by the observation that arteries in Chinese Americans who regularly drink tea are in better condition than those of European Americans who drink coffee.The coronary arteries are better preserved by a third, and the cerebral arteries by two-thirds. Scientists were ahead of their time, suggesting that tea contains some mysterious substances that prevent arteries from clogging.

Research presented at the first international scientific conference on the physiological and pharmacological effects of tea, held in New York in 1991, shows that tea protects arteries by affecting blood clotting factors. Substances in its composition reduce blood clotting, prevent the activation and accumulation of platelets, stimulate the process of dissolution of blood clots and reduce the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of arteries.All this protects the arteries. In animal studies, the equivalent of three cups of tea in humans caused a decrease in platelet clumping and prevented blood clots.

One of the earliest researchers to investigate the association of tea with atherosclerosis, Lu Fu-king, M.D., professor and head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Zijang Medical University in China, studied the effects of tea constituents on people who had heart attacks. Dr. Lu reported at the conference that the pigment from regular black tea or Asian green reduced platelet accumulation in patients (as well as thromboxane production) and stimulated the process of clot dissolution.Surprisingly, he says regular black tea, which Americans drink, and Asian green tea are equally effective. Scientists at Japan’s Itoen Central Research Institute also noted that one type of tannin, called catechin, found in green tea, inhibits platelet accumulation as well as aspirin. In addition, tea appears to slow down LDL cholesterol stimulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation in artery walls. This proliferation contributes to the development of arterial plaques.

Vegetables – enemies of blood clots

To get rid of the possibility of blood clots, eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and fiber. Those who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables are better at coping with blood clots, in one Swedish study of 260 middle-aged adults found. Those who eat fewer fruits and vegetables turned out to dissolve blood clots more slowly. Other studies show that vitamin C and fiber, found in vegetables and fruits, stimulate blood clots to dissolve and help slow platelet buildup.

In addition, the lowest level of fibrinogen, which causes blood clots, is observed in vegetarians, especially strict ones, who do not consume any animal products, including eggs and milk. This is probably because fruits and vegetables contain substances that lower fibrinogen levels, while animal fats and cholesterol increase it. In addition, vegetarians have less viscous blood than meat eaters. Lower viscosity is associated with lower blood pressure. So here’s another way fruits and vegetables can help prevent heart disease.

Action of hot red pepper

Hot red chili is an excellent remedy for blood clots. Evidence for this comes from Thailand, where people eat chilli peppers as a seasoning and appetite-stimulating snack and infuse their blood with substances from it several times a day. Thai scientists have suggested that this is the main reason why thromboembolisms (life-threatening blood clots) are so rare among Thais.

To confirm this theory, hematologist Sukon Visudhifan, M.D., and colleagues at Sirirah Hospital in Bangkok conducted an experiment.They seasoned homemade rice pasta with hot pepper at the rate of 2 teaspoons of freshly ground chilli peppers per 200 grams of pasta (about a cup and a third). They then gave pasta and pepper to sixteen healthy medical students. Subjects in the control group ate simple pasta. Almost immediately, the process of dissolution of blood clots in the blood of the first group intensified, and after thirty minutes it returned to normal. In the blood of the second group, who ate simple pasta, nothing happened.

Thus, the effect of hot pepper was short-lived.However, Dr. Visudhifan believes that frequent stimulation of the body in this way clears blood from blood clots, and therefore Thais in general are less likely to suffer from clogged arteries.

Other useful spices

Other spices can also help protect you from harmful blood clots. Krishna Srivastava of the University of Oden in Denmark researched eleven types of spices and found that seven of them inhibit platelet accumulation. The most powerful were cloves, ginger, cumin and tumeric.”Cloves are more effective than aspirin in this regard,” says Dr. Srivastava. The main active ingredient in cloves is apparently eugenol, which also helps platelets retain their previous shape even after they have “accumulated”. Dr. Srivastava states that the spices act on the prostaglandin system, in much the same way as aspirin, garlic and onions.

All of these spices reduced the production of thrombo-xane, a powerful stimulant for platelet clumping. The substances in ginger, according to Dr. Srivastava, are more effective in inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis than the powerful drug indomethacin.

Ginger is a really well-known anticoagulant. This was also discovered by Charles Dorso, M.D. of Cornell University College of Medicine. He ate large quantities of Crabtree & Evelyn ginger with 15% ginger grapefruit marmalade. When the changes in blood clotting occurred, he performed an analysis by mixing his platelets with some ground ginger. The platelets have become less sticky. Dr. Dorso believes that the active substance in this case is gingerol, which is part of ginger and is chemically similar to aspirin.

Warning: If you have a stomach ache after a meal with spices, do not use them. If you are taking anticoagulants, check with your doctor before adding large amounts of blood thinning ginger to your diet.

Chinese black mushrooms – fail-safe

To prevent blood clots, fill your bloodstream with an Asian black mushroom medicine called mo-er, or tree ear (auricular fungi). These mushrooms are well known in Chinese medicine for their beneficial effects on the blood.Some consider them “an invigorating elixir of longevity.” And that makes good sense, according to Dale Hammerschmidt, M.D., a hematologist at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. He once ate a large amount of “mapo doufu” – an Asian dish with spices, beans and cottage cheese, and then noticed a dramatic change in the behavior of his platelets. They have become much less prone to congestion. The scientist concluded that black mushrooms had this effect on them.

It turns out that black mushrooms (but not any, namely Chinese) contain a number of blood-thinning components, including adenosine, which is also present in garlic and onions.Dr. Hammerschmidt suggests that the combination of so many blood-thinning foods in the Chinese diet – garlic, onions, black mushrooms, and ginger – may explain why coronary artery disease is so rare.

Olive oil is the enemy of blood clots

In addition to all the other benefits, olive oil even reduces the stickiness of blood platelets, which may explain its benefits for the arteries. For example, British researchers from the Royal Free Hospital and London Medical School asked volunteers to take three quarters of a tablespoon of olive oil twice a day for eight weeks as a supplement to their regular meals.The ability of their platelets to accumulate dramatically decreased. Scientists have found that platelet membranes contain more oleic acid (the main fatty acid in olive oil) and less arachidonic fatty acid, which contributes to stickiness.

After taking olive oil, platelets also produced less thromboxane A2, a substance that provokes platelet clumping. So the researchers concluded that olive oil is good for platelet health, adding that this is another explanation for why Mediterranean people who consume a lot of olive oil suffer less from heart disease.

A large amount of fat is the cause of blood clots

Do not overuse fat if you want to avoid blood clots in your blood. Undoubtedly, eating fatty foods not only raises cholesterol levels, but also harms the blood in many other ways. Too much fat can also increase blood clotting and the tendency to form blood clots. For example, a new study by scientists from the center of the University of South Jutland in Denmark showed that a large amount of saturated animal fats and polyunsaturated vegetable fats such as omega-6 (such as corn oil) increases the blood clotting fibrinogen.In their study, healthy adults, who usually ate fatty foods, switched to different diets that were lower in fat (32% of calories) for two weeks. All of these diets reduced the tendency for blood clots by 10-15%. Many studies also confirm that fats, especially animal fats, slow down the dissolution of blood clots.

One experiment recently showed that fat from fatty meat stays in the bloodstream and causes harm for up to four hours.

Breakfast that eliminates blood clots

For a long time, scientists wondered why most heart attacks occur in the first few hours after the victim wakes up.One reason could be that people skip breakfast, suggests cardiologist Renata Sifkova of Newfoundland Memorial University in St. John’s. She found that skipping breakfast increased the likelihood of blood clots nearly threefold, making a person more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes. Dr. Sifkova explains that the stickiness of blood clots is lowest at night, and after you wake up, it rises sharply. But for some mysterious reason, eating food again makes platelets less sticky.

To test these assumptions, they measured a platelet activity index called beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) in the blood of twenty-nine healthy men and women on the days when they ate breakfast and did not eat breakfast. Beta-TG is an indicator of the ability of platelets to form blood clots. Dr. Sifkova found that the beta-TG content on skip breakfast days was two and a half times higher on average. It seems like one way to keep platelets from getting too sticky and make you a member of the risk group for morning heart attacks is to have breakfast.

Nutritional advice for fighting blood clots

A blood clot-fighting diet is probably the most important dietary measure you can take to prevent heart disease and strokes, even more important than controlling cholesterol levels. Here’s what will help you best:

• eat fatty fish, garlic, onions and ginger, and drink red wine (in moderation). All this thins the blood and prevents blood clots from forming;
• limit the intake of fats, especially saturated animals and vegetable polyunsaturated types of omega-6;
• try to consume foods that prevent blood clots at the same time as food that promotes blood clots.Such successful combinations include eggs with onions or smoked salmon, red wine with cheese, the Mexican dish “chili con carne” (meat in a hot sauce with paprika and beans).
• Attention: don’t overdo it. If you are on anticoagulants, are bleeding, or your family member has had a cerebral hemorrhage, you should eat blood thinning foods in moderation. If you are concerned, ask your doctor to check if your blood is clotting normally.

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Prevention of blood clots

Where do blood clots come from?

Platelets play an important role in the body’s protective function. They quickly close the damaged tissue, preventing blood loss. However, the accumulation of these blood cells in the vessels is very dangerous.

Thrombus is a pathological clot that has appeared in the cardiovascular system. It consists of platelets with few red blood cells or white blood cells.

In Russia, this pathology ranks third in terms of the number of deaths. With intestinal thrombosis, the mortality rate reaches 70%.

The torn off lump is carried by the blood stream through the network of vessels until it gets stuck at the site of constriction and clogs one of them. This phenomenon is called embolism. She requires immediate hospitalization and surgery.

Cause of blood clots:

• inflammation in the arteries and veins;
• cholesterol plaques;
• congestion and high blood viscosity;

90,067 smoking;

• high blood pressure.

It is not uncommon for clots in the veins to appear during pregnancy, as the pregnant woman’s blood counts change. Consult a gynecologist, the doctor will prescribe a diet and special medications.

Symptoms of a blood clot

Signs of thrombosis differ according to the place of its occurrence. As a general symptomatology, it is worth mentioning pain, redness, numbness of the affected area, a feeling of heat.

A thrombus in the vessels leads to gangrene of the extremities, cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities.

In case of thrombosis, it is recommended to take anticoagulants, but pregnant women should not drink them. The most famous and readily available thinning medicine is aspirin.

Anti-thrombotic nutrition

A balanced diet is an excellent prevention of clot formation.

If your blood is too viscous, you should refuse fatty, fried foods, meat, cheese, sweets.

Eat blood thinning foods:

• onions, garlic;
• any fish and fish oil;
• grapes, wine;
• black tea;
• chili;
• beets;
• olive oil.

Doctors have found that the blood of vegetarians is thinner than that of “meat-eaters”. Try to ditch meat-based delicacies in favor of fruits and vegetables.

Spices give a good effect: ginger, cloves, turmeric (turmeric) and cumin. Add spices to food, make tea with ginger root.

It has been proven that hummus, a paste made from chickpeas, is an excellent anti-clotting agent. It contains peas, olive oil, garlic, lemon and healthy spices. Also, the disease is not terrible for those who prefer spicy food.

In order for garlic to give all the nutrients, it must be lightly fried and served with sour food: lemon juice, tomatoes.

If you really feel like eating a piece of fatty steak, prepare a suitable anti-clot snack with it, or wash it down with red wine.

How to keep vessels clean

In addition to nutrition, you should adhere to the doctor’s recommendations:

• Spend more time outdoors, go to the beach in summer.Vitamin D, produced by exposure to sunlight, fights blockages.
• Be sure to have breakfast. Scientists have shown that a heavy breakfast reduces blood viscosity.
• Move for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Do not stand for more than an hour, try to sit or lie down more.
• For a blood clot in your leg, wear the compression garment prescribed by your doctor.
• Refer to traditional medicine. To dissolve the curd, brew a tea from the bark of mountain ash, mint and birch buds.Brew 1 tsp in boiling water. collection and leave for a quarter of an hour. Add honey to the broth and drink before meals.

Prevention of thrombosis. How to minimize risks? in Novosibirsk

Author

Viktor Gennadievich Sturov , hemostasiologist, hematologist, doctor of the highest category, doctor of medical sciences

According to statistics, vascular thrombosis affects 70% of people around the world. Every year, one in 250 people living on Earth dies from this disease – despite the huge amount of drugs created to combat this terrible disease.

What is thrombosis

Many biological systems are responsible for the vital activity of our body. One of them is hemostasis. The task of hemostasis is to keep the blood in a liquid state, to stop bleeding if the vessel walls have been damaged, to dissolve blood clots – blood clots that, like a patch, close the damaged area of ​​the vessel.

On the one hand, thrombosis protects us from blood loss. On the other hand, it can provoke serious diseases associated with impaired blood flow: stroke, myocardial infarction, ischemia of the abdominal and retroperitoneal organs, gangrene of the extremities.

Until the middle of the 19th century, thrombosis remained a mystery to doctors. It was discovered by Rudolf Virchow, a German pathologist. He studied the mechanisms of thrombosis and identified three main causes:

• Deterioration of the vascular walls (these can be the consequences of trauma and surgical interventions)
• Slow blood flow (blood clots accumulate where the blood flow rate changes)
• Change in blood viscosity (“thick blood)

What is thrombosis

There are venous and arterial thrombosis.Venous is considered an acute disease, appears due to a violation of the structure of the venous wall during trauma, surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, due to increased blood clotting, due to a slowdown in blood flow velocity.

Arterial thrombosis is a pathological condition. Patients have atherosclerotic plaques – cholesterol deposits that narrow the lumen of the artery and provoke a circulatory deficiency. Over time, the plaques become overgrown with a blood clot.

There is also pulmonary embolism (PE) – a deadly disease when the lumen of the pulmonary artery is completely or partially blocked by a thrombus.According to statistics, almost 50% of patients with massive PE die within 30 minutes after its onset.

17 risk factors

Risk factors do not directly cause thrombosis, but may increase its likelihood.

1. More than 40 years old . The older the person, the higher the risk of thrombosis. To prevent thrombosis, you need to take daily drugs that contain acetylsalicylic acid or other antithrombotic drugs (for example, a small dose of rivaroxaban) and thin the blood.Before taking medications, you should consult a hematologist or hemostasiologist.

2. Obesity – body mass index is more than 30. When fatty and fried foods are abused, cholesterol rises in the blood and accumulates in the walls of blood vessels. Atherosclerotic plaques form, the risk of thrombus formation doubles.

3. Hospitalization in a hospital . The risk of thrombosis is increased in patients who are in a supine position for a long time, little movement.

4. Injuries and fractures of the lower extremities .

5. Pregnancy and the puerperium . You need to consult with your doctor about the prevention of thrombosis.

6. Bed rest (more than 3 days). As with hospitalization, it increases the risk of thrombosis.

7. Long travel . During air travel, travel by train, car and other types of transport, a person is in a sitting position for a long time, movements are limited.Because of this, the blood flow rate decreases, the risk of thrombosis is higher. For prevention, you need to drink more liquids: tea or mineral water. But coffee will have to be abandoned: it promotes vasoconstriction and increases the risk of thrombosis.

8. Taking oral contraceptives, hormonal therapy .

9. Varicose veins of the lower extremities . Due to varicose veins in the vessels of the legs, blood flow deteriorates, blood clots form and clog the vessels. To reduce the risk of thrombosis, you need to wear compression underwear and take medications that contain acetylsalicylic acid.

10. Cancer . In cancer patients, blood clotting increases. As a result, the hemostatic system is disrupted. Chemotherapy also increases the risk of thrombosis.

11. Chronic heart failure . The disease affects the blood coagulation systems. Swelling of the extremities appears, and this makes it difficult for blood to flow through the veins.

12. Severe lung diseases . Complications of chronic bronchitis, severe bronchial asthma, acute respiratory failure – all this affects the hemostatic system: blood clotting increases, blood destruction activity decreases.

13. Postponed ischemic stroke . If a person has suffered a stroke, especially with impaired motor activity, then the risk of developing thrombosis is high.

14. Acute and chronic infections, sepsis .

15. History of venous thrombosis as a consequence of genetically predetermined hemostasis disorders. A study for a genetic predisposition to thrombophilia is indicated for patients whose blood relatives had thrombosis of various localization before the age of 45.Such an analysis can be done at the Center for New Medical Technologies.

16. Smoking . There is a direct connection between smoking and thrombosis: nicotine constricts blood vessels and provokes thrombosis.

17. Emotional aggression and anxiety . Constant resentment, anger, emotional stress, negative attitude towards others lead to the release of a large amount of adrenaline into the vessels, the vessels narrow.

Dutch scientists have discovered an interesting fact: thrombosis is more common in people taller than 190 cm and below 160 cm

Symptoms of thrombosis

There are two main forms of venous thrombosis: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and superficial vein thrombosis (thrombophlebitis).The first form is the most dangerous and may be asymptomatic at the onset of the disease.

Symptoms of superficial vein thrombosis of the lower extremities

• heaviness in the legs
• pain along the thrombosed veins, limitation of movement
• swelling of the adjacent part of the limb
• redness of the skin along the thickened vein
• increased skin sensitivity
• deterioration in general health: weakness, malaise, chills, fever

Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis

• Feeling of fullness and heaviness in the limb
• pain on the inner side of the foot, lower leg, thigh
• edema all over the limb or part of it
• the skin of the affected leg becomes pale and cyanotic in places
• the temperature of the affected limb is 1.5-2 ° C higher than that of a healthy one
• bursting pain in the limb

If you experience any symptoms of thrombosis, consult your doctor immediately for advice.Prevention of thrombosis Prevention of thrombosis is a number of measures aimed at improving the rheological properties of blood (blood and plasma viscosity), preventing heart and vascular diseases, strengthening blood vessels, normalizing blood flow, etc.

To avoid blood clots, you need :

1. Adhere to a special diet that prevents blood clots.
2. Give up bad habits and spend more time outdoors: fight physical inactivity, give yourself adequate physical activity.
3. Strengthen the immune system, thereby preventing the development of infectious processes.
4. Wear compression knee-highs, special knitted stockings.
5. Correctly organize the daily routine, carefully plan long trips by plane or car, when you have to spend many hours in a sitting position.
6. Do not wear outerwear, underwear and accessories that cause discomfort and squeeze certain parts of the body (for example, tight jeans, belts, corsets, uncomfortable shoes).
7. Avoid general hypothermia. Do not walk in too hot weather, try not to take hot bathrooms.
8. Consult a doctor for prescribing drugs to prevent thrombosis. Attention: drugs cannot be taken without coordinating the dosage with a specialist.

Antithrombotic nutrition

To prevent thrombosis, the diet should be formulated in such a way as to normalize the balance of lipids and carbohydrates, adjust the amount of salt and introduce bioflavonoids into the daily diet, which improve metabolism, strengthen and restore the walls of blood vessels.

Recommended products: lean meat, fatty sea fish, vegetable oil, fresh milk of reduced fat content, fermented milk products, cereals (except wheat and pearl barley), durum pasta, whole grain bran bread, vegetables (except potatoes and sugar beets), legumes, fruits (except for bananas and grapes), nuts, freshly squeezed juices, dark chocolate.

Products that need to be reduced to a minimum: fatty meat and offal, hard and soft fatty cheeses, fatty dairy products, butter and combined fats, smoked meats, sausages, dried and salted fish, chips, fast food, alcohol, lemonade, sweets, milk chocolate, baked goods, potatoes, fatty sauces.

The daily amount of salt should not exceed 6 grams. 1/3 of animal protein should account for at least 2/3 of vegetable protein and fiber. To prevent thrombosis, you need to add vitamins: C, E, A (retinol), B3 (rutin), bioflavonoids (quercetin, hesperidin).

Be sure to observe the drinking regime: the daily rate for an adult is from 1.5 to 2.5 liters of water per day (soups, tea and coffee are not included here). These simple tips are relevant not only for patients with thrombosis, but also for people with risk factors for this disease.Always be hematologically healthy, and if you reveal symptoms of thrombosis, do not self-medicate – contact an experienced specialist, hematologist-hemostasiologist!

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