Blood clotting helps stop the flow of blood to our body and prevent excessive bleeding. I think it’s unnecessary to say the benefit it brings to a seriously injured person. However, it also has a disadvantage profile. Blood clotting can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease or thrombus stroke.

Blood clots that coagulate deep in the veins of our legs are called deep vein thrombosis or DVT, and they can be fatal. The clot not only blocks blood flow to the affected area but sometimes ruptures and flows to the heart or lungs, which may cause death.

Certain diseases increase DVT risk, including cancer, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and inherited coagulopathy. But even without these conditions, anyone is at risk. This is why it is so important to understand the role of diet in DVT formation. In fact, there are many things you can do to make a difference.

Blood needs to be thinned to flow through every major part of the body. It will be a great help in preventing injuries caused by heart attacks or strokes. Nowadays, it is seen that many patients are trying different drugs to thin the blood. But there really is no substitute for the body as much as the blood-thinning naturally.

If you are concerned about preventing blood clots naturally, here are the best foods you can eat. People who have the above diseases can eat it daily and get good results.

How to prevent blood clots naturally

1. Drink plenty of water

Girl drinking water

An important factor that causes blood clots is dehydration. When there is not enough water in your blood, it will thicken. This increases the risk of blood clots. Although experts have recently expressed doubts about the standard recommendation of six to eight glasses of water a day, make sure you are satisfied with the water you drink.

Another way to check if you are getting enough water is to look at the color of your urine. It should be light yellow or nearly transparent. If the color is orange or brown, you are not getting enough water to reduce DVT risk.

2. Add more spices to your diet

Garlics in a bawl

One of the easiest and most delicious ways to reduce DVT risk is to eat a lot of garlic. From the time of the ancient Egyptians, people began to use garlic as a medicine. It has a unique blood-thinning function and a pungent flavor and smell.

In the case of blood clotting, it can limit platelet aggregation and effectively prevent thrombus. However, the effect of garlic on preventing heart disease or blood clotting when eating small amounts of garlic cannot be clearly seen. So make it a habit in your diet.

You may have heard that ginger helps with digestion, reduces inflammation, and helps prevent gastrointestinal problems or dyspepsia. What you may not know is that ginger helps reduce blood clotting. In addition, because ginger contains salicylic acid, it helps to reduce inflammation in the body and prevents stroke.

But this is not just garlic and ginger. Other herbs and spices high in salicylate can be used as natural spices to prevent blood clotting. Some of those are thyme, curry, turmeric, chili, chili powder, licorice, and mint.

3. Eat kiwis

Kiwi fruit and kiwi slices on a wooden plate

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is vital for many aspects of health, including preventing DVT. However, researchers from the University of Oslo in Norway recommend that from the viewpoint of preventing dangerous blood clots, the content of kiwifruit is higher than other fruits.

Their study found that people who eat 2-3 kiwis a day have a lower platelet activation rate than those who do not eat kiwis, which is the mechanism of blood clotting.

Lower platelet activation translates to lower blood clotting risk, and kiwi fruit has also been found to lower cholesterol levels. However, if you don’t like kiwis, don’t worry. Other fruits containing salicylate can inhibit blood clotting, including oranges, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, grapes, raisins, and plums.

4. Eat avocado

Two avocado pieces and two avocado juice glasses

Many people don’t like the taste of avocado. But do you know, it can prevent blood clots in two ways. First, it contains omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. It can help inhibit the formation of platelets and thrombosis. 

Second, it contains salicylic acid, such as ginger, which significantly reduces the probability of thrombosis. However, it’s best to consult with your doctor when you eat it to avoid adverse reactions caused by drugs with the hemodilution effect you are taking.

5. Use virgin olive oil

Two virgin olive oil bottles and a bunch of olives

Olive oil is much healthier than vegetable oils in terms of overall cardiovascular health, including the risk of forming blood clots. In addition, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that the phenols in pure olive oil could reduce the level of certain substances in the blood that promote clotting.

Cooking with olive oil is very easy, but you can also add garlic and other clotted herbs to make salads and bread. That will be a great way to prevent blood clots naturally.

6. Add more fish to your meal

Herring fish on a plate

It is common knowledge that fish oil is good for the brain. But do you know that it plays a crucial role in the fight against stroke?

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids help thin the blood and prevent blood clots and strokes. Studies have shown that adding 1.8 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids to the diet every day can significantly improve blood flow and reduce the thickness of arteries.

The most famous source of omega 3 is fish, especially salmon, herring, mackerel, trout, and anchovies. It can prevent substances that promote platelet formation from diluting the blood. For people who are already at risk of blood clots, adding fish oil to their diet can significantly help their health.

However, for those who do not care about fish taste, there are also a lot of plant resources. For example, flax seeds and sunflower seeds are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

7. Eat nuts and whole grains high in vitamin E

Vitamin E pills

Many people feel that vitamin E has a positive effect on antiaging and beauty, and It’s true. In fact, Vitamin E, like many vitamins, has a good impact on keeping the body healthy.

Nuts and whole grains are rich in vitamin E, which is a natural blood thinner. Studies have shown that taking more vitamin E can reduce your risk of forming your first blood clot and prevent people who have already experienced DVT from further developing blood clots.

Moreover, vitamin E can be found everywhere in the usual daily diet, including almonds, walnuts, sunflowers, oats, wheat, eggs, and nuts. You can reduce the risk of blood clots naturally by adding more of these nuts and grains.

Another popular method is to get Vitamin E directly via pills. Data confirms that these methods can help prevent the formation of blood clots and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

8. Drink red wine or grape juice

Cheers two red wine glass

This is good news for liquor friends. Alcohol is usually an effective blood thinner. It seems to work by reducing platelet aggregation and fibrinogen levels and increasing the process of dissolving blood clots.

The glass of wine you drink at night can actually help prevent blood clots from forming. Red wine is perfect because it contains a lot of flavonoids, which can prevent blood clots by controlling the production of platelets.

If you don’t drink, then red grape juice is also helpful.

How to prevent blood clots naturally - infographic

We have talked about many foods that you should add to the diet to reduce the risk of blood clots and dangerous DVT. They are delicious food and should not be too bad. Yes, nothing is completely easy in terms of health. You must also pay attention to reducing saturated fat and trans fat intake.

Saturated fat increases inflammation, making it difficult for your blood to flow freely. Therefore, reducing whole-fat dairy products and salty and sweet junk food snacks is crucial. Packaged food can also hide a lot of fat, so be sure to read the label in the store.

Author

Sam Perera, Founder of Stethostalk, is a food safety follower and organic food lover. He has completed the PLANT-BASED NUTRITION Cornell Certificate Program, Cornell University, US. Before this, he worked for a few years in IT services. A dedicated follower of nature, he believes in healing with natural foods. In his free time, he loves Gardening, Blogging, and traveling.