Clear Blood Clots Naturally

Lucky for us, nature has gifted us with more than a dozen clotting factors so that we don’t bleed ourselves to death. Certain conditions that predispose to a hypercoagulable blood cannot be changed, e.g. pregnancy, cancer, medicines like oral contraceptive pills, smoking, and genetic constitution, etc. However, the conditions that can be reversed or reduced considerably can be treated naturally by the methods below, all starting with Step 1.

Steps

Changing Your Lifestyle

1. Stay active. Any activity which involves the action of skeletal muscles is very good to prevent blood clots. The energy spent on doing such activities for thirty minutes five to seven times a week equates to six hundred to twelve hundred calories spent per week.
   • Exercises need not be always boring. There are a wide range of activities which are entertaining as well as assist in taking care of the clots. These include walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics, playing a sport, or even cycling. As per the American Heart Association, engaging in these activities for about thirty minutes on most days, preferably on all days a week will give optimum results.
2. Do specific exercises after long periods of immobility. Specific exercises to prevent clots in veins during long travel or after a major surgery are a great idea to keep blood flowing.
   • Start with ankle rotations, in clockwise and anti clockwise directions followed by flexion and extension at the ankle joint. Then you can do flexion and extension at the knee joints followed by doing flexion and extension at the hip joints.
   • Wearing compression stockings too facilitates venous circulation.
3. Do yoga. The yogic poses which stretch the calves, hip and hamstrings assist in healthy circulation of blood from the lower extremities to the heart. These poses can be done anywhere, anytime. A few minutes of healthy indulgence in these practices can avoid fatal medical emergencies coming your way.
   • "Uttanasana" or "standing forward fold" involves bending forward from the hips and not the waist, with the head touching your knees and the front of your torso stretching. This gives a very good stretch to your hip, hamstring and calf muscles. However, if you have recently suffered from a back injury, this stretch should be avoided.
   • Another pose which is of immense benefit, especially for clots in deep vein thrombosis, is "Sarvangasana" or the "shoulder stand." Over here you need to support your shoulders on a stack of one foot blankets or towels with your head on the floor. Then push your feet towards the floor; as you exhale, extend your legs towards the ceiling such that your knees are facing towards your face. This is an excellent exercise for venous circulation which indirectly helps clear blood clots.
4. Take a supplement. People who do not get enough dietary intake of Omega-3-fatty acids should consider taking a supplement. They are available in form of fish oils, flaxseed oils and primrose oils. Taking about 500 mg of any of these per day is sufficient.
   • However if you have already suffered from an event due to blood clot (like heart attack), taking a double dose (i.e. 500 mg twice a day) will be more beneficial.
5. Make sure you get adequate vitamins, too. Another cause which is a potential risk factor for formation of clots is a high homocysteine level. Homocysteine is an amino acid in blood. A high level can make a person prone towards endothelial injury which facilitates clot formation. Deficiency of vitamins like Vitamin B6, B12 and Folic acid can lead to a hyperhomocysteinemia. Hence, taking a combination of this vitamin can help to keep the levels of homocysteine in check.
   • A combination of 400mcg of folic acid, 1.3mg of vitamin B6 and 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 is adequate to prevent blocks.
   • Ginkgo Bilbao is a Chinese herb which has an aspirin-like effect. Taking a dose of 40mg per day helps to keep the blood thin and prevents clots. However, it might interfere if you are on other blood thinning medicines and you must inform your doctor if you are taking this supplement.
6. Keep the body hydrated. It always helps to take in lots of fluids. A dehydrated body is like an unlubricated  body where the blood cells will be forced to stick to each other to form clots. The fluids in the body create a smooth flow of blood by washing away any clots or plaques which get in the way.
   • If you're on blood thinners, know that alcohol too can interfere and hence, one must avoid binge drinking at all costs. The best idea would be to limit the drink to one serving of red wine daily.

Changing Your Diet

1. Pile on the omega-3s. Foods which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids have blood thinning properties as well as help in reducing the risk of forming blood clots. Having any one rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids per day is optimum to prevent blood clots.
   • The foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids include fish like mackerel, salmon, lake trout and herring whereas plant sources like flaxseeds, soybean oils, canola oils and walnuts are the richest in these acids.
   • This could be achieved by eating a serving of fatty fish like salmon, having a handful of walnuts or flaxseed mixed to your favourite morning cereal or tossing your salads in a spoonful of canola or soybean oil.
2. Guiltlessly go for dark chocolate. This news will instantly bring a smile on a chocoholic’s face. Researchers at the John Hopkins institute have found that having about two tablespoons of dark chocolate helps in preventing clots.
   • Dark chocolate contain a metabolite called flavonoids. Flavonoids help to keep the blood thin, working in a manner similar to aspirin. They are natural phytochemicals found in plants. However, a word of caution here is to consume these dark chocolates keeping its accompanying ingredients like butter and sugar to a minimum quantity.
   • Vitamin E also has plenty of flavonoids. Avocados, spinach, almonds, peanuts are good sources of vitamin E.
3. Use garlic and turmeric. These spices is endowed with anti-inflammation properties by nature. Turmeric contains curcumin which has the potency to lower the inflammation and also keep it under control. Inflammation is one of the major causes of arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
   • Curcumin is a blessing to the heart as it can reduce the fat deposits in the arteries by about 26%.
   • Regular eating of garlic helps clean out the arteries. It keeps blood pressure under control and prevents the formation of blood clots.
4. Go for pomegranate and grapefruit. Pomegranates contain phytochemicals that play the role of antioxidants in shielding the arteries from getting damaged. This antioxidant rich fruit stimulates the body to produce nitric oxide in abundance which in turn enables the uninterrupted flow of blood and keeping the arteries unclogged.
   • Grapefruit contains pectin which is a soluble fiber. This fiber cuts down the cholesterol. This also minimizes the chances of atherosclerosis.
5. Eat more cranberries, grapes, and cherries. Here's why:
   • Eating potassium rich cranberries can lower the LDL and increase HDL. The overall risk of heart related diseases comes down by almost 40%.
   • Red grapes are excellent source of lutein. Lutein is a carotenoid that reduces the chances of arteriosclerosis. This also prevents/reduces the chances of thickening of the carotid artery in the neck region.
   • Cherries have 17 elements that can clear up the plaque clogging the arteries. They also have fiber that is beneficial in lowering cholesterol.
6. Load up on vitamin K. Patients who are on blood thinning medicines like Warfarin should have a consistent consumption of food that is rich in Vitamin K as these foods interact with Warfarin. Having a large portion of Vitamin K-rich food one day and not having any Vitamin K enriched food the other can cause a large variation in the blood prothrombin time.
   • Prothrombin time is an indicator of the time that the blood will take to clot. The test to monitor this time is called PT INR. For patients on Warfarin therapy the target is to keep this level in a range of 2-3 units.
   • Foods rich in Vitamin K include green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, broccoli, romaine lettuce, brussel sprouts and canola and soybean oils. (Avoid these leafy greens if you are Factor 5 Leiden!)
7. Drink up the green and Hawthorn teas. These provide thorough protection in the form of antioxidants present in both in abundance. Polyphenols (flavonoids in green tea) are very potent antioxidants that contain the right tool to prevent formation of blood clots in the arteries in the form of procyanidins. Hawthorn tea also can reduce blood pressure and assist in the restoration and retention of the blood vessel elasticity.
   • These procyanidins also contribute to the development of healthy heart and blood vessels protecting tissues called endothelium.
8. Eat more tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Both of these have exceptionally high levels of carotenoid lycopene, an antioxidant that is equipped to cut the risk of atherosclerosis by almost 50%. This prevents the formation of artery clogging plaque.
   • As for sweet potatoes, they are great at maintaining blood pressure at the optimal levels. They are exceptionally high in cholesterol lowering components such as fiber, beta carotene, folate, vitamin C and potassium.
9. Munch on apples and watermelon. Apples contains the soluble fiber pectin which assists in the process of keeping the arteries unclogged. They are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium that are capable of preventing and even reversing the hardening of the arteries.
   • Watermelon is a very heart-friendly food. Consumption of watermelon produces nitric oxide which can unclog as well as improve the functioning of the blood vessels. It is also successful in lowering blood pressure levels.
10. Eat more garbanzo beans and natto. Garbanzo beans contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. They are effective in removing cholesterol containing bile from the body and also in averting heart related diseases.
    • Natto is one of the traditional foods of the Japanese. It is prepared with soybeans that have been fermented using the benign bacteria ‘Bacillus subtilis’. It is enriched with nattokinase, an enzyme that works amazingly on blood clots. It not only dissolves them but also inhibits the formation of new ones.
11. Load up on pineapple and kiwis. Present in pineapples is an enzyme called ‘bromelain’ that is a clot-buster and also possesses the properties to dissolve/disintegrate the fibrin that is responsible for the aggregation of platelets. Bromelain dissolves the fibrin in blood clots by stimulating the production of plasmin. It assists in keeping away the platelets from sticking to the endothelium (blood vessels wall).
    • Kiwis possess the properties to reduce blood clotting, too. They are enriched with nutrients and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium, copper, magnesium and fiber. They can also can unclog the arteries by breaking down the fat build-up in the blood. And they have anti-inflammation properties too!
12. Look for food that has plenty of salicylates. Salicylates are compounds that inhibit the formation of blood clots. They are found in abundance in many herbs and spices such as thyme, turmeric, ginger, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne.
    • They are also found in fruits such as cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, prunes, raisins and grapes.
    • In addition, they are found in beverages such as green tea, wine, honey, vinegar and pineapple juice.

Tips

• Wear comfortable and loose fitting clothes. Wearing body hugging clothes can restrict the flow of blood resulting in clots.

Sources and Citations

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