Health Viewpoints
Every day, millions of Americans take blood thinners to keep potentially dangerous clots from forming, help prevent heart attacks and stroke, and treat certain types of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and has been the leading cause of death in the United States for more than a century.
Thankfully, many plants, foods, and other natural compounds can help thin the blood naturally. Many of these are well-known and have been used in traditional medicines for centuries. So for those interested in maintaining their heart health or looking for a more natural approach, let’s look at some of nature’s most powerful blood thinners.
Garlic
Garlic has a long list of medicinal benefits and has been used for millennia by people the world over. It boasts antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, boosts the immune system, and decreases your risk of cancer in addition to its ability to protect against heart disease—especially atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, clotting, and strokes.Story continues below advertisement
Garlic contains a powerful antioxidant called allicin, which is responsible for its pungent aroma. Allicin is released when garlic is chewed, cut, or crushed. Some sources say that once allicin is released, it’s active for only about an hour, while others say that it remains active for 2 1/2 days before it loses its potency and all of its healing benefits.
Garlic has long been known to benefit the blood and protect against heart disease. LN team/Shutterstock
Reduces Clotting
A comparative study published in Food Science and Biotechnology looked into the antithrombotic (reduces the formation of blood clots) effects of garlic powder in rats and found that over seven days, the garlic powder had anticlotting effects.Another study, published in the Iranian Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, compared garlic pills with the common blood thinner Plavix on bleeding and the blood’s ability to clot. The researchers found that clotting was reduced in the subjects who used 1,200 milligrams or 2,400 milligrams of garlic for three weeks and that bleeding time also increased in those receiving the 2,400-milligram garlic pill. The study concluded that because of garlic’s demonstrated anticoagulant properties, its use was “highly recommended” as a supplementary treatment to reduce clotting.
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A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Nutrition evaluated the safety of using an aged garlic extract in addition to oral anticoagulation therapy. Researchers split 52 patients on warfarin therapy into two groups; one group received a placebo and the other group received the aged garlic extract. The treatment (garlic or placebo) was administered at a dose of 5 milliliters (about a teaspoon) twice a day for 12 weeks. The study demonstrated no increased bleeding in the placebo or the garlic group. Researchers concluded that garlic is relatively safe and poses no serious bleeding risk for patients on warfarin or other anticoagulation therapy when closely monitored by a health professional.
Reduces Blood Pressure
Garlic is also known to reduce blood pressure.A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 trials involving 553 adults with uncontrolled hypertension showed garlic to be effective in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure with effects similar to standard blood pressure medication. This decrease in blood pressure was associated with a 16 percent to 40 percent risk reduction of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.
If you want to supercharge garlic’s medicinal benefits, try black garlic. Black garlic is regular garlic that has undergone a process of fermentation, exponentially increasing its health benefits. You can read “Black Garlic: The Antioxidant Powerhouse“ for more information about black garlic.
Black garlic is regular garlic that has gone through a process of fermentation that increases its health benefits. mnimage/Shutterstock
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Ginkgo Biloba
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have used leaves from the ginkgo biloba tree medicinally for thousands of years. Ginkgo is also a popular herbal supplement in the United States, Canada, and Europe. People take it for blood disorders, issues with circulation, and memory problems.In a study published in Bioorganic Chemistry in 2019, multiple compounds from ginkgo biloba demonstrated anticoagulant capabilities by blocking thrombin—an enzyme that causes blood clotting.
Ginkgo Biloba has been used medicinally by healing traditions for thousands of years. Antares_NS/Shutterstock
An article published in Experimental & Clinical Cardiology states that the resolution of blood clots after healing is essential, as clots can form at the site of a vascular lesion. This breakdown of clots is accomplished by fibrinolytic drugs, a group of medications such as streptokinase and urokinase that break up blood clots.
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The study aimed to compare the ability of ginkgo biloba extract (from the leaves) to that of the fibrinolytic drug streptokinase to break up blood clots. The results indicated that ginkgo extract had similar effects to streptokinase and could be used as a complement to or substitute for the fibrinolytic drug. The researchers added that the potential side effects of ginkgo should be evaluated in animals, and possible side effects and toxicity should be further studied in humans.
Natto
Natto is a traditional Japanese breakfast food made from fermented soybeans and has been part of the Japanese diet for hundreds of years. Natto contains a unique enzyme called nattokinase that has powerful anticoagulant properties, making it excellent for lowering blood pressure, improving circulation, and reducing the risks of heart disease and strokes.Studies using nattokinase have shown its blood clot-dissolving prowess.
A study published in Scientific Reports demonstrated that a single dose of oral nattokinase enhanced fibrinolysis (the breakdown of the fibrin in blood clots) and anticoagulation (the prevention of blood clot formation) simultaneously via several different pathways.
successo images/Shutterstock
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A review published in Biomarker Insights, “Nattokinase: A Promising Alternative in Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases,” stated that the consumption of natto has been linked to a reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality and that recent research has demonstrated that nattokinase has “potent fibrinolytic activity, antihypertensive, anti-atherosclerotic, and lipid-lowering, antiplatelet, and neuroprotective effects.”
The review concluded by stating, “In the near future, it is possible that patients with CVD [cardiovascular disease] may need only a single NK [nattokinase] pill to replace multiple drugs administered for the prevention and management of CVD, including tPA [tissue-type plasminogen activator], antihypertensives, statins, aspirin, and warfarin.”
To learn more about natto and its health benefits, you can read The Epoch Times article, “Could an Enzyme in a Traditional Japanese Dish Hold the Key to Treating COVID-19?“
Cayenne Peppers
Cayenne peppers contain salicylates, a group of naturally occurring compounds with anti-inflammatory properties found in some fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Salicylates are used in various products such as aspirin, pain and fever reducers, and anti-inflammatory medications. Salicylates also exhibit antithrombotic and antiplatelet activity, helping to thin the blood.Cayenne peppers also contain capsaicin, the compound found in peppers (including jalapeño, poblano, serrano, and chili peppers) that gives them their spicy flavor. Capsaicin has various health benefits ranging from potential cancer-management effects to helping to treat diabetes, to relieving pain and supporting weight loss.
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A 2019 study investigated whether cayenne pepper had antithrombotic properties after observing that patients with severe trauma who had Type O blood had a higher death rate (28 percent) compared to those with other blood types (11 percent). Researchers used cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum) extract to determine if it would have antithrombotic properties and could offer an alternative to costly anticoagulant drugs.
The results showed that the higher the concentration of cayenne pepper extract, the more effective it is as an anticoagulant in Type O-positive human blood samples. Therefore, the researchers concluded that cayenne pepper extract exhibits antithrombotic activity and effectively prevents blood clotting.
Thanatip S./Shutterstock
John R. Christopher—a naturopath and master herbalist who developed the School of Natural Healing in 1953—famously used cayenne pepper to stop heart attacks.
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On his website Herbal Legacy, he wrote that “in 35 years of practice, and working with the people and teaching, I have never on house calls lost one heart attack patient and the reason is, whenever I go in—if they are still breathing—I pour them a cup of cayenne tea (a teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water), and within minutes they are up and around.” Christopher states that cayenne is one of the fastest aids that can be given to the heart and that warm tea works faster than tablets, capsules, or cold tea because warm tea opens up the cell structure going directly to the heart. You can visit Dr. Christopher’s website to learn more about the different uses of cayenne.
For these reasons, cayenne pepper is often taken in capsule form to improve cardiovascular health and increase circulation.
Final Thoughts
Nature always offers us powerful medicines—if we know how to use them. Long before conventional medicine, people used plants and herbs to stay healthy and heal from illness. As with any medicine, they must be treated with respect and used with caution.For anyone taking blood thinners, or any other medications, be sure to speak to a health care practitioner whom you trust if you’re interested in introducing any of the natural blood thinners above, as they can interact with other medications. For those interested in prevention and heart health, introduce things slowly and observe your reactions.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
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