by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/blood-clot-blood-vascular-biology-7118517/
Did you know that some foods act as natural blood thinners and may help reduce the chance of a blood clot?
For some, this may be beneficial, for example, for those with cardiovascular disease. But for others, for example, those with an increased bleeding tendency or on blood thinning medication, this may increase the risk of a haemorrhage.
Read on and find out which foods can increase your risk of bleeding.
Turmeric – This is a spice commonly used to flavour curries. The active ingredient is curcumin which derives from bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), found in the ground root of the plant.
Both curcumin and BDMC have been shown to significantly prolong APTT and PT (tests which measure how long it takes blood to clot) and inhibit thrombin (a coagulation factor) and FXa (small molecules involved in the production of thrombin). The recommended dose of turmeric is 500-2000 mg per day.
Turmeric should not be taken by those already taking blood thinners, such as warfarin or any other oral anticoagulants. Do not take turmeric if you take aspirin or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, as these also have an anticoagulant effect. Turmeric can lower blood glucose levels and should be taken with caution by diabetics.
Ginger – Ginger reduces platelet aggregation (the way platelets clump together to form a blood clot) in patients with coronary artery disease. Other lab studies have shown that compounds in ginger – gingerols and shogaols – disrupt the arachidonic acid cascade – the inflammation pathway – inhibiting the production of prostaglandins. They also prevent the production of thromboxane, a substance which stimulates platelet aggregation.
Ginger should be avoided by those with thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count), platelet function defects, or coagulopathies (bleeding disorders). It should, not be used as an antiemetic for those on chemotherapy. The recommended dose is 0.3 to 5 g per day.
Drug interactions with ginger include warfarin, nifedipine, losartan, and anti-diabetic drugs.
Cinnamon – This contains coumarins – naturally occulting substances which have anticoagulant properties. Cassia cinnamon contains larger amounts of coumarins than other types of cinnamon. The typical cinnamon in daily use is Ceylon cinnamon which contains much smaller amounts of coumarins.
The maximum safe daily amount of Cassia cinnamon is 8 mg per day for an adult weighing 178 pounds (81 kg). The amount of Cassia cinnamon found in one teaspoon varies between 7 to 18 mg – depending on the strength of the preparation, so it is important not to take too much.
Consuming too much Cassia cinnamon can cause liver toxicity. It’s generally not advisable to take Cassia cinnamon if you take blood thinners. It should be discontinued 2 weeks before any type of surgery.
Cayenne pepper – Capsaicin is the active ingredient in cayenne pepper which is believed to have an anticlotting effect.
Rats treated with capsaicin were found to have a significant increase in bleeding time, a delay in clotting time, and a reduction in the number of platelets. In a more recent 2019 study using human blood, cayenne pepper was also found to significantly reduce clotting time.
The usual dose is 2-6 mg of capsaicin per day. As cayenne pepper contains 2.5 mg capsaicin per gram, this equates to between 2 to 5 x 500 mg capsules of cayenne pepper per day.
Note that capsaicin gives the burning feeling you experience when you eat chilli peppers, and even when swallowed in a capsule, it can cause burning in the stomach and intestines.
Cayenne pepper should be taken by anyone taking other blood-thinning drugs, aspirin or NSAIDs, or with any stomach acid-reducing drugs.
Garlic – Research studies have shown that garlic results in a significant reduction in platelet aggregation. This is thought to be because of the effects of ajoene, a sulphur-containing phyto-compound found in garlic, which derives from allicin.
Garlic is thought to be beneficial for those with cardiovascular disease, because of its cholesterol-lowering properties and anti-clotting properties.
Garlic should not be taken with anyone on blood thinners or with an increase in bleeding tendency. As garlic can increase the risk of bleeding, and interfere with blood pressure, it should be discontinued 2 weeks before surgery. It can also interact with a variety of medications including antidiabetic drugs, tacrolimus, and antivirals used to treat HIV.
Pineapple – Pineapple extract is known as bromelain – this is a mixture of different enzymes including endopeptidases and phosphatases, which have been shown to have a wide range of biochemical properties. Bromelain increases fibrinolysis – the breakdown of blood clots – and inhibits the synthesis of fibrin – a major protein needed for blood clotting. It also directly causes the degradation of fibrin. The recommended dose of bromelain is 40-400 mg per day.
Because bromelain increases the risk of bleeding, it should not be taken by anyone with an increased bleeding tendency or on blood thinning drugs. It should also be stopped two weeks before surgery. Bromelain can interact with tetracycline antibiotics.
A word of caution
If you have any chronic medical conditions or take any regular medication, always check with your pharmacist or GP before you start taking any of these food products. Even natural substances found in plants can have important drug interactions and may pose a risk to health. Just because it’s ‘natural’ does not necessarily mean it is safe.