15 Foods that can thin your blood

Low Viscosity: 15 Foods that can thin your blood

Angela Goh

09 Sep 2016

updated the 26 May 2017 à 22:11

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Salmon
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and trout, are known to help lower cholesterol levels as well as reduce the chances of clotting in the blood.
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Red wine
Studies have confirmed that drinking a glass of wine a day can help to prevent heart disease by thinning out the blood and preventing clogged arteries. However, researchers have also found that moderate drinkers may raise their risk of bleeding-type strokes.
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Cinnamon
Cinnamon is powerful anti-coagulant. This fragrant spice is capable of lowering blood pressure and relieving inflammatory conditions. Do note that long-term consumption of cinnamon may cause liver damage, so be sure to use the spice sparingly.
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Aspirin
It’s a well-known fact that aspirin interferes with your body’s blood clotting ability. It is always advised to take aspirin and other similar blood-thinning drugs exactly as recommended by your healthcare professional.
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Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that has long been used as a traditional folk medicine in many cultures. Studies have shown that turmeric can work on blood platelets to prevent clots from forming.
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Almonds
Crunchy and delicious, especially when roasted, almonds are a very good source of vitamin E. Vitamin E has anti-clotting properties and can act as an effective blood thinner.
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Cayenne peppers
Due to the high amount of salicylates in them, cayenne peppers can have a fairly powerful blood-thinning effect on your body, thus being a good contender for lowering your blood pressure and increasing circulation.
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Ginger
Ginger also contains salicylate. In fact, the chemical acetyl salicylic acid, derived from salicylate, is what makes up your common everyday aspirin.
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Garlic
Perfect additions to Italian and Indian food, garlic has long been known to help thin the blood, reduce blood pressure, and stop platelet aggression in order to ease blood flow.
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Olive oil
One of the healthiest oils in the world, olive oil is known to contain antioxidants that combat free radicals and inflammation, which in turn helps to thin the blood.
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Pineapple
This tropical fruit contains the enzyme bromelain, which helps to protect against the formation of uric acid crystals that could lead to kidney stones and gout. The enzyme also acts as a natural blood thinner due to its ability to help lessen the adhesiveness of blood platelets.
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Ginseng
Highly regarded in Asian societies as a “cure-all”, studies have shown that ginseng is one of the many popular TCM herbs that can improve blood circulation in the human body. Ginseng is also said to reduce blood sugar and control blood pressure effectively.
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Chamomile tea
Yet another natural blood thinner, chamomile is considered a fairly safe tea to ingest. Though if you are taking blood thinning mediation, you might want to avoid drinking it in large doses.
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Kelp
Kelp, and many other species of seaweed, can benefit those with high blood pressure as it is a natural anti-coagulant.
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Evening primrose oil
Sold in pharmacies and health food stores at fairly affordable prices, evening primrose oil (EPO) is high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that is known to increase the risk of bleeding in patients on blood thinners like aspirin, so do take note.

Did you know that there are certain foods you can eat to prevent “sticky” blood and improve circulation?

The thickness of your blood can depend on a number of factors. Your red blood cell count has the most influence on the viscosity of your blood. Blood fats, such as LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, can affect this viscosity – the more LDL you have passing through your bloodstream, the thicker your blood will be.

Other factors such as chronic inflammation, smoking, diabetes, eating habits and even your genetic makeup can all contribute to the varying thinness or thickness of your blood.

Why thinner blood can be beneficial

Research suggests that thinner blood may improve your overall circulation and lower your risk of vascular issues and accidents such as blood clots and hemorrhages that can negatively affect your heart, brain, intestines, eyes, limbs and other organs.

With thicker, “stickier” blood, the heart has to work harder to move it around your body, and if any blockages or obstructions occur, issues like high blood pressure may arise, and you could even suffer a dangerous heart attack or stroke.

Why thinner blood might not be such a good thing

While having thinner blood may stave off any alarming blood circulation issues, blood that is too thin may lead to complications as well. With a lack of platelets in the blood to increase viscosity, continual bleeding – where your wounds and cuts have trouble forming blood clots to stop the bleeding – may cause some amount of frustration, and may even end up becoming a dangerous problem.

For this reason, people who are aware of their blood being thinner than average might want to avoid ingesting certain foods that act as natural blood thinners.

The bottom line

Depending on various factors, including your genetic makeup and your health, you might have a blood consistency that is thinner or thicker than the average person. Always be cautious of what you eat as there are many foods out there that can naturally thin your blood. The gallery above will help to point out some of these particular foods.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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