10 Natural Blood thinners for Heart Health: What, why, and how

First thing first. I will cover below points in this article:

1. Why does blood clot mostly during winter?

2. Allopath remedy for blood thinning (instantly)?

3. What happens if blood clots or thickens?

4. At what age group or what are the health problems where blood thickens?

5. How does the thickening of blood adversely affects heart health?

6. 10 Natural blood thinners (Center of attraction!)

Heart health and its importance

As MNCs employees or working guys, we work from 9-6; and are fed up and tired when the weekend arrives, aren’t we? But what about a worker who works 24/7, non-stop without any sick leave, also without any payment? 

Yes, it’s none other than your heart! Even if it stops working for a few seconds, you will be declared dead! From the moment one’s existence in a mother’s womb; this organ called ‘the heart’ starts functioning and keeps on working till you are alive! 

You know a condition called ‘Brain dead’ is said when the bodily features get inactive, which means the heart is working but the brain seems dead or not responding. In such cases, green corridors are created in order to transplant the working heart as soon as possible. This is the incredibility of the heart, which keeps it functioning even if the body is declared dead! 

Anything whether it is a machine, a vehicle, a building, or anything; needs proper care and time-to-time maintenance to run for longer and in eased way. The same is with your heart! 

If you want it to be long-lasting and healthy, you need to take care of it nicely with timely clean-up and detoxification. 

Some of the very basic things, by which your lovely heart is gonna thank you are given as follows-

1. No smoking:

Smoking is never a good thing! Cigarettes and bidis are made up of some very leaves and ingredients that are latent poison for living beings. These things make you addicted, and over a period of time, it becomes as important as oxygen and water for you!

It not only disturbs your cardio-vascular health but impacts greatly, same as a slow poison, 

2. Lean meat instead of red and fatty ones:

Red meat, that too with heavy fat content tastes luscious and juicy. But but, this can be one of the biggest enemies of your heart! It is rightly said, there lies a great war between your tongue and stomach. Like donuts and pizzas are the love of the tongue, but the same is hated by the poor stomach!

Heavy red meats, can lead to the deposition of bad cholesterols (VLDL) and can give rise to a number of problems. Instead of that, go for tender and lean meats. Those are high in proteins with a very lesser amount of fats in them! 

3. Brisk walk with basic warm-ups: 

A brisk walk means walking steadily at your pace. Even if you are very busy, you need to get some time for your body too. It is the gadget the device, by which you are able to pursue all your chores.

The best time for walking and gentle exercises is early morning. It is the time when the atmosphere has lesser pollution with a cozy breeze. There are lots and lots of information given about the bliss and divinity of early morning. 

Some exercises like sit-ups, jogging, cycling, aerobic exercises, swimming, etc can be done on a regular basis. 

For men and women, it becomes quite difficult to take out time in the morning. Going to the office, making tiffins, breakfast, etc takes priority. In such case, you can try ‘night walk’ means taking a light walk after dinner. It promotes digestion and also gives you sound sleep. 

So here we saw, how just simpler exercises and a brisk walk can not just keep your heart healthy but also promote overall growth. 

4. One fruit on daily basis:

Juicy, succulent, and yummy fruits are loved by all! Every fruit has its own properties, benefits, and precautions as well. For a healthy body, we should eat at least one fruit a day. The choice should be seasonal, organic, and freshly harvested fruits.

Many people have thought,  fruits during winter do harm. It’s actually a myth! Our mother nature has planned it wisely. There are some fruits that come in a particular season. Apples, kiwis, strawberries, grapes, plums, etc are more seen in markets during winter. 

In cold weather,  you should take fruits after breakfast around 10-11 am. Fruits like lime, oranges, kiwi, grapefruit, etc are the best friend of your heart. They unclog the arteries and remove bad cholesterol and fat deposits from the body. 

5. Yoga and Pranayamas must be there:

To breathe is to live! Pranayama is a breathing technique, which is totally a scientific method, propounded by divine ascetics, saints, and sages. It increases the oxygen flow thus improving blood circulation; which is an automatic cure for a wide range of diseases.

The same is with yogic postures; it keeps your body flexible and fit which kicks out any extra fat and cholesterol deposits in the body. All these together aim to keep your body free from diseases instead of curing them. 

Basic postures and pranayamas such as anulom-vilom, kapalbhati, trikonasana, gomukhasana, ardha-atsyendrasana etc should be done. All these keeps your heart healthy and activates blood circlation. 

Note:

Even after doing all such practices, even a healthy individual should go for a cardio checkup at least once in a year. It will keep you updated about your health and its condition. As such, ‘lipid profile’ checking and visiting a cardiologist once in a year, will be good. 

What is Blood clotting? 

At home, when you are cutting fruits or veggies with a knife and mistakenly you got a cut on your finger; or while gardening you poke a small thorn, it will bleed!  

But thanks blood clotting which causes coagulation on the injured site and restricts the blood flow; clotting the blood and the wound as well. If this wasn’t there, in simpler cuts blood would flow like water. No hansaplast and no bandage would be the savior! 

When blood clots occur on the injured site, it is due to the optimum presence of Vitamin K or ‘menaquinone’ in scientific terms. Some sources of Vitamin K are brussels sprouts, asparagus, kale, spinach, avocado, green leafy, soybeans, and many more. 

How does uneven Blood Clotting adversely affect heart health? 

Clotting blood is good to mend injury, but when it happens inside our blood vessels; it obstructs the normal flow or leads to blood thickening. This very thing can be there due to foremost two reasons; immobility or genetic causes. In this the blood either changes to a semi-solid or partially gel form state which is called ‘thrombosis’. Thrombosis is common in the legs which mostly causes due to an injury causing inflammation. The site appears to be swelled, blue-purplish and would pain as well. 

Meanwhile, the blood clot in the cardiac and brain region is very dangerous and can even lead to strokes, brain death, cardiac arrests even paralysis too. 

These clots may also travel to other parts of the body like limbs, brain, lungs, or vice versa. 

Allopath treatment for heavy blood clotting inside

In Allopath, there are two types of Blood thinners present. Anti-coagulants and Anti Platelets. 

1. The treatment is highly based on where the clot is located, its size, severity, and other factors.

2. In the surgical process, the doctor may insert a catheter and may carry a small surgery to remove to clot.

3. Aspirin is a very commonly used blood thinner. If the person is having the condition of cardiac problems and BP, then the doctor will advise taking aspirin tablets as an instant blood thinning aid.

4. Anticoagulants can be given orally or as IV or as an injection beneath the skin. 

Risk factors of Blood Clotting

Blood clotting can occur in several cases and conditions. Some are obesity, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, etc.

1. During pregnancy, due to an enlarged uterus; normal blood flow is obstructed which means there will be a high or some risk of blood clotting. That is during pregnancy swelling in feet (edema) gets common.

2. If one is leading an inactive or immobile lifestyle; there will be obesity and an increased risk of internal blood clotting.

3. If someone underwent through organ transplant or surgery, then the body will take time to get recovered. Especially if the case is for a heavy fracture or dislocation, the patient may get bedridden. In such cases due to lesser bodily movement and prolonged bed rest; blood clots called thrombus get very common.

4. Lesser intake of water and fluids, too can contribute to unwanted blood clots. It leads to dehydration resulting in the thickening of the blood causing the formation of blood clots in veins and arteries.

5. Birth control pills, hormone replacement, family history of blood clots, obesity, and overall health. People suffering from heavy diseases like cancer, leukemia, etc also give rise to blood clotting factors.

Disadvantages of taking Blood-thinning pills-

As an instant and easy remedy, we rush to chemist’s stores and get blood-thinning pills. The reason being; easy to take, economical, and suggested by practitioners as well. 

Think for a minute….. Are these easily available and attractive-looking tablets are really doing good for you? Or these are just temporary solutions, which will charge a serious interest! 

First of all, we need to consider and go for these tablets and injections only when the discomfort is very severe and intolerable now. That also should be taken in limited or lesser quantity. But we people are taking it as if they are freely getting distributed and have no side effects at all. 

The side effects or the future problems it can cause can be a nightmare kind of thing. Following are some of the side effects that can be an additional bonanza by taking blood thinning pills-

1. Research and evidence say, for those who are regularly taking blood thinning pills, their whole blood parameters; RBC, WBC, platelets count, etc will be disturbed.

2. 8 out of 10 taking blood thinning pills, will be a prolonged patient of fatty liver and other liver disorders.

3.  Excess and overdose of blood thinning pills may result in excessive bleeding. In females, the duration of periods may increase with excessive bleeding. People may face bleeding gums, nose bleeding, bloody feces, and blood in the urine. Also, the time for wound healing will also adhere.

4. Skin rashes and dermal issues like hair loss etc can be there.

Now we shall be going to our last point, i.e., 10 Natural Blood thinners. We will be talking about how to kick out these pills and medications, just to keep our blood the way it should be! 

Nature has given us so many treasures, in the form of Plants and herbs. Aren’t these enough to keep us healthy and well-doing, that we are needing side-effect-rich medicines? 

Let’s talk about 10 very effective Naturally derived blood thinners, and how to use them. 

1. Cinnamon

One of the highly used fragrant spices, Cinnamon or Dalchini is a thing that is suitable for almost all major and minor health problems. Ranging from the common cold to Cholesterol deposits. It works effectively if taken under proper guidance and dosages.

The bark of cinnamon can be boiled with water and taken as black tea or Kadha. It can also be used as an ingredient in Masala tea. These small but often used cinnamon will work wonder for heart health. Being astringent and hot in nature, it is a perfect example of tasty and naturally made Blood thinner. 

2. Garlic

Garlic or lehsun is a popular spice cum herb, all across the globe. Coming to the point, of how it affects heart health. As we age, our arotas stiffens; which is the part of our hearts. Due to this, we feel stiffness in major organs like the Kidneys, heart, and Brain functioning as well.

Garlic has anti-clotting properties which make our blood travel in a runny way, as it is supposed to be. Taking 2-3 pods of garlic, in a day is okay to maintain heart health. However, many people say to take it on an empty stomach, but this process may seem unsuitable for some. Many people complain to feel instant and severe stomach ache and bloating. 

3. Bottle Gourd

Succulent and freshly harvested bottle gourds are extremely rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, K, and other trace minerals as well. It is an aid for several diseases. Being rich in fibers and cool in nature, it also keeps away ulcer-like problems. You can take this in form of soup, juices, etc.

4. Onions

Onions, especially in raw form are a powerful blood thinner. It maintains the viscosity of your blood, keeping it the way it should be. These can be eaten with meals in the form of salads and can be used in daily food preparation. It has active allicin in it, which works as an anti-coagulant agent.

The pungent odor of onions is due to the presence of allicin in them. Less blood clotting prevents strokes, which are very common among senior citizens. 

5. Bark of Arjuna

It is a very popular thing used in Ayurveda science. This thing can be said as the biggest enemy of Cholesterol and heart problems. The bark of the Arjuna tree can be boiled in water to prepare Kadha. This is also very effective in Coronavirus infections and is an immunity enhancer.

6. Giloy

Botanically known as Tinospora cordifolia, is a very potent herb for major diseases. Giloy has anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It also maintains healthy lipid levels, normalizing the coagulation of blood.

One can consume Giloy as a Kadha or also in supplement form. Many companies like Dabur, Himalaya, and Patanjali also prepares readymade Giloy tablet and syrups for ease of use. 

7. Turmeric

Also known as ‘Golden spice’, Turmeric has been used for ages as a culinary spice and for medicinal purposes. It has active curcumin in it, which is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial in nature.

It unclogs the arteries and maintains the smooth flow of blood. A teaspoon of turmeric powder with warm milk, daily before bed is an excellent and easy-to-do thing for our heart health. Also, we can use it as a spice in food preparations. 

8. Cayenne pepper

Oh here comes the hottest and spiciest thing we know! But do you know this hot cayenne pepper is so friendly to your heart? It keeps our blood vessels healthy and lowers the risk of strokes and cardiac arrests. Also, it prevents blood clots, dilates the heart, and improves circulation.

It has a substance called Capsaicin, which lowers cholesterol and maintains heart health. A small amount of chili powder will do no harm and will keep your heart functioning well. 

9.  Ginger

Ginger is a remedy for cardiovascular diseases. Research has shown, the use of ginger on regular basis produces anti-clotting factors which prevent strokes and heart issues to a great extent. It inhibits the growth of cancerous cells, thus calming the entire body system.

You can consume Ginger in many forms, such as tea, spice in foods, kadha, and many more. 

10. Vitamin E

We know Vitamin E is very good for our hair and skin. It is nowadays, used as a cosmetic thing too. Do you this underestimated beauty product can be the savior of your heart? It has anti-coagulant properties which prevent strokes and cardiovascular diseases.

Safflower seeds, Sunflower seeds, Melon seeds, Almonds, Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds, groundnut oil, etc are some of the natural sources of Vitamin E. 

Note:

Here we described a big list of Natural Blood thinners. But, although these are natural but also have other minerals and nutrients too. Suppose you are considering Cinnamon as a blood thinner, to use on a daily basis. 

Its other active ingredients with the medications (prescribed by physicians) adversely react. Then, we will blame cinnamon only. 

Summary

So before going for these, as natural medications always seek your doctor’s advice. 

Although these will do no harm to normal healthy individuals, the one who is taking pills and medicines should visit the doctor first. 

Hope you find the article useful and cleared your doubts about Cardio health and blood clotting. Do share your comments and queries with us. Stay Healthy and stay happy.