Blood thinners are medicines that prevent a blood clot from forming and help in the smooth flowing of blood through your veins and arteries. Some of the reasons why doctors prescribed this is because you’ve had a heart valve replacement or you are at risk of a blood clot after having a surgery. Or perhaps, you suffer from a heart or cardiovascular disease, an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation or a congenital heart defect.

These medicines help keep your blood from getting thicker and forming new clots. Likewise, they also slow the growth of existing ones, thereby reducing your risk of dangerous clots.

Though these medicines are helpful in many ways, they also have side effects. The most common reaction is excessive bleeding, nosebleeds, prolonged bleeding from cut, heavy period, bleeding gums, and bloody or discolored feces or urine.

You may also experience other possible side effects such as hair loss, skin rashes, muscle weakness, and dizziness.

Blood thinners should only be taken as suggested by your doctor or it can lead to serious consequences.

You can try some foods and herbs that are natural anticoagulants and can prevent your blood from clotting. However, you should not use these foods and herbs as a substitute for prescription anticoagulant medication.

Here Are Some Of The Best Natural Blood Thinners To Prevent Blood Clots

Turmeric

Due to its curcumin content, turmeric also works as a natural blood thinner. Curcumin can help prevent your platelets from clumping together and forming clots.

Add turmeric powder to your salads, tea, curry, and other meals. Or you can drink a glass of turmeric milk daily before going to bed.

Caution: Do not use turmeric remedies if you are taking warfarin (Coumadin).

Ginger

Ginger can effectively help lessen blood clotting, prevent new clots, reduce your risk of stroke, and promotes healthy blood circulation throughout the body. You can use either dry ginger or raw ginger extracts to reduce the formation of blood clots.

To enjoy its immense health benefits, add ginger to any of your juices, broths or cooked dishes.
You can also make a tea by boiling a few slices of fresh ginger root in a cup of water. Let it steep for minutes and strain the tea. You can add a little honey and lemon juice for taste. Drink 2 to 3 cups of ginger tea daily.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains coumarin, a chemical that acts as a powerful anticoagulant. This spice is capable of relieving inflammatory conditions, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the chances of having a stroke.

You can enhance the taste and fragrance of numerous dishes and beverages by adding some cinnamon powder.

Use this spice carefully as excess and long-term use of it may cause liver damage.

Garlic

Aside from being good for your heart health, garlic is more beneficial if you are at a higher risk of having blood clots.

Garlic has sulfur-containing compounds like allicin, adenosine, and par which all act as blood thinners.

Garlic can also lower triglyceride and blood cholesterol levels, thus resulting to a reduction on the risk of plaque formation and heart attacks.

Eat 2 or 3 raw garlic cloves on an empty stomach on a daily basis.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E can improve blood circulation and prevent a blood clot. When taken orally, it can decrease platelet aggregation by improving sensitivity to prostaglandin E1, a platelet-inhibiting fatty acid.
Eat foods rich in vitamin E like eggs, cereals, meat, and various fruits and vegetables.

Cayenne Pepper

Apart from its powerful blood-thinning effect on your body, cayenne pepper also increases circulation. It contains capsaicin, which helps clear away artery-narrowing lipid deposits, dilates arteries and blood vessels to clear away clots, and lowers concentration of fibrin, an insoluble protein that plays an important role in clot formation.

Sprinkle ground cayenne pepper on your salads, breakfast dishes and other foods. Also, you can add some fresh, chopped cayenne peppers on stews, soups or stir-fry dishes.