Through the process of clotting, our bodies can stop blood flow, which is crucially important in the event that someone suffers a significant injury. But blood clotting can also cause serious health problems, such as when a clot causes a heart attack or stroke.
For this reason, there’s a need for blood thinners, which can be used to help restore blood flow through critical parts of the body and prevent the major damage which can be caused by heart attack or stroke. To thin the blood, many physicians reach for powerful medications for their patients, but there are actually many natural blood thinners that patients can use on their own to prevent problems from arising.
1. Garlic
Aside from giving your grandmother’s spaghetti sauce the “kick” it needs, garlic can also be good for your health. For one, it’s capable of limiting the collection of platelets, one of the primary steps in the formation of a blood clot.
In small amounts, it’s unclear if garlic actually has the potential to prevent a devastating heart attack or stroke caused by a blood clot. However, in much larger amounts — such as when taken in supplement form — garlic may play a role in helping limit platelet aggregation. In short, if you’re in a position where blood clots may present a health problem, it’s a good idea to work more garlic into your diet.
