7 Foods to Prevent a Deadly Blood Clot

6. Focus on Fish and Flax

Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids help to thin the blood and prevent both clots and strokes. Studies have shown that adding an additional 1.8 grams of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet each day can significantly improve blood flow and decrease the thickness of your arteries.

The best known source of omega-3 is fish, especially salmon, herring, mackerel, trout, and anchovies. But there are also great plant sources available for people who don’t care for the taste of fish. Flaxseed and sunflower seeds are rich sources.

7. Sip Red Wine or Grape Juice

Here’s the good news. That glass of wine you have in the evenings can actually help prevent the development of blood clots. Red wine is especially good because it contains a high level of the flavonoids that prevent clots by controlling production of platelets. If you don’t drink alcohol, red grape juice is helpful, too.

And even if wine is not your thing, alcohol in general is a potent blood thinner. It appears to work by reducing platelet aggregation and fibrinogen levels (fibrinogen is a blood clotter), at the same time increasing fibrinolysis, which is the process that dissolves clots.

Final Word: Limit Trans Fats

We’ve talked a lot about the foods that should be added to your diet to reduce the risk of blood clots and dangerous DVT. They are all tasty foods that should not be too difficult to eat. But nothing is ever totally easy when it comes to health. You must also put some attention on reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats.

Saturated fat increases inflammation, and this makes it difficult for your blood to flow freely. Therefore, it is important to scale back on full-fat dairy products, fatty cuts of meat, and junk food snacks both salty and sweet. Packaged foods also hide a shocking amount of fat, so be sure to read labels in the store.

The good news is that once you bump up the flavor profile of your food with our recommended herbs and spices, drink more water, and enjoy plenty of fruits and nuts, you will feel more satisfied by your daily diet and crave the fatty stuff less. And finally, one of the biggest risks for DVT is a sedentary lifestyle, so make sure you are moving around enough each day, even if you can’t fit in a trip to the gym.

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