Let these foods help you control blood clots
Aware that he was late for a business appointment, Mr
Shah was sprintin towards his car whe he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
He had trouble breathing and collapsed on the ground. Later, an ECG report revealed that a part of his heart was dead. This part was cut off from its blood supply. Mr Shah had suffered a myocardial infarction — in other words, a heart attack.
Although high cholesterol levels can lead to arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), it’s the way your blood clots that determines if you will have a heart attack. Formation of blood clots depends on what you eat and can be genetic, too. For instance, excessive fat and sugar intake can make your blood sticky and prone to clots. Hence, the right diet can be your greatest weapon against such cardiovascular tragedies. Black mushrooms: Also ■ known as tree-ear, black mushrooms have blood thinning compounds such as adenosine. They have anticoagulant properties and keep blood platelets from sticking to each other. They also exhibit cancerfighting properties. Garlic and ginger: The ■ compound ajoene in garlic has aspirin-like properties. Having two to three cloves of chopped raw garlic in the morning with warm water helps dissolve blood clots and keep the blood thin. Some of you may find garlic too warm for your body may and develop boils on your back and chest. In that case, begin with one clove and graduate to two to three cloves daily. Mint and coriander juice ■ with ginger: Drink a glass of this every day to counteract the warm effects of garlic. Drink ginger tea every day or use ginger in your vegetables to make use of its anti-clotting properties.
Onions: To keep your blood ■ free of clots, eat half a raw onion with every meal. The compounds in onions prevent platelets from clumping together. Flaxseed: It is rich in ■ alpha-linolenic acids, which have a thinning effect on blood. It is the vegetarians’ source of Omega-3, which regulates cholesterol metabolism. You can dry grind the seeds and consume two tablespoons daily as a measure against heart diseases.
If you are already on bloodthinning medications, you should eat foods that thin blood in moderation.
Anjali Mukerjee, nutritionist