GARLIC AS A NATURAL BLOOD THINNER

Is Garlic a Blood Thinner?

There are two major parts to the blood clotting system: Fibrin and Platelet. Garlic can impact them both. Eating garlic, especially when raw is part of a healthy Paleo diet. Some benefits of garlic are lost when it is cooked, but the clot buster benefit remains. Supplements are another excellent way to harness the power of garlic, The Stinking Rose.

NATURAL FIBRINOLYTIC (CLOT BUSTER)

Animal studies

Rabbits on 3 months of cholesterol feeding became hypercoagulable (sticky blood). This condition was significantly reduced by the essential oils of garlic. Fibrinolytic activity was increased even above the normal control levels!

Another study revealed that garlic juice (raw garlic; 250 mg/day) had significant effect in enhancing the fibrinolytic activity in rabbit after receiving a cholesterol rich diet for 13 weeks.

Human studies

Almost all human studies on fibrinolytic activity of garlic are positive.

Garlic oil and raw garlic increase fibrinolytic activity (FA). In 1975, Bordia first demonstrated that garlic oil increased FA after 3 hours of administration. Bordia also reported that long term use of garlic oil (dose: equivalent to 1 gm/kg of fresh garlic) increased FA significantly ranging from 36% to 130% in healthy as well as acute myocardial infarction patients. This was confirmed in other studies.

Dried garlic powder has been also tested for its fibrinolytic activity. While two studies showed no difference in FA, one study showed increased FA as well as tissue plasminogen activator activity after acute and chronic garlic powder intake. Another study found that both raw and fried garlic significantly enhance FA. Frying removes the strong acrid smell of garlic, but preserves it useful effects on FA. Intake of ethyl acetate extract of crushed raw garlic also increased FA.

NATURAL PLATELET INHIBITION

In the heart attack situation, platelets stick to the injured vessel wall. This process is called platelet activation. Activation can also be produced by ADP and thrombin. The activated platelets change shape, put out pseudopodia, discharge their granules, and stick to other platelets, initiating the process of platelet aggregation. Studies have shown that garlic has exciting potential in inhibiting platelet aggregation.

Animal studies

Pretreatment of rabbits with an aqueous extract of garlic (500 mg/kg) significantly inhibited thromboxane-B2 (TXB2) synthesis (a potent platelet aggregator). This observation indicates that garlic may be beneficial in the prevention of thrombosis.

Aqueous extract of garlic was found to inhibit platelet aggregation induced by ADP, epinephrine, collagen and arachidonate. Cyclooxygenase activity and collagen-induced platelet aggregation was observed in rabbit platelets treated with raw garlic in vitro. But boiled garlic was found to be of insignificant effect.

Garlic extract containing diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, prevented acute platelet thrombus formation in stenosed canine coronary arteries.

Fresh garlic extract is effective in reducing thromboxane formation by platelets both in vivo and in vitro animal models of thrombosis. It was observed that garlic inhibits thrombin-induced platelet synthesis of TXB2 in rabbits.

The rapid recovery of platelet cyclooxygenase activity after infusion of a single dose of garlic suggests that garlic should be taken more frequently to achieve beneficial effects in the prevention of thrombosis. Eat it often!

Ajoene, a constituent of essential oil of garlic, has been shown to inhibit in vitro platelet aggregation in varied species of animals. Ajoene prevented thrombus formation induced by severe vascular damage, mainly in arterial sites with local low shear stress.

Researchers identified three main antiplatelet constituents, namely adenosine, allicin and polysulfides in garlic.

Human Studies

In human studies. a positive response to garlic has been observed. Bordia (1978) first showed the dose-dependent inhibition of platelet aggregation by garlic. Raw garlic, garlic oil and other extract of garlic have been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation in in vitro induced by ADP, collagen, arachidonate, epinephrine and calcium ionophore. Chronic intake of garlic powder and garlic oil also inhibits platelet aggregation. Single dose of garlic has also been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation.

Get garlic into your diet and take garlic supplements.