The phrase “blood-thinning foods” is misleading. Some foods contain compounds that can modestly affect platelet activity or blood clotting, but they don’t work like prescribed anticoagulant medicines and shouldn’t be used to treat or prevent a blood clot.
Foods commonly discussed for possible effects on clotting include:
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Garlic
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Ginger
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Turmeric
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Fatty fish such as salmon and sardines, which provide omega-3 fatty acids
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Cinnamon
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Green tea
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Foods rich in vitamin E, such as almonds and sunflower seeds
Important if you take blood thinners
If you take warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran, aspirin, clopidogrel, or another blood-thinning medicine, don’t deliberately increase large amounts of these foods or supplements without discussing it with your clinician. Some foods and especially concentrated herbal supplements can increase bleeding risk or interact with medicines.
Vitamin K is a separate issue: foods such as spinach, kale, and other leafy greens don’t “thicken” blood, but large changes in vitamin-K intake can affect warfarin treatment. People taking warfarin are generally advised to keep vitamin-K intake consistent rather than eliminate these nutritious foods.
For a healthy diet, it’s better to focus on vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts, and appropriate amounts of healthy fats rather than trying to “thin” your blood with a particular food.
