Blood Clotting In Heart Disease And Other Conditions

Clots are formed where there is damage to the lining of the blood vessel. Then cells, called platelets, stick to the damaged lining and release a substance that causes further clumping of platelets. This process can be modified by taking certain vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.

Conditions in which the blood clots too easily

There are several conditions in which the blood clots too easily. These include:

Taking estrogen, especially the contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy.
High blood pressure.
High blood fats.
Diseases of the small blood vessels (related to sugar intake and insulin levels in diabetes).
Strokes.
Migraines.
Asthma.
Rheumatoid arthritis.
What you can do to help

Take vitamin B 6 (40 mg per day) which reduces blood stickiness.

Take vitamin C (200 - 1,000 mg per day) which has a beneficial effect upon blood fats, particularly cholesterol, and appears to reduce blood stickiness in people with coronary heart disease.

Take vitamin E (200 - 800 IU per day) which is known to correct blood stickiness. It is a natural anticoagulant. Selenium works well with vitamin E and may also be of assistance.

NOTE: People on anticoagulant medication such as Warfarin can only take vitamin E under medical supervision because of vitamin E's natural anticoagulant properties.

Take evening primrose oil (500 mg, 2 - 8 capsules per day) which affects the factors that reduce cell stickiness.

Take Zinc (10 mg per day).

Herbs such as garlic and ginger have also been shown to be beneficial.

Raynaud's Disease

Raynaud's disease is a condition in which the arteries of the fingers or toes go into spasm when exposed to the cold. The symptoms include:

tingling,
burning,
a numb sensation, and
the affected areas turn white then blue and then red.
Studies have shown that Raynaud's disease is caused, at least in part, by an essential fatty acid deficiency and possibly a magnesium deficiency.

What you can do to help

Magnesium supplements are thought to reduce the tendency of the blood vessels to spasm and can be taken at about 450mg per day.
Vitamin B3 as Nicotinic acid, up to 300 mg per day in three doses taken with food may be useful.
Fish oil supplements (four to six capsules per day) and plenty of oily fish in the diet should help.
Other general advice includes:

If you smoke try to give it up as smoking has an adverse effect on the body's blood vessels. (see .. for tips)
Get plenty of exercise as this will assist the artery walls to remain strong.
Wear warm gloves in cold temperatures.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Drink plenty of fresh water.
Try to keep stress levels under control (see ...).

High Blood Pressure (hypertension)

As the blood flows around the body it exerts pressure on the artery walls. High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when the pressure on the artery walls is above the normal level. This puts the circulatory system under considerable pressure and it may result in a stroke or heart failure if it is left untreated.

High blood pressure is often asymptomatic and is only picked up with some screening or routine recording of the blood pressure. The blood pressure rises gradually with age and mildly raised blood pressure is very common but is by no means serious.

High blood pressure may be caused by a number of nutritional deficiencies including:

fatty acids,
calcium, and
magnesium.
What you can do to help

Magnesium can be taken at 200 to 300 mg daily to help lower the blood pressure and to improve the balance of potassium, which is often reduced in high blood pressure. Potassium should not be supplemented but it is suggested that you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables daily to get adequate amounts of potassium.
Calcium may have a role in lowering the blood pressure and should be taken at 500 to 1,000 mg daily.
Fish oil supplements have been shown to lower blood pressure and should be taken daily.
Coenzyme Q10 has now been shown to reduce blood pressure and has a beneficial effect on the walls of the blood vessels. It should be taken at between 120 and 360 mg per day.
Garlic can have a positive effect on blood pressure.
If you smoke one of the best things that you can do is to quit. Try to find a program or group that will assist you with this process. (see ... for suggestions)
Get plenty of exercise (see for suggestions ....) and if you are overweight take steps to lose it. Excessive body weight is associated with high blood pressure.
Reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates and sugars that you consume.
Avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.

Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is one of the main causes of premature death in developed countries.

Coronary heart disease usually shows up as a heart attack or as angina (chest pain on exertion). The disease typically occurs when fatty deposits (atheroma) build up on the walls of arteries leading to atherosclerosis. This leads to a narrowing of the arteries.

Nutrition has a substantial role to play in preventing heart disease and minimizing further damage to the heart if there has been a heart attack.

Many factors have been identified as contributing to the risk of developing coronary heart disease, including:

the lack of exercise,
a high fat diet,
smoking,
high blood pressure,
genetic make up, and
stress.
Nutrition can help to:

control high blood fats,
control blood pressure, and
reduce blood stickiness and clotting.
What you can do to help

A number of nutritional supplements can be taken to help prevent and treat coronary heart disease.

Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement at least daily.

Take vitamin C which is thought to lower the total cholesterol level and it may have a beneficial effect on the blood pressure. The antioxidant properties of the vitamin will help to encourage the overall health of the heart.

Coenzyme Q10 has been successfully used in the treatment of angina, arrhythmia and other symptoms of heart disease. It is also an essential nutrient for the heart and an antioxidant. It can help cells produce energy to keep the heart beating. Doses range from 15 to 100 mg per day.

Vitamin E can reduce the 'stickiness' of platelets and reduce the risk of heart disease. Take 400 to 600 IU daily, but seek advice if you have been prescribed 'blood thinning' drugs.

Magnesium (at 450 to 650 mg per day) and vitamin B6 (as a part of vitamin B complex) may help to reduce the likelihood of clots.

Chromium has been linked to lower rates of heart disease and supplements can be taken at 200 to 400 mcg daily.

Other things that you can do to assist:

Eat a high fibre diet that has plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce as much as possible refined carbohydrates and sugars. (see kitchen tips for the heart ....)
Get advice about an exercise program that will improve your fitness and assist in losing weight if this is necessary for you.
Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol intake. (also see... drinkers and tips for cutting down).
If you smoke one of the best things that you can do is to quit. Try to find a program or group that will assist you with this process. (see ... for suggestions)
Try to manage your stress levels. Stress is associated with heart disease. (see ...)
If you are overweight work on a program that will assist you to shed the extra lbs (see ...).

Anemia

Anemia is caused by a deficiency of hemoglobin in the blood. There are a number of nutritional deficiencies that can cause anemia including:

iron,
vitamin B12, or
folic acid.
Genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia can also produce faulty hemoglobin.

The symptoms and signs of anemia include:

breathlessness,
pale skin and mucosa,
dizziness,
tiredness,
fainting and
palpitations.
The main causes of anemia are nutritional and these may be made worse by blood loss from heavy periods or bleeding from the bowel or following an injury. Poor absorption of nutrients may also cause the problem.

Vegetarians are at risk from iron deficiency because iron absorption is impaired by whole grains, soy and other legumes. However, vitamin C improves the absorption of iron.

Vegetarians are further at risk if they also drink tea, as tannin containing beverages inhibit iron absorption. Coffee has also been shown to reduce the absorption of iron from the food, if the coffee is drunk with the meal.

Iron deficiency should be suspected in children with learning and behavior disorders and this is often overlooked. Deficiencies of iron can cause abnormalities of electrical activity in the brain (EEG) and an impairment of learning. The iron deficiency can produce apathy, irritability, poor appetite, ice craving and decreased exercise tolerance.

Children who are iron deficient also have a higher than normal ability to absorb lead from their food and this can have a cumulative effect on their behavior and learning problems.

What you can do to help

Take an iron supplement usually at 200mg per day along with vitamin C at 100mg with each meal, which will assist in the absorption of the iron. Eat some meats to increase the intake of iron.
Vitamin B12 and folic acid should be taken in a good multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Zinc should be taken at 10 mg, and copper at 1mg.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of fresh water sometimes with added lemon juice to assist with detoxifying the body.
Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages and alcohol.
Increase your intake of yogurt as the acidophilus bacteria will encourage the growth of healthy bacteria which assist in the absorption of nutrients.

The diseases of the circulatory system are those that affect the heart, blood vessels and blood. They include such conditions as:

coronary heart disease (heart attack and angina),
high blood pressure,
blood clotting (excess stickiness of the blood),
peripheral vascular disease (narrowing of the blood vessels, especially in the legs),
strokes (obstruction of or bleeding from the blood vessels of the brain),
high blood fat levels (which are associated with all of the above problems), and
problems in the blood.

1) Anemia
2) Heart disease
3) High blood pressure (hypertension)
4) Raynaud's disease
5) Blood clotting in heart disease and other conditions