Blood Health
Anticoagulants – The Risks and Rewards
Jun
If preventing blood clots is a concern, it’s important to keep in mind that most anti-coagulants on the market remain in your system for days.
As an alternative, Nattokinase (an enzyme extracted from natto, a Japanese fermented soy bean) is useful as a clot-buster and blood thinner, and has a half-life of only 4-6 hours. If you’re going to have surgery, for instance, you generally have to avoid blood thinners for two weeks prior so they don’t prevent clotting. Nattokinase is out of your system the next day, allowing your body to return to its natural functioning state.
Likewise Pycnogenol (a type of pine bark extract) is a very short-acting fibrinolytic agent, which means it breaks up strands of fibrin, the fibrin that is produced by clotting blood. When you cut yourself, your blood platelets become active, and trigger the fibrinoginic pathways and polymers. Fibrin forms like needles in every direction, catching more platelets until homeostasis has occurred. You don’t want all that happening when you don’t have a cut, and Pycnogenol can combat it without any long-lasting side effects.
Pycnogenol has shown clinical results in preventing deep vein thrombosis, reducing platelet aggregation in smokers, and improving endothelial function in patients with hypertension.
Along with Nattokinase, Pycnogenol is a natural, anti-inflammatory blood thinner that quickly leaves the body without any leftover side effects. There are alternatives to harsh drugs that can still promote blood health and prevent the dangers of clotting.
