Spices Stop Blood Clots Better Than Drugs

Spices do a whole lot more than liven up food. Research has found that the active ingredients in several common spices can help keep you alive by preventing platelet aggregation and blood clot formation up to 29 times better than aspirin, offering a much safer alternative to anti-clotting drugs such as Plavix. And they do it without side effects.

Scientists in India have done extensive testing to determine the health benefits of spices traditionally used in Indian cuisine. The latest research to come from the Central Food Technological Research Institute evaluated the effect of the active principle spice compounds eugenol, capsaicin, piperine, quercetin, curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, and allyl sulphide on human platelet aggregation. They demonstrated that each compound evaluated was able to significantly inhibit blood clotting. Furthermore, the compounds performed their anti-platelet aggregation activity against several different factors that promote the clotting of blood.

Eugenol and capsaicin were found to be the most potent inhibitors of induced platelet aggregation. This ability was shown by the other tested compounds too in the declining order of curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, piperine, allyl sulphide, and quercetin. Eugenol was found to be 29-fold more potent than aspirin in inhibiting ararachidonic acid induced human platelet aggregation. Both eugenol and capsaicin inhibited production of clotting factors in a dose-dependent manner.

Cardiovascular disease and inflammation often go hand in hand. Earlier research by this team of scientists found that eugenol was highly effective at inhibiting inflammatory conditions in humans.

Spices are powerful medicines

Eugenol is the active compound that gives cloves their aroma. It is also found in cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon balm. Eugenol is also used medicinally as a local antiseptic and analgesic. It has antioxidant and pain relieving properties.

Spicing up food with cloves or other spices containing eugenol is best way to get this active compound into your diet. Eugenol is also available as essential oil for use in lotion and massage oil, or as aromatherapy in diffusers. Extracted eugenol should not be consumed internally.

Capsaicin is the active compound in hot peppers and the one that creates the heat. It is found in hot sauce, chili peppers, or as cayenne pepper. Aside from reducing platelet aggregation, capsaicin has a distinguished history as a cancer fighter through its ability to make cancer cells die. It is particularly effective against prostate and other hormone dependent cancers. Capsaicin sooths the digestive tract and may be a cure for inflammatory bowel disease. Eating chili peppers has been shown to protect against the effects of aspirin on the stomach.

Capsaicin protects the heart through other mechanisms besides inhibition of platelet aggregation. It reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, and has been shown able to dissolve fibrin, another action through which it can protect against blood clots. Cultures around the world that use hot peppers liberally have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than cultures that do not.

Getting red pepper into the diet is easy. It is often kept on kitchen tables in the form of hot sauce, and sprinkled on meat, fish, side dishes, and snacks. Hot sauce is a natural accompaniment to Mexican and many other foods. Chili made with fresh tomatoes and hot peppers offers the two major players against prostate cancer in one meal. Even a simple bowl of beans gets up to dance when hot sauce is added.

For anyone wanting a quantifiable amount of capsaicin, there are capsules available.

Curcumin is one of the best known herbal healers. It is the active ingredient in turmeric, one of the staples of Indian cooking. Turmeric has been used for centuries to help treat health conditions and is also a tradition in Chinese medicine. It has recently been shown to strengthen and order cell membranes, making cells more resistant to infection and malignancy. Turmeric treats digestive issues, arthritis, menstrual problems, and liver and gallbladder issues. It is one of the best natural pain relievers and has shown to be more effective at relieving pain that NSAIDS such as ibuprofen, without side effects. Turmeric also offers strong defense against colitis.

While curcumin is preventing blood clot formation, it is also preventing the oxidation of cholesterol, offering protection against blood vessel damage and plaque build up that can lead to heart attack and cancer. There is even mounting evidence that curcumin can keep away neurodegenerative disease through its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and act as an antioxidant.

via wakeup-world.com