6 Foods That May Help Prevent Blood Clots — and Some to Avoid

What you eat and drink can affect many aspects of your health, including your risk of blood clots. While diet isn’t a cure-all, some foods may support healthy blood flow and lower your risk. 

If you’re concerned about blood clots or have a higher risk, small changes to your diet may help. Below, we review what research says about the best diet to prevent blood clots and share simple ways to add these foods to your routine.

1. Olive oil

Olive oil can affect some of the cells and proteins in your blood that contribute to blood clotting. 

A study of people with obesity found that consuming olive oil at least once a week reduced the platelet activity. Platelets are blood cells that bind together to help form clots. The effect was even greater when participants consumed olive oil more than four times per week. (The exact amount of olive oil wasn’t measured.)

Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants called phenols, which may work to prevent clotting. 

A small study showed that people with high cholesterol had fewer clot-forming factors in their blood when they ate white bread with 40 mL of virgin olive oil high in phenols (400 parts per million or PPM). When they ate white bread with virgin olive oil with lower phenol levels (80 PPM), it still helped, but the effect wasn’t as significant. 

Sometimes the label on the bottle will list the phenol content — but not always. If you’re unsure, go for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), which is known to have higher amounts of phenols.

Olive oil also contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). This is a dietary fat that’s more heart healthy than other fats. Scientists think this could be why EVOO helps protect your heart, prevent blood clots, and help regulate blood pressure. 

To add more olive oil to your diet, try using it in place of butter at your next meal. This swap works well in cooking, like for sautéing vegetables or making eggs. You can also drizzle olive oil onto roasted veggies, toast, or a baked potato.

2. Ginger

Lab research suggests that ginger may prevent platelets from clumping together. But human studies on the effects of ginger on blood clots are mixed. 

Some research suggests that ginger has no effect on the likelihood of developing blood clots. Other research suggests the opposite. In one study, women who ate 5 g of raw ginger every day had lower levels of a blood protein that helps form blood clots. Researchers saw a similar finding in healthy males who ate 5 g of ginger twice a day. 

A systematic review of 10 studies also had mixed findings. About half showed decreased platelet clotting, while the other half showed no effect. 

It’s also important to note that the serving sizes in these studies ranged from 3.6 g to 5 g. This equals about 2 ½ tsp of ground ginger or 4 tsp to 5 tsp of grated or freshly chopped ginger root. One study used portions of 10 g or 40 g per day. This is a lot more ginger than a person would normally eat. The forms of ginger used were dried, cooked, or raw. It was taken as capsules or mixed into foods like custard.

3. Garlic

Garlic has many health benefits. It may also help prevent blood clots. 

Lab evidence suggests that garlic can reduce the formation of thromboxane, a substance made by platelets that helps with blood clotting. Lab research also suggests that garlic may prevent platelets from clumping together. 

But human studies have been mixed. In a review of 12 clinical trials looking at garlic’s effects on platelets, half showed anticlotting effects, while the other half showed no effect. 

Even so, adding garlic to home-cooked meals is a simple way to boost both flavor and nutrition.

4. Cinnamon

Cinnamon contains coumarin, a compound that may help prevent blood clots. And studies suggest that many other compounds in cinnamon — such as eugenol and coniferaldehyde — may prevent platelets from sticking together and forming clots. 

One small, early-stage study found that participants with a mild stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) who took aspirin and cinnamon reduced their odds of recurrent stroke compared to aspirin alone. This likely relates to clotting risk, since most strokes are caused by clots. But more research is needed.

Still, cinnamon may benefit your health in other ways. Studies suggest that consuming 2 g to 6 g of cinnamon each day may protect against heart disease. It may also lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

So, topping off your coffee or cereal with a teaspoon of cinnamon may lead to several benefits beyond preventing blood clots.

5. Cayenne peppers

Cayenne peppers contain capsaicin. This is the compound that makes your mouth feel hot when you eat them. Lab studies suggest that capsaicin has blood-thinning effects. In studies with mice, capsaicin prevented platelets from sticking together to form blood clots. 

Like with the other foods above, few studies have looked at whether eating cayenne peppers actually affects a person’s risk of blood clots. 

Capsaicin may have other benefits. When used topically on your skin, it may help reduce pain from arthritis, nerve damage, or sore muscles. It may also support weight management. And one study found that people who ate spicy foods, like hot peppers, 6 to 7 times a week lived longer than those who ate them less than once a week.

6. Turmeric

Turmeric contains curcumin, the compound that gives it its yellow color and anti-inflammatory effects. Lab studies suggest that curcumin may act in several ways to decrease the development of blood clots. But once again, research is needed to understand how dietary turmeric affects clot risk in people. 

Turmeric may have many other health benefits, from lowering inflammation to improving mood. Try adding a few dashes of the spice to your next meal, like soups, vegetables, rice dishes, or eggs. 

Does coffee help prevent blood clots?

There’s some controversy over whether coffee can help prevent blood clots. 

One study found that people who drank 1 to 4 cups a day had an 11% increased risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) than people who didn’t drink coffee. DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein, most often in your legs or pelvis. But when participants drank 5 or more cups a day, their risk of DVT was reduced by 25%. 

But a large review of studies saw mixed results. Some studies found no effect, some found increased clotting, and others saw decreased clotting.

So, there’s no need to drink or avoid coffee just to prevent blood clots. But drinking coffee in moderation is safe for most people and may have many benefits for health.

Does red wine help prevent blood clots?

Red wine may help prevent blood clots. It contains a plant compound called resveratrol. This compound has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may prevent platelets from clumping together. 

But it's important to note limitations in this research. Evidence is promising, but we need more data on resveratrol’s effects in humans. Also, to get significant benefits from resveratrol, it’s possible you’d have to drink multiple bottles of red wine a day.

In the end, drinking any amount of alcohol is associated with health risks. And those risks likely outweigh any potential benefits. But if you do drink alcohol, it’s best to drink as little as possible. 

In the U.S., the recommended limits for alcohol consumption are:

• 1 standard drink or less per day for women

• 2 standard drinks or less per day for men

Blood-clotting foods to avoid

There’s no evidence that any particular food directly causes blood clots. But avoiding certain types of foods may help decrease your risk of developing them. These include:

• Ultra-processed foods high in trans fats, like cakes, cookies, pies, muffins, and doughnuts

• Processed meat, such as deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, and jerky

A final note of caution on foods and blood thinning

If you’re at increased risk for blood clots, it’s important not to rely on dietary changes alone to lower your risk. There are other, more effective ways to prevent blood clots. Many people need medications (anticoagulants) to thin their blood and reliably prevent clotting. 

If you’re taking any blood-thinning medicines — especially warfarin — it’s important to understand how food can affect your medication.

If you’re concerned about your risk of blood clots, talk with your healthcare team about the best ways to lower your risk.

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Written by:

Cherilyn Davis, MD

Cherilyn Davis, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician in NYC. She's held local and national roles at the American Medical Women's Association, including board member of the physician division and physician chair of social media.

Edited by:

Meredith Hoffa

Meredith Hoffa is a senior health editor at GoodRx, where she leads journalists and clinicians covering various well-being topics, particularly in diet and nutrition.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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