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Platelets are incredibly small and make up only a minor part of the total blood volume in your body. Their primary function is to stop bleeding by forming blood clots. However, in rare cases, some individuals may experience excessive platelet production in the bone marrow, a condition known as thrombocytosis. This can lead to large blood clots forming, which may result in health problems such as stroke or heart disease. To begin, follow the steps below to learn more about reducing platelet count through diet, lifestyle changes, and medical treatments.
Steps
Lowering Platelet Count through Diet and Lifestyle
Consume Raw Garlic to Lower Platelet Count. Raw or crushed garlic contains a compound called "allicin" that affects your body’s platelet production, thereby helping reduce platelet count in the blood.
- Your body reacts to a decrease in platelet count by boosting its immune system, helping to fight off foreign agents (such as viruses and bacteria) that enter the body.
- The allicin content in garlic diminishes quickly when cooked, so it’s best to eat raw garlic. Some people may experience stomach discomfort when consuming raw garlic, so remember to pair it with food.
Take Ginkgo Biloba (Maidenhair) to reduce blood viscosity. Ginkgo biloba contains compounds called “terpenoids” that help decrease blood viscosity (making blood thinner) and prevent blood clot formation.
- Ginkgo biloba also improves blood circulation and increases the production of warfarin in the body, which helps dissolve blood clots.
- Ginkgo biloba supplements are available in liquid or capsule form. These can be found in pharmacies or health stores.
- If fresh ginkgo leaves are available, you can boil them in water for 5-7 minutes and drink it like tea.
Use Ginseng to prevent blood clots. Ginseng contains a substance called “ginsenosides” that helps reduce platelet aggregation, thus preventing blood clot formation.
- Ginseng is sold in capsule form in pharmacies and health stores. It is also commonly found in energy drinks and foods.
- Ginseng may cause insomnia and nausea in some individuals, so it is advisable to try it first to see how your body reacts.
Eat Pomegranate to harness its platelet aggregation-reducing benefits. Pomegranates contain polyphenols that help prevent platelet aggregation – essentially reducing the production of platelets in your body and preventing them from sticking together.
- You can eat fresh pomegranate, drink pomegranate juice, or add pomegranate extract to your cooking.
Consume Omega-3 rich seafood to inhibit platelet production. Omega-3 fatty acids affect platelet activity, thinning the blood and reducing the risk of blood clotting. These fatty acids are abundant in seafood such as tuna, salmon, scallops, sardines, shellfish, and herring.
- Aim to eat 2-3 servings of these fish each week to meet the recommended omega-3 intake.
- If you don't enjoy fish, you can supplement your omega-3 intake by taking fish oil supplements, 3,000-4,000 mg daily.
Drink Red Wine to reduce the risk of blood clot formation. Red wine contains flavonoids from red grape skins during production. These flavonoids prevent excessive cell production in the arterial walls (a process triggered by too many platelets in the blood), helping to reduce the risk of blood clot formation.
- A standard half-glass of wine (about 175 ml) contains 1 alcohol unit. Men should not exceed 21 alcohol units per week, with a daily limit of 4 units.
- Women should not exceed 14 alcohol units per week and no more than 3 units per day. Both men and women should have at least 2 alcohol-free days each week.
Consume fruits and vegetables containing "salicylates" to thin the blood. Fruits and vegetables rich in “salicylates” help to thin the blood and prevent clotting. They also support immune function and maintain normal platelet count.
- Vegetables high in salicylates include: cucumber, mushrooms, zucchini, radishes, and alfalfa.
- Fruits rich in salicylates include all berries, cherries, raisins, and oranges.
- Shiitake mushrooms are also a natural and effective option for reducing platelet count.
Use cinnamon as a spice in cooking to reduce platelet aggregation. Cinnamon contains a compound called “cinnamaldehyde” that helps reduce platelet aggregation, thereby preventing blood clotting.
- Add cinnamon powder to baked goods or stews. You can also try boiling a cinnamon stick in tea or wine.
Quit smoking to prevent blood clots. Smoking increases the risk of blood clot formation due to harmful compounds present in cigarettes (such as nicotine). It also thickens the blood and causes platelets to stick together.
- Serious health issues like heart disease and strokes are often caused by blood clots that form in the bloodstream. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to prevent clots from forming in the first place.
- Quitting smoking is not easy and can't be accomplished overnight. You can read this article for useful advice on how to quit smoking.
Drink coffee to benefit from its platelet aggregation-reducing effects. Coffee has anti-platelet aggregation properties, meaning it reduces platelet count in the blood and prevents platelet clumping.
- The anti-platelet effect of coffee is not due to caffeine, but rather its phenolic acids. Therefore, decaffeinated coffee also provides this anti-platelet effect.
Reducing Platelet Count with Medications and Medical Procedures
Take blood-thinning medication as prescribed by your doctor. Depending on your specific case, a doctor may prescribe blood thinners. These medications prevent blood viscosity, reduce platelet aggregation, and stop clot formation. Some of the most commonly prescribed blood thinners include:
- Aspirin
- Hydroxyurea
- Anagrelide
- Interferon alfa
- Busulfan
- Pipobroman
- Phosphorus – 32
Undergo plateletpheresis procedure. In emergency situations, a doctor may recommend a treatment called plateletpheresis to quickly reduce platelet levels in the blood.
- During plateletpheresis, an intravenous line is inserted into a vein to withdraw blood from the body, which is then passed through a machine that removes the platelets.
- The filtered blood is then returned to the body via a second intravenous line.
Advice
- To count the platelet levels in the blood, a blood sample is taken and sent to a laboratory. Normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 350,000 per microliter of blood.
- Dark chocolate is also believed to help inhibit platelet production, so consider enjoying a piece or two of dark chocolate each evening.
