Maybe you’re like me and have struggled with obesity for more years than you care to admit.
Diet culture has probably left you with a complicated relationship with food and body image.
Both of those scenarios, alone or together, can make us cringe every time we hear the word diet.
But I want to encourage you to change your mindset about diet, so you can begin to change your health and reduce your risks of blood clots.
Diet vs Nutrition
Diet is the food you eat. NOT the number on a scale.
Foods that can be more helpful to our health than others.
Foods linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease and events, including blood clots.
Nutrition is often confused with diet.
Nutrition is the various nutrients in those foods and how they impact the body – especially important for disease prevention.
an Evidence-Based diet for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction
The American Heart Association (AHA) updated its dietary guidelines for promoting cardiovascular health that emphasizes a predominately whole foods plant-based diet. (PMID 34724806)
Emphasis is on “predominately plant-based.” (There’s options, friend. Don’t get stuck on the word “plant.”)
Additional evidence-based research supporting plant-based dietary recommendations come from AHE and EAT-Lancet.
The Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI) was developed by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and assigns ratings to foods and nutrients predictive of chronic disease.
The EAT-Lancet diet emphasizes a plant-forward diet where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed.
Is there an Evidence-Based Diet for Blood Clot Prevention?
No, that would be like saying anti-clotting meds (blood thinners) prevent blood clots – they reduce risk.
However, blood clots are a cardiovascular event.
In 2007, the American Heart Association released a comparative study citing “A diet including more plant food and fish and less red and processed meat is associated with a lower incidence of VTE.” – recommendations that research continues to highlight and build upon.
A study published in Stroke (PMID: 34872335) , suggests that adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet in midlife was associated with a lower risk of subarachnoid stroke.
Adherence to the AHEI was associated with a lower risk of total stroke, mainly ischemic and intracerebral hemorrhage.
The study on “Nutrition, Thrombosis, and Cardiovascular Disease” ( PMID: 32379574 ) cites some exciting research on various food nutrients interrupting the mechanisms for clotting and exhibiting anti-inflammatory events.
The data in this study could suggest that specific nutrients possess antithrombotic properties (reduces the formation of blood clots.)
An effect that may prove useful for primary CVD prevention or to complement antiplatelet treatment in secondary prevention as the science evolves.
Considerable evidence supports the cardiovascular benefits of healthful plant-based diets, and these diets and their constituent foods are getting increasing recognition in dietary recommendations.
PMID: 29496410
Personally and with clearance from my care team, I adopted a exclusively plant-based lifestyle to reduce my lifestyle risk factors for future VTE, and to support my total cardiovasular health.
Plant-based proteins work for me, bonus that soy has been shown to reduce Menopause symptoms for women who choose not to take hormone therapy.
Positively impacting your health isn’t all or nothing, nor is it ever too late to work.
Work with health and fitness professionals to develop a personal, safe, enjoyable and sustainable plan to improve your health.
Resources:
Exploring Opportunities for Primary Prevention of Unprovoked Venous Thromboembolism: Ready for Prime Time? PMID: 33191841
Greater fish, fruit, and vegetable intakes are related to lower incidence of venous thromboembolism: the Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology: PMID: 17179018
Plant‐Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All‐Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle‐Aged Adults: PMID: 31387433
Adherence to the EAT-Lancet Diet and Risk of Stroke and Stroke Subtypes: PMID: 34872335
Plant-based diets and cardiovascular health: PMID: 29496410
2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association: PMID: 34724806
Nutrition, Thrombosis, and Cardiovascular Disease: PMID: 32379574
Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI)
The EAT-Lancet Diet
