Your blood naturally clots to stop bleeding when damage to a vessel occurs. Unfortunately, blood can form a clot inside an artery or a vein, which can block blood flow to an organ, or the clot can travel to the lungs, the heart or the brain, leading to pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke. Cayenne may reduce the risk of blood clot formation, but there is no evidence that it will dissolve existing blood clots. Since blood clots can be fatal in some instances, your doctor is the best source of advice and treatment for preventing or dissolving clots.
Cayenne and Blood Coagulation
The active medicinal constituent in cayenne is capsaicin, which is also the component that gives the herb its hot spicy flavor. Cayenne also contains flavonoids, volatile oils and steroid saponins, according to the "PDR for Herbal Medicines." Taken internally, cayenne may increase hypocoagulability, meaning it may decrease blood's ability to coagulate, which may in turn, reduce the formation of blood clots.
Circulation and Blood Clots
Taking cayenne in therapeutic doses may increase circulation and decrease the risk of blood clot formation, according to the "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicines." The herb may also reduce high cholesterol levels and the risk of suffering a heart attack. Clinical research supporting these benefits is lacking, however.
Dosages
The "Gale Encyclopedia" suggests a general dosage of herbal cayenne tea, made by pouring one cup of boiling water over 1/4 tsp. of powdered cayenne pepper. There is no available dose for the prevention of blood clots, however, so check with your doctor for specific dosing advice.
Considerations
Cayenne in the suggested dosage, or as a food additive, is generally recognized as safe, or GRAS. In higher doses, however, you may experience mouth, throat and stomach irritation or the formation of ulcers. In toxic, or very high, doses damage to the kidneys and liver are possible.
Cayenne may interfere with blood thinners and drugs used to treat asthma. Do not give cayenne to infants or small children. Use this herb for clot prevention only under a doctor's supervision.
References
- "PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd Edition"; Joerg Gruenwald, PhD, 2000
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Volume 2"; Jacqueline L. Longe; 2005
- American Society of Hematology: Blood Clots
