Blood clots are the #1 cause of death in the Western world. In most cases, it is possible to prevent or neutralize them. Read on to find out more about why blood clots form and how you can protect yourself from stroke, heart attack or pulmonary embolism that may result from blood clots!

According to the American Thrombosis Association, 5 million to 20 million cases of blood clot related diseases occur in the United States each year. An abnormal blood clot, also called a thrombus, can form in the arteries or veins. When a small piece of a blood clot breaks off and starts traveling through the blood stream, it may end up blocking an artery supplying blood and oxygen to the heart, brain or lungs, resulting in a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism. Taken together, these three possible outcomes of blood clotting (thrombosis) make it the #1 cause of death in the Western world.

For example, in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) a blood clot forms within one of the large, deep veins of the body. Usually, it occurs in the deep veins of the calf, thigh or knee. Of those individuals who have DVT and do nothing about it, 10-20 percent eventually develop pulmonary embolism (PE) – one of the most serious and possibly fatal complications of DVT. PE occurs when a small piece of a deep vein blood clot breaks away and is carried in the blood to the lungs, where it obstructs the pulmonary artery, which travels from the heart to the lungs, reducing or preventing the flow of blood to the lungs. In addition to being a life-threatening condition by itself, PE creates a higher risk of related problems such as heart failure and the resulting sudden death.

Two years ago, after a long cross-country RV trip, I have developed DVT in my leg. I was also diagnosed with arrhythmia. My doctor has prescribed Coumadin (10 mg), and said that there is a strong chance that I will have to stay on it for quite a long time, maybe for the rest of my life. My Protime was 16, and he wanted it to be at least 22.

After a while, I have developed some side effects that I think were the result of taking Coumadin. One of them was fatigue and a near-complete loss of taste. Later, I was also told about how I may develop a fatal “Coumadin bleed”, and that Coumadin is also used as rat poison. I asked my doctor if he could switch me to a different medication, but he said that there were no alternatives to Coumadin.

Naturally, I still wanted to get off Coumadin or at least reduce it. My PT was fluctuating around 21-22 at the time. I started searching for alternative blood thinning remedies on the Web, and came across your Gold of pleasure oil.

I began taking your oil twice daily, one tablespoon at a time. Sometimes, I also use it on my salad. In two weeks, my Protime went up to 24, and my doctor reduced Coumadin to 7.5 mg. After one more week, he reduced in to 5 mg. My cholesterol and blood lipids have also dropped considerably. I have much more energy, and I can taste my food again!

Lately, I also started eating more garlic. I hope that your oil and garlic will help me to stop using Coumadin altogether.

Robert M., 52, Los Angeles, CA

Nine months ago, I had my second mini-stroke (TIA). I also have a history of high blood pressure and atrial fib.

After I had the second TIA, I was put on 10 mg of Coumadin a day to keep my blood thin because I was told that there’s a considerable risk of a full-blown stroke event or a heart attack. Very soon my gums started bleeding and I felt dizzy and weak all the time. Even small wounds seemed to take forever to heal.

I started looking for natural alternatives to Coumadin. I started with 240 mg of Ginkgo Biloba daily, and then added a daily tablespoon of your wild flax oil. I did not tell my doctor about this, because he was very skeptical when I tried to discuss natural treatments with him before.

After two weeks of combining Ginkgo Biloba with wild flax oil, my PT started going up (I was still taking 10 mg of Coumadin daily). My doctor reduced the dosage, but next week my PT was still higher than he wanted it to be.

Right now, I am completely off Coumadin (what a relief considering all the horror stories about its side effects!). I take one baby aspirin just to be on the safe side, but I am thinking about stopping, because it is believed to cause stomach ulcers. I have my protime checked regularly, and it is stable and comfortably high. I have not had any atrial fib for a long time, either, and my blood pressure is 115/70. I still take 240 mg of Ginkgo Biloba and a tablespoon of your oil daily, and plan to do it for the rest of my life. Thanks a lot, guys, I owe you one!

Betty C., 46, Dallas, TX

Don't become a statistic - take steps to prevent and overcome blood clots and their deadly complications today!

Blood clotting is a natural process used by our body to prevent excessive bleeding and to repair damage inflicted on the blood vessels by such factors as free radicals, oxidized lipids and LDL cholesterol. When a healthy body is exposed to such damage, it causes platelets (special small blood cells needed for normal blood clotting, also called thrombocytes) to adhere to exposed collagen on the cell wall of the damaged blood vessel and produce chemicals that start the clotting process. After the damage has been repaired and healed by forming a protective blood clot, the body releases a different set of chemicals (called platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants and vasodilators) designed to disperse or diminish the clot when it is no longer needed. If for some reason our body fails to dissolve this unneeded blood clot and it still stays in the system, it becomes a potentially serious health threat.

As you can see, the natural system of blood clotting is quite complex. To function effectively, it depends on proper interactions between different chemicals produced in our body. Its ability to produce such chemicals often depends on whether we get (or don’t get) certain important nutrients (primarily, antiplatelet and vasodilatory omega-3 fatty acids) from the food we eat. Additionally, our food should provide another important set of nutrients called antioxidants, needed by our body to prevent damage to the blood vessel walls, thus diminishing the need to produce blood clots in the first place. The problem is that the standard American diet (ironically referred to as SAD by many nutritionists) often fails to provide our body with these vital nutrients, being glaringly deficient in both omega-3s and antioxidants. Because of these crucial and widespread nutritional imbalances, our blood vessels become more prone to damage, necessitating the formation of blood clots, and our blood thickens, while our body becomes unable to produce enough anti-clotting chemicals to keep the blood flowing smoothly and to dissolve the clots after they are no longer needed. The end result of this is thrombosis and all the harmful and possibly fatal complications that come with it.

Fortunately, many studies have shown that these imbalances may be successfully corrected and reversed by natural foods and dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. The beauty of this approach is that, unlike synthetic drugs such as Coumadin (originally used as rat poison - more about this below), foods and food-derived supplements provide long-term support for the natural regulatory mechanisms of the body and allow it to maintain its own equilibrium (homeostasis), rather than artificially force it into producing a certain short-term result with inevitable side effects.

Gold of pleasure (wild flax) oil: the giant among the anti-clotting natural foods and supplements

Aged garlic, tomatoes, grape juice, fresh onions, green tea and a spice called turmeric (curcumin) are frequently recommended by naturopathic doctors to be added to one’s everyday diet in order to prevent blood clots. Each of these natural foods provides its own important anti-clotting benefits. For example, garlic has been found to increase the synthesis of nitric oxide, a chemical messenger that inhibits platelet aggregation and vasodilates (widens) blood vessels. Lycopene, found in tomatoes, has been shown to be particularly effective in blocking the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Onion juice has been shown to reduce platelet aggregation, while turmeric (curcumin) is commonly used for its anti-inflammatory effects. It is a good idea to include moderate quantities of these foods into your diet, making sure that they are organically produced, i.e. not contaminated with harmful pesticides or herbicides. Using high-quality dietary supplements such as policosanol, Ginkgo Biloba and niacin (vitamin B3) has also shown beneficial effects on blood parameters and the body’s antioxidant status.

As we can see, holistic nutritionists have identified a variety of health-promoting foods and supplements capable of providing important benefits in optimizing our body’s own natural blood clotting mechanisms. However, according to an emerging consensus among health researchers and nutritionists, there is one anti-clotting food/suplement that truly stands out from the crowd in its ability to provide effective long-term anti-clotting and antioxidant support to our body. Its name is Gold of Pleasure (wild flax) oil – a powerful, time-tested natural concentrate of the most important and well-researched anti-clotting and antioxidant nutrients: omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E (tocopherol).

Gold of pleasure oil is unique in its ability to supply our body with both omega-3 fatty acids to prevent blood clots and potent antioxidant vitamins to protect blood vessels

Omega-3 fatty acids are in the spotlight of today's natural and holistic approaches to human health. These healthy essential fats (they are called “essential” because our body cannot manufacture them and must get them from the diet) have been almost entirely forced out of the everyday American diet because of the commercialization of our food supply by the food processing industry. In recent years, extensive research and numerous clinical studies have confirmed that omega-3 fats are involved in many vital physiological processes in our bodies, including the complex mechanisms of blood clotting. It has been shown again and again that a deficit of omega-3s may cause or aggravate many serious medical problems and conditions, including thrombosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders. Gold of pleasure (wild flax) oil is a uniquely rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) – the “parent” fatty acid of the omega-3 family of health-promoting essential fats.

Several studies examined the antiplatelet mechanisms of omega-3 fatty acids and showed that they inhibited collagen- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation, preventing the formation of blood clots. The table below contains a summary of findings from major epidemiologic studies clearly demonstrating the benefits of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) supplied by Gold of pleasure oil in reducing the risk of heart attacks and cardiac deaths caused by blood clots and other pathogenic factors:

The seed oil of Gold of pleasure (Camelina Sativa) contains an exceptional amount (up to 45 per cent) of heart-healthy omega-3 ALA, as well as a unique antioxidant complex giving it an additional important advantage as a cardiovascular supplement. Combined with a delicious nutty flavor, this extraordinary blend of beneficial omega-3 EFAs and high oxidative stability makes Gold of pleasure oil an excellent, versatile overall source of both omega-3 fats and powerful antioxidants, including tocopherols, carotenoids, and phosphatides. At 110mg/100g, its vitamin E (tocopherol) content is among the highest of all natural tocopherol sources.

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a very important part of anti-clotting supplementation because it both provides a direct anti-clotting effect by stimulating the synthesis of prostaglandin I2 (one of the major platelet aggregation inhibitors and vasodilators) and increases the resistance of blood vessels to free radical damage by giving our body a powerful antioxidant boost. Thus, vitamin E works against blood clots in two ways: by preventing the platelets (thrombocytes) from sticking to each other too much and by helping to avoid blood vessel injuries leading to clot formation.

As you probably know, there are other available sources of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils and flaxseed oil are the most popular ones), but none of them combines omega-3s with potent antioxidants such as vitamin E. On the contrary, using fish oils or flaxseed oil as omega-3 supplements may aggravate the overall free radical overload leading to artery damage. Unlike Gold of pleasure oil, fish oils and flaxseed oil go rancid very easily, especially when their natural antioxidants are removed by refining or distillation. This process is known as auto-oxidation, and it generates millions and millions of damaging free radicals. Bruce Fife, N.D., talks about these unwanted side effects of taking unstable omega-3 oils in his article entitled "The Facts on Flax"⁷:

"Polyunsaturated oils, including flaxseed oil, are easily oxidized. When it oxidizes it kicks off a series of free-radical chain reactions that affects all molecules around it. Millions of molecules can be destroyed or oxidized by the generation of a single free radical. Cholesterol that is in close proximity to a polyunsaturated oil that is becoming oxidized, as is the case in lipoproteins, will also become oxidized. These oxidized, free-radical damaged oils are absorbed into the lining of the artery walls and contribute to the formation of plaque."

Oxidation and free radical formation is, indeed, a major problem with fish oils and flaxseed oil, for which no solution has been offered so far. These oils are poor in natural antioxidants, and start going rancid as soon as they are extracted from the seeds (flaxseed oil) of fish tissues (fish oil). Most commercially available varieties of fish oil and flaxseed oil, both liquid and encapsulated, get rancid before they are consumed. And even if they don't, there is no way to avoid oxidation and rancidity once these oils enter your body. Once ingested, they inevitably trigger free radical chain reactions, assaulting millions upon millions of healthy molecules and damaging artery walls. Your body tries to stop these reactions with its own natural reserves of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, putting these reserves under an unnecessary and undesirable stress. As a result, the benefits of taking fish oils or flax oil without additional antioxidants may well be outweighed by the harm done by free radicals and other toxic by-products of lipid oxidation.

Unlike fish oils and flax oil, Gold of pleasure oil is exceptionally stable and resistant to oxidation. Not only does it not cause the formation of artery-damaging free radicals, but it actually protects the blood vessels from free radical damage by supplying our body with powerful antioxidants such as vitamin E. Combined with its abundance in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), these antioxidants make Gold of pleasure oil one of the most powerful and well-balanced natural anti-clotting supplements available today.

After my stroke on 8/31/2003, I was put on Coumadin (also Lovenox shots for three weeks). I hated Coumadin, feeling that I was allergic to it. I felt light-headed and weak, and my INR kept fluctuating wildly – from 5.1 (too high) to 1.6 (too low) without any apparent reason.

After a while, I have consulted a naturopathic doctor, and he recommended that I start supplementing with fish oil, Ginkgo Biloba and Kyolic garlic extract. He warned me that doing this while still on Coumadin requires very close monitoring of my protime, but I was tested every week because of Coumadin, anyway. I am a vegetarian, so I decided to use flaxseed oil instead of fish oil, and started taking a tablespoon of flaxseed oil, 180 mg of Ginkgo Biloba and two 350 mg capsules of Kyolic daily.

In about three weeks, my clotting time started going up. The only concern I had was related to flaxseed oil. I am very sensitive to rancidity in oils, and, no matter which brand I used, the oil always tasted kind of rancid and left an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. I asked the naturopath about it, and he said that this is a common problem with flaxseed oil. He said that I should try Gold of pleasure oil instead.

I switched to Gold of pleasure oil, and my readings just kept getting better. The numbers also stopped fluctuating from week to week, with a general upward trend. My primary doctor kept reducing Coumadin, and three weeks ago he finally told me that I can stop taking it, but only if we keep watching my protime closely. So far – so good, the readings are still stable and well within the range!

Charles M., 61, Destin, FL

Another important advantage of Gold of pleasure oil is that it has a delicate, pleasant taste that makes it perfectly suitable for use as an everyday anti-clotting and antioxidant food. It is delicious on salads and in salad dressings, and is perfectly suitable for baking and even light sauteing. Combined with extra virgin olive oil (or by itself), it makes a wonderful dipping oil. You will find plenty of interesting suggestions on how to use Gold of pleasure oil in your cooking on our recipes page. When you use Gold of pleasure oil in your kitchen, you make sure that every meal that contains it will provide you and your family with important long-term health benefits!

The hidden dangers of Coumadin (warfarin) and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)

Although many nutritionists and doctors think that a “dietary” strategy using health-promoting foods and supplements is the best long-term approach to preventing and diminishing potentially life-threatening blood clots and thus reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack or pulmonary embolism, it may sometimes be necessary to treat those who are at the highest risk of developing blood clots with synthetic anticoagulants such as Coumadin (warfarin). Under some circumstances – for example, in cancer patients, heart attack survivors and persons with artificial heart valves - Coumadin use may sometimes be justified, but using it as a day-to-day clot prevention tool in people not exposed to the above-mentioned severe risk factors is thought by many doctors to be excessive, to say the least. Nevertheless, nowadays Coumadin is used by allopathic doctors so routinely that it has become one of the most widely prescribed drugs in America.

Using Coumadin - originally developed and widely used as rat poison - may lead to very serious side effects such as hemorrhage (internal bleeding) and necrosis (gangrene) of the skin. Bleeding around the brain may cause severe headache and paralysis, while bleeding in the stomach or intestines may lead to weakness, fainting spells, black tarry stools, vomiting of blood, or coffee ground material. Other side effects may include purple, painful toes, rash, hair loss, bloating, diarrhea, and jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin). To avoid thinning the blood too much while on Coumadin, your doctor should perform a so-called PT/INR (Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio) test of your blood weekly.

Even if you are on Coumadin, it is still a good idea to supplement your diet with Gold of pleasure oil, as well as other antioxidant foods and supplements. The active ingredient of Coumadin works differently from omega-3 fatty acids, and, while anyone using Coumadin should keep a close watch on blood coagulation indicators to avoid excessive thinning of the blood, omega-3s, including ALA, are not on the list of substances considered to be incompatible with Coumadin. Because they work by enhancing and optimizing your body’s own natural mechanisms and are a natural component of food supply, their use is always considered beneficial for cardiovascular health. And as far as natural protective antioxidants contained in Gold of pleasure oil are concerned, it is a good idea to increase their intake no matter what synthetic drugs you may be advised to use. In fact, it is often very beneficial to increase your antioxidant intake when you are using synthetic medications, because many of them tend to deplete our body’s antioxidant reserves.

Another common drug often used for thinning the blood is aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation by interfering with thromboxane synthesis. While aspirin has been proven effective in preventing recurrent strokes and transient ischemic attacks, and it is a great idea to have some aspirin handy if you actually start experiencing a heart attack (chewing an aspirin tablet is the first thing that should be done after a heart attack actually begins to improve your chances of surviving it), its prolonged use very often causes stomach ulcers, which, under certain circumstances, may pose serious health threats themselves. There is no human being that can swallow an aspirin (even the so-called “buffered”, or “baby” aspirin) and not suffer from a corrosive effect on the lining of their stomach, causing a microhemorrhage right where the pill hits the stomach lining. Over the long term, regular aspirin use may also lead to permanent kidney damage (renal papillary necrosis, interstitial nephritis, protein in the urine and kidney failure). In fact, there are 3,000 deaths a year from aspirin poisoning in the US alone.

Therefore, if you do choose to take a daily aspirin for blood thinning, you should take extra steps to protect your stomach lining from inflammation and ulceration. According to many studies, such protection is best achieved by taking Gold of pleasure oil or extra virgin Siberian pine nut oil.

Summing up the above, we can only reiterate that in dealing with blood clots and their consequences, just like in many other health-related situations, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Blood clots may present serious health problems and threats, but in most cases they are preventable by dietary means. Do yourself and your family a favor – make Gold of pleasure oil, garlic, green tea and other natural foods and supplements that make your blood flow smoothly an everyday part of your diet today!

While being a rich source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic (ALA), Gold of pleasure oil is also highly monounsaturated, naturally supplying more than 30 percent of stable monounsaturated (oleic and gadoleic) fatty acids. This significant proportion of monounsaturates (monounsaturated olive oil forms the basis of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet) further enhances the oxidative stability of Gold of pleasure oil, and makes it a more versatile cooking oil. In addition, Gold of pleasure oil is relatively low in omega-6 linoleic acid, resulting in a favorable omega-3/omega-6 ratio of up to 3-to-1.

The combination of these important advantages makes Gold of pleasure oil the most balanced and desirable source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. While supplying almost as much omega-3s as flax oil, it is highly stable and abundant in vitamin E and other natural antioxidants, as well as beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids. As a result, it does not promote the formation of harmful free radicals. On the contrary, it helps resist their destructive effects by providing powerful antioxidant protection.

For a limited time, every bottle of the oil comes with special $5.95 flat rate shipping anywhere in the United States. To order a 17-oz. (500 ml) bottle of cold-pressed, unrefined Gold of pleasure oil and take advantage of the special flat rate shipping of your order, press the Buy Now button above or call the toll-free order line at 1(877)739-9925 . All orders are shipped from Springfield, Vermont.

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REFERENCES:
1. Lemaitre RN, King AB, Mozaffarian D, et al. 2003. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fatal ischemic heart disease, and nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 74: 612-619.
2. De Lorgeril M, Renaud S, Mamelle N, et al. 1994. Mediterranean alpha-linolenic-acid-rich diet in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Lancet 343: 1454-1459.
3. Dolecek TA. 1992. Epidemiological evidence of relationships between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and mortality in the Multiple Risk factor Intervention Trial. Pro. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 200: 177-182.
4. Djousse L, Pankow JS, Eckfeldt JH, et al. 2001. Relation between dietary linolenic acid and coronary artery disease in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 74: 612-619.
5. Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Giovannucci EL, et al. 1996. Dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease in men: Cohort follow up study in the United States. British Medical Journal 313: 84-90.
6. Hu MB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, et al. 1999. Dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid and risk of fatal ischemic heart disease among women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69: 890-897.
7. Bruce Fife, N.D. The Facts on Flax. Excerpted from the book Saturated Fats May Save Your Life, Piccadilly Books, 1999.