Can I take garlic as a blood thinner?

Naturally Savvy
Naturally Savvy

Q. I wish to take garlic supplements as blood thinner. I read that you shouldn't take garlic with aspirin or Omega 3's. Is this true?

A: Garlic, fish oil (omega-3), and aspirin are all blood thinners. Warnings about blood thinners are mainly specific to Warfarin, a prescribed blood thinner. Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index, meaning the dosage taken must be precise. It does not combine well with any other blood thinner (including herbal or natural). The primary danger in taking too many blood thinners is, in case of an accident, you may experience excessive bleeding. Blood clots are far more dangerous than blood that is too thin. Garlic supplements taken with fish oil are safe and, as blood thinners, are equally as effective as aspirin.

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Lisa Tsakos
Lisa has been in her own practice for over 15 years and specializes in weight management. She teaches natural nutrition in both corporate and educational environments and is a shining example of someone who practices what she teaches. Lisa is a nutritionist and educator specializing in weight management. After losing weight several years ago through a more natural diet and by improving her digestion, she committed to sharing her new-found knowledge and returned to school to study nutrition. Over the past decade, her Nu-Vitality Weight Program has helped employees at numerous corporations lose thousands of pounds. In addition, Lisa regularly consults for groups and individuals with unique nutritional needs such as police officers and athletes. Lisa has been featured on the Discovery Channel, numerous radio programs and is a contributor to various publications. Additionally, she teaches nutrition at multiple post-secondary schools, has taught natural food cooking workshops, and authored two books.