How to avoid blood clots, strokes and heart attacks?

Your body constantly forms and dissolves clots as part of its healthy functioning. A clot, called a thrombus, is made up of 96 percent protein and only 4 percent cholesterol. Yet many people believe cholesterol is the culprit, even though consuming cholesterol won’t form clots leading to strokes and heart attacks.

A clot can become a problem when it doesn’t dissolve. Your body produces a compound that blocks your ability to dissolve clots — and when this compound is elevated so too is your risk of a thrombus. Keeping the compound low is key, and can be done by avoiding four specific triggers that elevate it: glucose, insulin, cortisol, and estrogen.

Estrogen as a trigger explains why women who take hormone replacement therapy are at increased risk of a stroke. If you believe saturated fats are the culprit in blood clots, you can be assured they’re not. Saturated fats aren’t one of the triggers of the compound that prevents your body from dissolving clots as it normally would. This is good news if you’re already on or considering going on the keto diet, and were hesitant because you wondered if eating saturated fats might increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes. It won’t.

*The above information is not intended for diagnosis. If you have any health concerns you should consult your physician.