Surprising Solution Slashes Deadly Clot Risk

Blood clots are like assassins… silent and deadly.

When one forms, it often doesn’t give a single warning sign.

Beyond disrupting blood flow where they form, clots that break off can travel to other areas of the body causing stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs).

Staying active during the day is one of the BEST ways to prevent blood clots. Elevating your legs or massaging them to stimulate blood flow can also help.

But scientists have identified another surprising step we could ALL be taking to reduce our risk of a potentially deadly blood clots.

Platelets are cells that patrol your bloodstream, binding together whenever they detect blood vessel damage.

Blood clots form when platelets clump together or coagulate, in your bloodstream.

They can be caused by an injury (like a trauma or surgery), prolonged sitting, or certain medications. And they can be deadly.

But incredibly, new research has revealed you can help prevent them simply by practicing intermittent fasting.

After a successful mouse study, researchers recruited 160 people with coronary artery disease, a condition that increases blood clot risk. They were taking aspirin (which discourages blood clots from forming) but were not taking anticoagulants.

The volunteers were divided into two groups. One practiced intermittent fasting for 10 days, while the other followed their usual diet.

Intermittent fasting confines eating to a limited window (often 6 to 8 hours) and you fast for the other 16-18 hours.

The blood samples from both the humans and the mice showed that intermittent fasting can help stop platelet activation and prevent the formation of blood clots.

A closer look revealed that those in the intermittent fasting group had higher levels of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a metabolite that keeps platelets from clumping.

An even deeper dive showed that this benefit likely began in the gut.

That’s because intermittent fasting leads to higher levels of bacteria called C. sporogenes, which produce IPA.

And then, when the researchers temporarily cut off blood flow to the hearts or brains of the mice (simulating a heart attack or stroke), those who did the intermittent fasting had better outcomes.

Those are impressive results for something as simple as limiting when you eat.

Many people choose intermittent fasting to help them lose weight—and it will absolutely do that. However, it does so much more.

Other studies show intermittent fasting can…

• improve blood sugar control,
• reduce inflammation,
• increase cellular repair,
• and improve brain and heart health.

Now, we can add reducing the risk of deadly blood clots to the list.

P.S. This is the WORST dinner time for your heart.

View Sources

Zhiyong Qi, Luning Zhou, Shimo Dai, Peng Zhang, Intermittent fasting inhibits platelet activation and thrombosis through the intestinal metabolite indole-3-propionate, Life Metabolism, 2025;, loaf002