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What difference can magnesium make to prevent dangerous blood clots?
In Australia blood clots are responsible for the top three cardiovascular killers: stroke, heart attack, and VTE (venous thromboembolism). Every year about 30,000 Australians develop a thrombosis of some sort, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
What is a Blood Clot?
After an injury the blood vessel narrows near the injury site to minimize blood loss. Blood clots are plugs made up of red blood cells, platelets and fibrin protein mesh that form around an injury to the endothelial lining, so as to block the breach. Normally this would then trigger white blood cells called macrophages to clean the wound and release growth factors to build new cells and repair tissue. When healing is complete, enzymes like plasmin break down the fibrin strands, restoring blood flow and removing the clot.
However, the dangerous blood clots are the ones where healing is hindered, the vessel repair fails, and the blood clot is not dissolved. In this case the clot can grow so big it blocks blood flow and causes a lot of pain. A DVT is a blood clot that has formed in the deep veins of your body – usually in your calves or upper legs.
A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot breaks off from the wall of the vein and travels to your lungs, causing a blockage. A blood clot that forms in an artery is known as an arterial thrombosis. An example of this is a blood clot in the artery of the heart which can lead to myocardial infarction (a heart attack), or a stroke when it forms in the brain.
Hypercoagulation (thrombophilia)
The tendency for hypercoagulation can occur due to genetic inheritance. The most common genetic risk factor for thrombophilia is Factor V Leiden mutation. It increases the risk of thrombosis by enhanced thrombin production.
Acquired factors also influence the coagulation cascade and include surgery, pregnancy, hormonal replacement therapy, contraception, malignancy, inflammation, excessive stress, infection, and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. All of those circumstances involve some kind of micro damage to blood vessels. Problems with the healing phase can occur with liver dysfunction, or in those who are smokers or who drink excessive alcohol.
“Autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, polyarteritis nodosa, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Behcet's syndrome increase the risk of thrombotic events.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538251/#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20acquired%20thrombophilia,venous%20thrombosis%20and%20fetal%20loss.
Higher Risk for Those with Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
Thrombosis, acidosis, and high cortisol levels are interconnected. Stress hormones trigger the release of cortisol, which can increase pro-thrombotic states, with lower blood oxygen levels leading to the formation of blood clots. Acidosis, particularly lactic acidosis, can itself be a stressor, stimulating the release of stress hormones like cortisol and catecholamines. Therefore, conditions involving acidosis and high cortisol levels increase the risk of thrombosis via inflammatory processes.
When the cell oxygen levels are too low, mitochondria switch to anaerobic (without oxygen) sugar metabolism because you need oxygen to burn the fat (ie. aerobic metabolism). People with metabolic issues crave more carbohydrates to get energy, but end up with excessive blood sugar because they don’t get enough insulin able to take the blood sugar inside cells.
The body then sends the extra glucose and insulin to the liver to process and store mostly as adipose fat around the middle. Sugar metabolism also produces more acidic byproducts, and if the cell cannot neutralise these free radicals called ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), metabolism slows down by creating resistance for the insulin and blood sugar to get in. The cell protects itself by cutting back metabolism, and therefore production of more waste products, so that antioxidant hormones like glutathione and superoxide dismutase can have a chance to clean up and restore homeostasis (balance).
Acidic states in tissue cells, often a result of inflammatory byproducts, will attract more free calcium to deposit and contribute to hardening of vessels if the pH balance is not addressed. Calcium is a way that the body can alkalise an area subjected to inflammation and acidosis because calcium is an alkalising mineral, but the downside is that the calcium can remain stuck in the tissue of the endothelial linings.
Arterial plaque contains calcium deposits, which over time restricts the flexibility of the vessel wall, and pushes up blood pressure, increasing the risk of micro splits in the lining if blood pressure goes too high. These sites of injury produce more inflammation and potential for clot formation. So it can become a vicious cycle. “A decrease in blood pH can lead to an increase in the enzymatic activity of coagulation factors, a reduction in the anticoagulant activity of heparin, and an increase in the ability to aggregate platelets, leading to hypercoagulation of the blood and, ultimately, DVT.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0049384819302956
“Changes in intracellular pH can affect virtually all cellular processes, including metabolism, membrane potential, cell growth, movement of substances across the surface membrane, state of polymerization of the cytoskeleton, and the ability to contract in muscle cells… In addition, changes in pH will affect the water absorption capacity of vein intima epithelial cells, leading to more significant changes in the permeability of blood vessels, such as local redness and swelling of blood vessels, adverse effects on human blood circulation, and decreased metabolic function of vascular intima, which will ultimately affect blood coagulation function.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45712-0
Common medical treatments use blood thinners (anti-coagulants) like aspirin, to thin the blood and help it get past any plaque obstructions. However, current therapies still possess limitations, including increased risk of bleeding – and that includes bleeding in the brain. In acute situations you may have no other choice than to use blood thinners to treat a crisis, so make sure to consult with your doctor regarding medications. Direct oral anticoagulants are often contraindicated in elderly patients (>80 years) and in patients with impaired renal function or advanced cancer.
Dietary magnesium chloride salt (and via skin) to support the body’s needs
Magnesium is known to have anti-thrombotic effects, but it doesn’t act like a drug blood thinner. Instead, magnesium acts as an electrolyte mediator and regulator to support balance and homeostasis. It does this directly via its antagonism of calcium, and via its co-factoring with enzymes and other nutrients to leverage their effects. Magnesium is known to be essential for the activity of over 600 enzymes, and we even need magnesium to make proteins – such as collagen, hormones, DNA and enzymes. How does it do all that? It does so via its role in mitochondrial metabolism and production of the ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) energy currency - as in biological batter power. Magnesium in this way works as a power point to support all organs and systems, especially blood and the immune system.
Note that the immune cells are most highly concentrated in endothelial linings of blood vessels, our gut, blood-brain barrier and other tubules of filtering organs like the kidneys. These sites are critical areas of defence strategy for the body, where breaches by foreign objects or organisms can result in blood sepsis and death. They are therefore more prone to inflammation and its acidic byproducts. If the body’s detoxification system and pH balancing system is dysfunctional, then a cascade of evolving thrombosis and cardiovascular issues are inevitable.
A change in diet to reduce carbohydrates, increase alkalinity, and increase magnesium-rich foods is an essential natural strategy to counterbalance the metabolic-acidic issues that promote thrombosis and other cardiovascular issues. Magnesium protects cells against oxidative stress, which is essential to maintain pH balance, and avoid acidic conditions that lead to thrombosis. 1 You can also assist the body’s pH system by adding a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda per litre of drinking water (along with magnesium chloride drops), and make sure to drink enough water to help your cells rinse and flush.
Sufficient magnesium salt via diet and skin can prevent neuroinflammation and reduce risk of strokes. Read more in this article about magnesium and brain function. Take care also to avoid toxins and chemicals that hinder and block magnesium, such as fluoride, aluminium, mercury and lead (to name a few).
Magnesium helps to prevent hypercoagulability and thrombosis formation, and has been shown to reduce platelet aggregation both in vitro and ex vivo. This study showed, “Topically applied magnesium significantly decreased the maximum thrombus area, without any increase in serum magnesium level (p<0.05). The magnesium-treated groups showed no increase in bleeding complications. A transient fall in blood pressure was seen in the systemic magnesium group… In conclusion, topically as well as intravenously infused magnesium reduced arterial thrombus formation in this in vivo rat model without compromising haemostasis.” 2 So all those good things happen with magnesium – without interfering with ‘haemostasis’ (and therefore no excessive bleeding events, as can occur with blood thinners).
Did you also notice in the conclusion of this study that they mentioned topically applied magnesium reduced the size of the blood clot (thrombus) without a change in magnesium blood plasma level? This is because magnesium ions can travel from tissue cell to tissue cell directly via the membrane channels, and are not restricted only to travel via blood. 3
Dissolved magnesium chloride salt is the most bio-available magnesium that can get right into cells quickly, bypassing the need for digestion. This is why regular soaking and bathing in magnesium, as well as application of Magnesium Cream, Lotion and/or Oil, can help supply optimal magnesium, where food alone may not be enough.
By Sandy Sanderson © 2025
REFERENCES:
(1) Fujita, K.; Shindo, Y.; Katsuta, Y.; Goto, M.; Hotta, K.; Oka, K. Intracellular Mg2+ Protects Mitochondria from Oxidative Stress in Human Keratinocytes. Commun Biol 2023, 6 (1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05247-6.
(2) Toft, G.; Ravn, H. B.; Hjortdal, V. E. Intravenously and Topically Applied Magnesium in the Prevention of Arterial Thrombosis☆ Thrombosis Research 2000, 99 (1), 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0049-3848(00)00215-2.
(3) Ryazanova, L. V.; Rondon, L. J.; Zierler, S.; Hu, Z.; Galli, J.; Yamaguchi, T. P.; Mazur, A.; Fleig, A.; Ryazanov, A. G. TRPM7 Is Essential for Mg2+ Homeostasis in Mammals. Nat Commun 2010, 1 (1), 109. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1108.