Improving Blood Health

Blood is the fluid of life, supplying your cells with oxygen and nutrients. Its quality directly affects the functioning of your heart, brain, and other organs.

1. 🔍 What Actually Happens in Your Blood?

🧬 Blood viscosity: why is it important?

Blood viscosity is the “thickness” of blood. Imagine the difference between water and honey. Thin blood flows more easily, enters the smallest capillaries, and delivers oxygen more efficiently. Thick blood works more slowly and can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and poor tissue nutrition.

🧼 Detoxification: how your body cleanses itself

You already have two main cleansing systems:

• The liver is the main filter. It converts toxins into less harmful substances through two stages of metabolism, then excretes them through bile.
• The kidneys filter approximately 120-150 liters of blood per day, removing waste and regulating electrolyte balance.

Auxiliary organs: the intestines (remove solid waste), the lungs (remove gases), the skin (remove waste through sweat)

There is no evidence that any “detox” product magically cleanses the blood better than your own system. All you need to do is support the functioning of your liver and kidneys.

2. ✅ What Really Works

2.1 🏃‍♂️ Exercise — the gold standard (Level of evidence: 8/10)

One of the first serious scientific analyses showed that athletes naturally have thinner blood than people who do not exercise.

After 3 months of regular training:

• Blood viscosity decreases by 10-15%
• Red blood cell deformability improves significantly
• The effect persists even in people with medical conditions

2.2 💧 Proper hydration with electrolytes (8/10)

Water alone is not enough. A study showed that simply increasing water consumption did not reduce blood viscosity in the short term.

But here's what works: drinks with carbohydrates and electrolytes (salt + sugar) viscosity decreases by 10-20%

Mechanism: electrolytes help retain water in the bloodstream (it does not escape into the intercellular space).

The norm is 2-3 liters of water per day, but it is better to add a small amount of salt or sports drinks when exercising.

2.3 🥗 Mediterranean diet — tested on 7,500 people (Confidence level: 9/10)

The PREDIMED Trial is one of the largest trials in the history of nutrition. Researchers divided people into three groups:

• Low-fat diet (control)
• Mediterranean diet with olive oil
• Mediterranean diet with nuts

Results after 4.8 years: People on the Mediterranean diet had 30% fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths from heart disease.

Key components:

• Extra virgin olive oil (polyphenols)
• Nuts (monounsaturated fats)
• Fish (omega-3)
• Vegetables and fruits (antioxidants)
• Red wine in moderation (resveratrol)

Mechanism for blood: polyphenols improve endothelial function (cells produce more nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels) and reduce inflammation.

2.4 🐟 Omega-3 fatty acids (8/10)

A classic 1985 study showed that daily intake of 1.8 g of EPA (a form of omega-3) for 7 weeks:

• Reduces blood viscosity by 15%
• Improves red cell deformability
• Does not affect plasma (the liquid part of blood)

Mechanism: omega-3 is incorporated into the membranes of red blood cells, making them more flexible.

A later study confirmed that a dose of 2.52 g/day for 5 weeks reduced plasma viscosity, red blood cell rigidity, and systolic blood pressure simultaneously.

2.5 💉 IV therapy (saline solution) — when it is really needed (8/10)

Normal saline solution (0.9% NaCl) is not magic, but it is an effective medical procedure for:

• Acute dehydration (after intense exercise, illness)
• Electrolyte imbalances
• The need for rapid hydration

Advantages over drinking water:

• Bypasses the digestive system (effect in 30-60 minutes instead of hours)
• Direct control of electrolytes
• Guaranteed absorption

Conclusion: IV saline solution is a legitimate medical procedure when there is a real need, not a cosmetic “rejuvenation” treatment.

2.6 💊 Pentoxifylline — an old drug with new evidence (7/10)

Pentoxifylline is a drug (methylxanthine) that the FDA has approved for intermittent claudication (pain in the legs when walking). But in recent years, it has been found to work on several mechanisms simultaneously:

• Reduces blood and plasma viscosity by 10-15%
• Improves red cell deformability
• Reduces fibrinogen (a clotting protein)
• Improves blood filterability

A study in rats with cirrhosis of the liver showed that a single dose of pentoxifylline reduces portal pressure and viscosity simultaneously.

Why isn't it used more often? The studies were small. But the mechanism of action is well described, and there are few side effects.

2.7 ⚡ NAD+ restoration — metabolic rejuvenation at the cellular level (9/10 for animals, 6/10 for humans)

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a molecule that participates in 500+ enzymatic reactions in your body. Its levels decline with age.

What happens when NAD+ is restored (in animal studies):

• Mitochondrial function (the energy powerhouses of cells) improves
• SIRT1 and SIRT6 (longevity genes) are activated
• Cells' ability to repair DNA increases
• Stem cells are rejuvenated
• Lifespan may increase by 5-30%

Human data (to be released in 2024-2025):

• Improved heart function markers
• Reduction in circulating inflammatory cytokines over 3 weeks
• Improved mitochondrial function in patients with heart failure

How to obtain: NR (nicotinamide riboside) and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) are precursors of NAD+ that you can take as supplements. Doses in studies: 250-1000 mg/day.

2.8 🦸 Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) — literally rejuvenation (7/10)

In 2024, Israeli scientists conducted the first human study showing that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (breathing 100% oxygen under pressure) can reverse biological markers of aging.

What happened (people over 64 years old, 60 HBOT sessions):

• Telomeres (the ends of chromosomes) lengthened by 21% — a physical marker of youth
• Senescent cells (old cells) decreased by 37%
• Physical exercise tolerance (VO2Max) improved

Mechanisms:

• Increased oxygen content triggers angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels)
• Oxidative stress is reduced
• The number of circulating stem cells increases
• Endothelial function improves

2.9. ⏳ Intermittent fasting and autophagy (7/10)

Intermittent fasting (skipping meals several days a week or following a 16:8 protocol) activates autophagy, a mechanism in which cells “eat” their own damaged parts.

What studies have shown:

• In animals: autophagy is activated in the liver, but weakly in muscles.
• Inflammation is reduced.
• May help with neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's).

Critically important: the effects are tissue-specific. Fasting improves autophagy in the liver better than in muscles.

Protocol: 16:8 (eat within an 8-hour window) or 24-hour fasting 1-2 times a week.

3. 🤔 Interesting, but less proven

3.1. 🌿 Earthing — contact with the ground Confidence level: 4/10

Hypothesis: when you walk barefoot on the ground, free electrons from the soil enter your body and neutralize free radicals.

Chevalier study (2013): 10 people sat barefoot on a conductive cushion connected to the ground for 2 hours. The “zeta potential” (electric charge) of red blood cells was measured.

Results:

• Zeta potential increased by 20-30%
• Aggregation (clumping) of red cells decreased

Problems:

• Only 10 people — not enough for a reliable conclusion
• No real control — no information about what happened in the placebo group
• A 2019 systematic review concluded: “small sample sizes are a major limitation” and large randomized studies are needed
• Conflict of variables: the subjects lived their normal lives, and it is impossible to control exercise, diet, and sleep

Conclusion: May be beneficial (not harmful!), but larger studies are needed. Recommendation: You can walk barefoot, but not instead of proven methods.

3.2. 🧲 Magnetic fields — they work physically, but how to use them? (4/10)

In 2011, researcher Tao from the US discovered that a magnetic field of 1.3 Tesla (stronger than an MRI) applied to a blood sample for 1 minute reduces viscosity by 20-30%.

Mechanism: red blood cells contain iron, so in a magnetic field they line up in “chains” along the field lines, reducing resistance to flow.

Big problem:

• It works in a test tube (in vitro)
• There is no practical way to apply this to the human body
• The patient can be in a magnetic field, but the blood does not remain ordered after leaving the field

FDA status: never approved for clinical use.

Conclusion: interesting physics, but not practically applicable.

3.3. 📡 Electromagnetic waves — danger vs. benefit? (2/10)

Popular hypothesis: electromagnetic waves from cell phones, 5G towers, and microwaves may be beneficial for blood.

Reality: studies show the opposite.

An analysis of more than 20 animal studies showed that exposure to EM waves:

• Increases the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin (not always good)
• May increase white blood cells (a sign of inflammation)
• Produces more free radicals (ROS — reactive oxygen species)
• May disrupt hemoglobin function, turning it into methemoglobin (which does not carry oxygen)

In 2022, the National Research Council concluded that low-frequency EM fields have no “significant effect” on immunity, but higher frequencies may be problematic.

Conclusion: No evidence of benefit; there is a risk of harm. Avoid unnecessary exposure.

3.4. 🧄 Turmeric (curcumin) and garlic — minor effects (5-6/10)

Turmeric:

• Curcumin (the active ingredient) has in vitro anticoagulant properties (slows blood clotting)
• But the effects are small (not like aspirin)
• May interact with blood-thinning medications

Garlic:

• Contains organosulfur compounds with antithrombotic properties
• But the effect is small and temporary (7-10 days)

Conclusion: can be used as a spice for its anti-inflammatory effect, but not as a substitute for blood-thinning medications.

3.5. 🍇 Antioxidant supplements — can they be harmful? (4/10)

Popular idea: free radicals (ROS) are harmful, so antioxidants are good.

New science: it's more complicated than that.

ROS are used as signals for:

• Activating the immune system
• Destroying pathogens
• Stimulating tissue regeneration
• Preventing cancer

If you are healthy with normal ROS levels:

• Too many antioxidants can suppress these necessary signals
• Can lead to “antioxidant stress”

Conclusion: Eat fruits and vegetables (natural antioxidants in the right amounts). Do not take megadoses of supplements unless your oxidative stress levels are elevated.

4. ❌ What Doesn't Work (Despite Its Popularity)

4.1. 🧫 Young Blood and Transfusions — The FDA Says “No” (2/10)

Background: In 2013, Stanford researchers surgically connected two mice (one young and one old) to share blood. The old mouse rejuvenated!

This led to a wave of research and even a company in the US that charges $8,000 for an infusion of young plasma.

What they found out later:

• The effect in parabiosis (connected mice) may not be due to young blood, but to the removal of old blood.
• When old plasma is simply diluted with saline and albumin, the rejuvenating effect remains!
• This means that it is the removal of harmful proteins that works, not the addition of good ones.

In 2019, the FDA officially warned consumers that young plasma transfusions are an “unproven treatment” with potential risks of infection.

Ethical issues: Where does the young blood come from? Exploitation of young donors? Risk of disease?

Conclusion: Interesting for science, but not for clinical practice. Even in animals, it is not clear what exactly works.

4.2. 🧂 Just drink salt water (1/10)

Popular idea: “add salt to water to improve electrolytes and cleanse the blood.”

Study: people with sickle cell anemia playing soccer in the heat were divided into two groups:

• Group 1: drank as much water as they wanted
• Group 2: refrained from drinking water (dehydrated themselves)

Result: water normalized blood viscosity, but adding salt to water did not provide any additional benefit. Electrolytes (K+, Mg) are needed, not just salt.

Excess salt can be harmful (hypertension).

Conclusion: drink water, but if you are deficient in electrolytes, add a sports drink, not salt.

4.3. 💦 Just drink more water overall (3/10)

2006 study: people drank an additional 1.5 liters of water per day for several weeks.

Result:

• Blood viscosity did not change
• Fibrinogen did not change
• No cardiac risk markers improved

Why?: If you are not already dehydrated, the extra water is simply excreted by the kidneys.

Exception: During intense exercise or illness, additional hydration is important.

5. 📊 Table: What Actually Works

Method	Effect	Confidence	Time
Exercise	↓10-15% viscosity	8/10	3 months
Hydration + electrolytes	↓10-20% viscosity	8/10	Hours
Mediterranean diet	↓30% CC events	9/10	4+ years
Omega-3 (1.8g EPA)	↓15% viscosity	8/10	7 weeks
IV saline solution	↓viscosity, ↑hydration	8/10	30-60 min
Pentoxifylline (400 mg × 3)	↓10-15% viscosity	7/10	4-8 weeks
NAD+ (NR/NMN 500 mg)	↑mitochondria, ↓inflammation	7/10	8-12 weeks
HBOT (60 sessions)	↑21% telomeres, ↓37% old cells	7/10	3 months
Intermittent fasting	↓inflammation, autophagy	7/10	8+ weeks
Grounding (2 hours)	↑zeta potential	4/10	Immediately (?)
Turmeric	Mild anticoagulant	6/10	Unknown
Garlic	Mild antithrombotic	5/10	7-10 days

6. 🤷 Why are IV drips used?

IV therapy is used for:

1. Hydration — rapid recovery from dehydration (dehydration, illness, intoxication)
2. Electrolyte correction — restoring the balance of sodium, potassium, and chlorine in case of disorders
3. Drug delivery — direct administration of antibiotics, painkillers, antiemetics
4. Blood substitutes — in case of blood loss or anemia
5. Nutrition — parenteral nutrition when eating is impossible

Normal saline (0.9% NaCl) is an isotonic solution that does not disturb the electrolyte balance in cells. It is the medical standard.

7. 🧽 Detoxification: Truth and Myths

Myth: There are “detox” products that magically cleanse the blood.

Truth: Your body already has two super-effective systems.

How to support natural detoxification

• Nutrition for the liver: cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli), berries, garlic
• Hydration for the kidneys: 2-3 liters of water per day
• Limiting stress: less alcohol, fewer processed foods
• Exercise: improves blood flow and the lymphatic system

No “detox teas,” “cleansing juices,” or “magic supplements” will improve this.

8. 🧠 Interesting Facts (Credibility 4-5/10 — controversial but fascinating)

1. Grounding may work — 10 people showed ↑20-30% zeta potential, but more research is needed
2. Magnetic fields work physically — 1.3T magnet for 1 minute ↓30% viscosity, but no application to living bodies
3. Turmeric has anticoagulant properties — better than garlic, but weaker than aspirin.
4. Indian cuisine improves blood — turmeric + black pepper + ginger + coconut oil = combined anti-inflammatory effect.
5. Red wine contains resveratrol — helpful in the Mediterranean diet, but moderation is key (1 glass/day).
6. Telomeres lengthen with HBOT — by 21% in the first human study in 2024!

9. 🗓️ Recommended Protocol (Evidence-Based) (7-9/10)

Baseline

Daily:

• 30 minutes of moderate exercise (walking, swimming, cycling)
• 2-3 liters of water + sports drink during intense exercise
• Mediterranean diet (olive oil, fish, vegetables, nuts)
• 2-3 servings of fish (rich in omega-3) per week

Result: 10-30% reduction in blood viscosity, 30% reduction in cardiac events after one year

Advanced level (if at risk or aged 55+)

• Pentoxifylline 400 mg × 3 times a day (prescription)
• Intermittent fasting 16:8 or 24:0 once a week
• NAD+ restoration: NR 500-1000 mg/day or NMN 500 mg/day

Result: additional 5-15% improvement + aging biomarkers↓

Maximum level (if very interested and have the means)

• HBOT: 60 sessions × 90 min
• Maximum from the basic level

Result: 20%+ rejuvenation according to objective markers

Sources Used

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