Concern With Combining Spices Having A Blood-Thinning Effect

Answer

Thanks for reaching out John! I appreciate your interest in learning about the safety of the spices and dietary supplements you are taking.

In general, the amounts you have mentioned of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and garlic powder appear to be within safe levels for daily consumption. However, in regard to your concern about blood-thinning effects, it is known that some of these spices have blood-thinning properties.

For instance, ginger, turmeric, and garlic have been shown to have mild blood-thinning effects, but the evidence is not yet clear on how much of these spices are needed to produce this effect. Additionally, the overall effects on blood clotting by these spices are not well understood and may vary greatly depending on the dose and individual differences.

When it comes to the increased risk of bleeding with certain herbs/spices, we are generally concerned more about them having an additive effect in those already taking blood-thinning drugs, like Eliquis, Plavix, and warfarin, but you mentioned you take no prescription medication.

I'd also be more concerned if you were taking these spices as supplements or extracts, which generally concentrate active constituents for more powerful effects. A good example here is turmeric supplements.

Turmeric, in supplement form, is often standardized to contain a certain amount of curcumin, and it's not unusual to see doses ranging from 50mg-500mg of curcumin. Contrast that with the fact that turmeric powder generally only contains about 3% curcumin.

So, if you are only taking 1/4 of a teaspoon (which is around 1.25 grams) of turmeric, that would only contain around 37.5mg of curcumin. Certainly enough that it may have some health benefits over time, but very much on the low end if you were taking it as a supplement.

Additive Anticoagulant Effects Of Spices

I know your concern here is that you are taking several different spices, many of which have reported anticoagulant (i.e., blood-thinning) effects.

Unfortunately, it's essentially impossible to know exactly how dangerous it is to combine these spices, as the research on their combined effects is limited in regard to their anticoagulant effects and there are plenty of individual-specific factors that could come into play (e.g., age, sex, health status, other medications, etc...).

What we can say is that the spices you're taking daily (cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and garlic powder), in the amounts you mentioned, are considered safe by most standards. However, it never hurts to make sure your doctor knows about everything you are taking so you can be appropriately monitored.

It also doesn't hurt to be aware of signs and symptoms of bleeding, such as easy bruising, bleeding gums, black and tarry stools, etc... If you notice any of these signs, be sure to speak with your doctor.

Additionally, I want to point out that fish oil may have anticoagulant effects too. Just something to be aware of if you ever were to go on anticoagulant medications.

Final Words

Thanks so much for contacting us. Although I couldn't give you a definitive answer here, hopefully, it provided some insight into your regimen.

I want to applaud you for being so proactive in your health! I wish you the best of luck and please feel free to reach back out anytime.