Vitamins That Interfere With Clotting

Blood clotting is the process during which small blood cell fragments, called platelets, come together to form a seal on broken vessels to stop bleeding. When the cut has been properly plugged and bleeding has ceased, the body destroys the blood clots. In addition to platelets, a number of proteins called clotting factors, contribute to the formation of blood clots. Two essential vitamins also interfere with blood clotting.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K plays a major role in promoting blood clotting. The body requires vitamin K in order to synthesize four of the necessary clotting factors in your blood. If you do not have enough vitamin K in your body, a small cut could lead to excessive bleeding. In order to ensure that your body has enough vitamin K, it is important to meet your daily needs through your diet. Women should consume 90 mcg of vitamin K daily, whereas men should consume 120 mcg per day. The best food sources of vitamin K include green vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and asparagus. Other good sources of vitamin K include vegetable oils and margarine.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E interferes with blood clotting in the opposite way. Vitamin E acts as an anticoagulant, which means that it prevents blood platelets from coming together unnecessarily. Without vitamin E, blood platelets could form blood clots that could interfere with normal blood flow and cause heart attack, stroke or aneurysms. Vitamin E also ensures that the inner walls of your blood vessels stay smooth so that platelets cannot stick to them and form clots. Both women and men should consume 15 mg of vitamin E every day. The best food sources include vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake notes that fortified cereals can also contribute to your vitamin E needs.

Considerations

If you are taking medications anticoagulant medications, such as warfarin, you should closely monitor your intake of vitamins that interfere with blood clotting. Since vitamin K promotes blood clotting, high doses of vitamin K can inhibit the effects of anticoagulant medications. As a result, you should not exceed the recommended daily intake for vitamin K. You should also make sure that your vitamin K intake remains steady without major fluctuations.

Vitamin E and anticoagulants both inhibit the formation of blood clots. As a result, taking consuming too much vitamin E in conjunction with anticoagulants can increase your risk of bleeding, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. It is important not to exceed recommended intakes for vitamin E as well.