If you take Coumadin, there is not a specific diet you need to follow. However, certain foods and beverages can increase or decrease Coumadin's effects. In particular, foods high in vitamin K can lessen Coumadin's effectiveness. There are also many herbal supplements that can interact with Coumadin. Coumadin -- also known as warfarin -- is a blood thinner used to prevent and treat blood clots. Check with your doctor before making any major changes in your diet or before starting or stopping medications or supplements.
Foods High in Vitamin K
Coumadin will work best when you eat about the same amount of vitamin K from day to day. You don't have to avoid all foods that are high in vitamin K, just avoid big changes in how much vitamin K you eat. Green vegetables tend to be high in vitamin K, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard, mustard and turnip greens, endive, kale, leeks, leaf lettuce, okra, green onion, parsley, peas, spinach and Swiss chard. Soybeans are also high in vitamin K. Eating a small amount of a vitamin K-rich food is okay, but avoid eating a large portion or multiple vitamin K-rich foods at the same time.
Foods Low in Vitamin K
According to Dr. Timothy Harlan of DrGourmet.com, there are many vegetables low in vitamin K -- beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, bell peppers, white and sweet potatoes, snow peas, summer or winter squashes, tomatoes and turnips. Meats, starches, legumes, dairy products and most fruits are also low in vitamin K and can be used as desired.
Items That Enhance Coumadin
Alcohol and cranberry juice both increase the effect of Coumadin, which can cause bleeding problems. Avoid or drink only small amounts of these while on Coumadin. Dr. Harlan suggests discussing alcohol intake with your doctor -- he or she may agree that a small amount is okay for you but your day-to-day intake should be similar so that your blood levels of Coumadin remain stable.
Supplements
Many medications and supplements have the potential to interact with vitamin K. It is very important to talk to your doctor before starting or stopping any of these. For example, multivitamin supplements often contain vitamin K so if you start or stop taking one it can affect your blood levels of Coumadin. According to MayoClinic.com, some herbal and vitamin supplements that can interact with Coumadin include avocado, black tea, chitosan, coenzyme Q-10, curcumin, dong quai, fish oil, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng, glucosamine, green tea, lycium or goji berries, melatonin, menthol, papaya, soybean, soy isoflavones, soy proteins, St. John's wort, tan-shen and vitamins A and E.
