Your body's ability to form blood clots helps reduce your risk of bleeding. However, blood clots that form in your arteries or veins can be dangerous, increasing your risk of a heart attack, stroke or embolism. Typically, when you are prone to these types of blood clots, your doctor will prescribe blood-thinning medication. While some foods, such as garlic, can help thin your blood, turnip greens are not known for their blood-thinning capabilities. In fact, because they are a source of vitamin K, turnip greens decrease the effectiveness of certain types of blood thinners.
Turnip Greens
A nutrient-dense food is one that is rich in nutrients and low in calories. When looking to add more nutrient-rich foods to your diet, you may want to consider turnip greens. Not only are they low in calories, but they also help you meet your daily needs of a number of essential nutrients, including calcium, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. A 1-cup serving of raw turnip greens contains 18 calories, 1 g of protein, 0 g of fat, 4 g of carbohydrates, 1.8 g of fiber, 104 mg of calcium, 33 mg of vitamin C, 107 mcg of folate, 6,373 IU of vitamin A and 138 mcg of vitamin K.
Types of Blood Thinners
Types of blood thinners include anticoagulants and antiplatelets. Anticoagulants are medications that help prevent blood clots from forming, and they help prevent the blood clots you already have from getting any bigger. Examples of anticoagulants include warfarin and heparin. Antiplatelets work by keeping clots from forming in your blood. Aspirin is the most common antiplatelet prescribed as a blood thinner. When taking anticoagulants, you should not take aspirin unless directed by your doctor. You should also discuss all other medications, vitamin supplements and herbal supplements that you take with your doctor, as well as their possible interactions with your anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication.
Natural Blood Thinners
In addition to medication, certain foods also contain substances that help thin your blood, acting as natural blood thinners. The blood-thinning component in aspirin is a chemical substance called salicylate. This chemical is also found in a number of different foods, including apricots, celery, cinnamon, mustard, pineapples, oranges and yucca. Garlic also contains a substance called ajoenes that helps prevent blood clotting. While turnip greens are a nutrient-rich food, they do not contain substances that act as a natural blood thinner.
Coumadin and Vitamin K
While turnip greens cannot thin your blood, consuming too much of it can alter the effectiveness of the anticoagulant warfarin, also known as Coumadin. Foods high in vitamin K, such as mustard greens, make warfarin less effective, increasing the risk of blood clots. When taking warfarin, it is recommended that you try to be consistent with the amount of vitamin K you eat each week. It is important to note that the more vitamin K in your diet, the more warfarin you need to keep your blood at a consistent level.
References
- American Society of Hematology: Blood Clots
- Science News; Food for Thought; October 1997
- University of Michigan Health Systems; Warfarin; January 2009
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Garlic
- American Dietetic Association: What Is Nutrient Density?
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