Primary Care

Believe in Better Health Toolkit

Vitamin K and Coumadin Guidelines

Purpose

Coumadin is given to help "thin the blood". The food you eat may change the way this medicine affects your body. (Coumadin will work best if you follow a few simple instructions.)

  1. Eat a normal, balanced diet while you are taking this medicine.

  2. Do not make any big changes in your eating habits.

  3. Talk to your Doctor before starting ANY vitamins or using other nutrition supplements as these may have an affect on this medicine.

  4. Check with your doctor if you have diarrhea, an upset stomach or are unable to eat for several days.

  5. Vitamin K is a mineral needed by the body everyday. However Vitamin K can work against the medicine. It is important to eat a CONSISTENT amount of Vitamin K each day.
Foods Rich in Vitamin K

 

Do NOT make large changes in the amounts of the foods
that you eat from the list below while taking Coumadin.

Fats and Oils

Vegetables

 

Other

Canola oil (rapeseed)
Soybean oil

asparagus
cucumber peel
purslane
broccoli
endive
romaine lettuce
brussel sprouts
green tomato
scallions
cabbage
kale
soybeans
cauliflower
lettuce
spinach

chayote leaf
lentils
spinach
chickpeas (garbonzo)
mint
swiss chard
chive (raw)
mung beans
turnip greens
collard greens
mustard greens
watercress
coriander leaf
nettle leaves
seaweed

Beef liver
Egg yolk
Apples with peel
Chicken liver
Green tea leaves
Pork liver
Algae (purple layer and hijiki)


Source: Food-Medications Interactions, 11th Edition, ©2000.

 

 

 

 

 

(complete index of Believe in Better Health Toolkit files offered on this Web site with links to printable versions)