Foods To Avoid While Taking Coumadin

Coumadin is an anti coagulant or a blood thinner. This is a medication used to prevent clotting or slow the growth and development of an existing clot. It should be taken just before or just after eating, and all special instructions should be followed in order to ensure the safety of the user. For example, there are certain foods to avoid while taking Coumadin.

Herbal Supplements

It is important to keep in mind that Vitamin K is an important vitamin that encourages blood to clot; therefore it can work against this medication if taken in large amounts. Therefore, among foods to avoid while taking Coumadin include a list of herbal supplements and herbs you should avoid. These include ginger, garlic, gingko biloba, ginseng, fish oil, and turmeric. You should never take an herbal or vitamin supplement that contains more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance of any given nutrient.

Foods That Are High In Vitamin K

In addition to these herbal supplements, foods to avoid while taking Coumadin include those that are high in Vitamin K. Examples of these foods are grapefruit and cranberry products, kale, collards, and spinach. The greens can be eaten in moderate amounts, with no peaks in which you eat more than usual.

Other Eating Stipulations

In addition to foods to avoid while taking Coumadin, there are also some moderation rules you must learnt to follow. First, do not vary the number of fruits and vegetables you eat from week to week; try to stay as consistent as possible. Second, do not go on a diet to lose weight or make drastic changes to your regular diet without consulting your physician. It is important that you do not adopt a vegetarian diet. In short, sudden and drastic changes to your diet must not me made while taking this medication.

Beverages

You must consider what you are drinking as well as eating because it is not just important to know what foods to avoid while taking Coumadin; what you drink matters too. If you are a tea drinker, try to stick to black tea because it is lower in Vitamin K than other teas like orange pekoe. Individuals taking Coumadin should avoid drinking alcohol in amounts greater than 10 ounces of wine in a day, 24 ounces of beer, or 2 ounces of liquor.

If the list of foods to avoid while taking Coumadin includes some of your favorite foods and you are left with no new inspiration, you should consider adding the following to your diet:

• Corn
• Carrots
• Squash
• Celery
• Pumpkin
• Peppers
• Cucumbers

None of these vegetables is high in Vitamin K and will therefore not interfere with the functions of the medication.

Play It Safe

If you are not sure about a particular food or if you have eaten one of the foods to avoid while taking Coumadin, you should see your doctor. He or she will advise about your next steps in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the drug.