archkre
Well-known member
Where can I find a complete list of food to avoid being on Coumadin?
The one in coumadin's brochure is not very complete!
thanks alot!
The one in coumadin's brochure is not very complete!
thanks alot!
List of veggies to avoid due to Coumadin?
- Thread starter archkre
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Ross
Well-known member
There are no veggies to avoid. At least none that I can think of. Your body needs them all. Eat the diet you love and dose that diet, do not diet the dose of medication. Be consistent or as close to it as possible and you'll be fine.
Dose the diet, not the other way around...
Dose the diet, not the other way around...
Daniel,
You must dose the diet, not the other way around. Vegetables are necessary for maintaining your health so do not avoid eating what your body needs to stay healthy. I've been on Coumadin going on 6 years this year and I have never avoided eating any vegies and vitamin K. Vitamin K is necessary for maintaining good bone health as well. I eat raw vegies and salads every day and keep it consistant. There is the trick. I test my INR weekly (at times bi-weekly) and stay on top of my INR.
Take care,
Dose the diet, not the other way around...
Daniel,
You must dose the diet, not the other way around. Vegetables are necessary for maintaining your health so do not avoid eating what your body needs to stay healthy. I've been on Coumadin going on 6 years this year and I have never avoided eating any vegies and vitamin K. Vitamin K is necessary for maintaining good bone health as well. I eat raw vegies and salads every day and keep it consistant. There is the trick. I test my INR weekly (at times bi-weekly) and stay on top of my INR.
Take care,
G
Georgia
Our friend, Al Lodwick's site - www.warfarinfo.com.
Understand, you don't need to avoid anything - but be consistent in your dietary habits. If you normally eat a lot of salads and brocolli, continue - your coumadin dosage will account for that. However, if you then go a week without eating any of those, and perhaps are inactive during that same time period (such as when having stomach flu or a cold), you'll be likely to see a spike in your inr.
Likewise, if you pig out on broccoli salad for a couple of days, you might have an issue with your inr going low.
Understand, you don't need to avoid anything - but be consistent in your dietary habits. If you normally eat a lot of salads and brocolli, continue - your coumadin dosage will account for that. However, if you then go a week without eating any of those, and perhaps are inactive during that same time period (such as when having stomach flu or a cold), you'll be likely to see a spike in your inr.
Likewise, if you pig out on broccoli salad for a couple of days, you might have an issue with your inr going low.
Ross
Well-known member
I was coming back to post about Al's site and looks like Ms Georgia beat me to it. Daniel go read Al's site, it's the most complete and truthful site you'll ever see on Coumadin. 
archkre
Well-known member
"I eat raw vegies and salads every day and keep it consistant. There is the trick."
Can you explain a little bit more what the idea of consistent is, please?
On the other hand my primary doctor insists on avoiding vit K ("you can live w/o them")!!
Can you explain a little bit more what the idea of consistent is, please?
On the other hand my primary doctor insists on avoiding vit K ("you can live w/o them")!!
I just had some co-workers bring me a 1/2 order of vitamin K from a BBQ joint near downtown Fort Worth: coleslaw!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a smallish salad yesterday and wanted to compensate today, so I jokingly ordered a 1/2 order of vitamin K.
Seriously, there are some people who say, "Yippee, I have an excuse NOT to eat broccoli/cabbage/asparagus/salad/whatever anymore," when they begin taking warfarin. I love veggies, so I would be up a creek if I couldn't eat whatever I wanted.
Seriously, there are some people who say, "Yippee, I have an excuse NOT to eat broccoli/cabbage/asparagus/salad/whatever anymore," when they begin taking warfarin. I love veggies, so I would be up a creek if I couldn't eat whatever I wanted.
Ross
Well-known member
Daniel if your Doctor is telling you to stay away from Vit K completely, go find a new doctor, this one ain't it!
By consistent, we mean try to maintain the same amount of Vit k you eat a day everyday. I'm one of the most inconsistent people here and in fact Al described my type as "Street People" but I do not have a hard time maintaining my INR despite the inconsistencies. I eat broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinich and every other thing that some misguided folks tell you to stay away from and they are dead wrong! Honestly, diet plays a very very small roll in your INR.
By consistent, we mean try to maintain the same amount of Vit k you eat a day everyday. I'm one of the most inconsistent people here and in fact Al described my type as "Street People" but I do not have a hard time maintaining my INR despite the inconsistencies. I eat broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinich and every other thing that some misguided folks tell you to stay away from and they are dead wrong! Honestly, diet plays a very very small roll in your INR.
G
Georgia
Your doctor is doing you a disservice. You're quite capable of figuring out what consistency is. For instance, I eat salads when I want to; and have about 3 high Vit K helpings per week in addition. This is not hard to figure out. You need to have Vit K in your diet b/c that way when you DO get some it won't throw your inr out of whack (it'll be a smaller percentage difference).
Some of the things that can REALLY be a problem are power bars, Ensure, and most multi-vitamins - they're loaded with Vit. K. And I don't know about you, but they pushed Ensure on me in the hospital when they were also trying to get my inr into therapeutic range. Pigs would fly now before I'd drink it while my inr was low!!!!
The thing that can throw off your inr most is a radical change in your activity level.
Some of the things that can REALLY be a problem are power bars, Ensure, and most multi-vitamins - they're loaded with Vit. K. And I don't know about you, but they pushed Ensure on me in the hospital when they were also trying to get my inr into therapeutic range. Pigs would fly now before I'd drink it while my inr was low!!!!
The thing that can throw off your inr most is a radical change in your activity level.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K
I agree with the previous posts, but I still like to know if particular foods are high or low in vitamin K. This site is a big and nearly instantaneous help with the answer.
http://www.ptinr.com/data/pages/home.aspx
Just click on the green broccoli sprout for a quick search on any one of about 800 common things we eat.
Vitamin K
I agree with the previous posts, but I still like to know if particular foods are high or low in vitamin K. This site is a big and nearly instantaneous help with the answer.
http://www.ptinr.com/data/pages/home.aspx
Just click on the green broccoli sprout for a quick search on any one of about 800 common things we eat.
Ross
Well-known member
Just don't go into measuring the amount and thinking your going to control it. It hasn't worked for me nor anyone I know. Use it for reference only.Dennis S said:
K
Karlynn
It's not the foods high in K that are something to worry about. I'm sure you'd probably be able to put together a pretty complete list without doing much research. It's the food products that have hidden K that are more concerning. Instant Breakfast, Boost, V8 etc. These can have pretty high doses of K in them, but don't list them on the label. Be wary of fast, complete nutritional products like protein bars and shakes (they should list K if it's in it.)
I've been on Coumadin for 14+ years and have never made a concerted effort to stay away from K. I love salad and usually have it 4 times a week. So my dose probably reflects that habit. Most people are consistant in their diets, even when they don't think they are. Our eating patterns really don't vary all that much. We are creatures of habit.
Eat healthy, balanced meals and you'll be fine.
I've been on Coumadin for 14+ years and have never made a concerted effort to stay away from K. I love salad and usually have it 4 times a week. So my dose probably reflects that habit. Most people are consistant in their diets, even when they don't think they are. Our eating patterns really don't vary all that much. We are creatures of habit.
Eat healthy, balanced meals and you'll be fine.
D
DrAllan
The DEFINITIVE list of vitamin K content
USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17_This page provides access to Release 17 of the USDA National Nutrient Database_for Standard Reference. You can either view the data here or download the the pdf file
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR17/sr17.html
I agree dose the diet, don;t try to control it any other way. For those of you with rock stable INR, you are very lucky. Mine varies drasically with no obvious reason.
USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17_This page provides access to Release 17 of the USDA National Nutrient Database_for Standard Reference. You can either view the data here or download the the pdf file
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR17/sr17.html
I agree dose the diet, don;t try to control it any other way. For those of you with rock stable INR, you are very lucky. Mine varies drasically with no obvious reason.
G
Guest
The list of veggies to avoid is very short - "None".
I tell people that green, leafy vegetables have vitamin K in them. Vitamin K is the other side of the teeter-totter from warfarin. If you go to a salad bar that looks good and overdo it then have corn or beans for the next days veggie. That is my definition of consistent.
Next time you see the person who said that, drive them crazy by asking what would happen to a vegetarian who had to take warfarin.
I remember one long, long, long e-mail I got from a guy in Israel who was a vegetarian who had to start warfarin. The dietitian had worked out a menu for him 3 meals a day 7 days a week that had almost exactly the same amount of vitamin K every day. The only two hangups were that she couldn't find the vitamin K contents of the herbs that he liked to use to spice things up and the fact that he really didn't want to eat exactly the same thing in the same quantity of the exact same thing every Monday, Tuesday etc.
He didn't like my idea of throwing it out either because he felt guilty after she had spent so much time working with him!!!! I wouldn't assign my worst student to an assignment like that.
I tell people that green, leafy vegetables have vitamin K in them. Vitamin K is the other side of the teeter-totter from warfarin. If you go to a salad bar that looks good and overdo it then have corn or beans for the next days veggie. That is my definition of consistent.
Next time you see the person who said that, drive them crazy by asking what would happen to a vegetarian who had to take warfarin.
I remember one long, long, long e-mail I got from a guy in Israel who was a vegetarian who had to start warfarin. The dietitian had worked out a menu for him 3 meals a day 7 days a week that had almost exactly the same amount of vitamin K every day. The only two hangups were that she couldn't find the vitamin K contents of the herbs that he liked to use to spice things up and the fact that he really didn't want to eat exactly the same thing in the same quantity of the exact same thing every Monday, Tuesday etc.
He didn't like my idea of throwing it out either because he felt guilty after she had spent so much time working with him!!!! I wouldn't assign my worst student to an assignment like that.
jeffp
Well-known member
Avoid veggies I have always leaned heavier on the veggie side of the meal than the meat side. I actually enjoy it a bit when my INR creeps a bit over the high side of the range (just a bit mind you like +0.5, those 6.5's and stuff are somewhat much), it gives me an excuse the have a giant mega salad.
I have always leaned heavier on the veggie side of the meal than the meat side. I actually enjoy it a bit when my INR creeps a bit over the high side of the range (just a bit mind you like +0.5, those 6.5's and stuff are somewhat much), it gives me an excuse the have a giant mega salad.
G
Gemma
A funny story about spinach...
A funny story about spinach...
A couple of months ago Jim and I had a delicious spinach & ricotta pizza. I spotted Jim scraping all the spinach off and asked what he was doing. He said he didn't want to eat all the spinach because of the Vitamin K. So, following everybody's example here I said to him "Don't be ridiculous, put it back on and eat it - it's good for you!" Which he did.
A few hours later, he tells me he wasn't really bothered about the vitamin K at all - it was just an excuse 'cos he didn't like the texture of the spinach (to be fair, it was kind of overcooked but that's just how it goes on pizzas!)
Moral of the story - if you like it, eat it and dose your warfarin around it. But don't go out of your way to eat it if you don't like it!!!
A funny story about spinach...
A couple of months ago Jim and I had a delicious spinach & ricotta pizza. I spotted Jim scraping all the spinach off and asked what he was doing. He said he didn't want to eat all the spinach because of the Vitamin K. So, following everybody's example here I said to him "Don't be ridiculous, put it back on and eat it - it's good for you!" Which he did.
A few hours later, he tells me he wasn't really bothered about the vitamin K at all - it was just an excuse 'cos he didn't like the texture of the spinach
(to be fair, it was kind of overcooked but that's just how it goes on pizzas!)Moral of the story - if you like it, eat it and dose your warfarin around it. But don't go out of your way to eat it if you don't like it!!!
Ross
Well-known member
I love brussel sprouts and if you follow the naysayers guidelines, you may only have 5 at one serving. BET ME! You think I'm settling for 5 of them bad boys?
K
Karlynn
Ross said:I love brussel sprouts and if you follow the naysayers guidelines, you may only have 5 at one serving. BET ME! You think I'm settling for 5 of them bad boys?
Me too!!!! Just bought a bag of them yesterday! Steamed with butter....mmmmmmmm.
I bought asparagus (which I'm not wild about) for Glenn so he doesn't depleat my cash of brussel sprouts.
G
Georgia
Two people in a row love brussels sprouts????? ACK. My least-favorite veggie. But do I love asparagus.
I have a friend who also loathed Brussels sprouts; her mom liked them & cooked them often and Jean was required to eat them. She learned to cut them in quarters & swallow them whole.
I have a friend who also loathed Brussels sprouts; her mom liked them & cooked them often and Jean was required to eat them. She learned to cut them in quarters & swallow them whole.
