Warfarin and Chinese Food

[cjune1961]

Trying to find out if anyone knows if the ingredients in most chinese menu meals could be a bit much with warfarin. I have not had chinese since before surgery 19 months ago. Always was served huge portions in take out and at the restaurants. There are so many ingredients, greens, that is, and I have asked managers and servers over the phone if I could find out what they put in the meals. No go. I have looked at menu descriptions in the take out flyers I receive in the mail which helps a bit more. Does anyone here make a regular habit of chinese food? There is so much soy sauce and different greens. I could get a plate and spread it out over several days maybe. I went without greens for so long and now am trying to not overdo which I could! Seems like everything I eat has soybean oil, soy sauce, or mixture of a lot of leafy stuff.

Carla.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I eat Chinese quite often - had takeout last week and went to a buffet on Monday in fact.

Whatever you eat, eat it regularly. Dose the diet, as they say.

 

[CThrock]

I love chinese food. Don't have it everyday maybe once a month. Has alot of salt in it. I don't really worry about the greens because you really don't get alot of that in the food. I think you can enjoy what ever food you want on warfarin just don't eat it everyday in big amounts. I watch my salt more then greens.
Go and enjoy some!!!

 

[Ross]

You'd have to eat it everyday to affect you INR any. I doubt anyone here could eat it everyday.

 

[dick0236]

I also enjoy oriental food and eat it couple times a month. I don't add extra soy sauce only because I don't like soy sauce.

 

[Cooker]

You'd have to eat it everyday to affect you INR any. I doubt anyone here could eat it everyday.

What about Chinese people?

 

[Ross]

What about Chinese people?

They don't have heart problems!

 

[Cooker]

They don't have heart problems!

And I do not think they use MSG

 

[Ross]

And I do not think they use MSG

Do you know why americans call it fast food?

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Ross, I just got a picture of swirly stuff. Is that right?

 

[Bina]

Ross, I just got a picture of swirly stuff. Is that right?

Click on the Play arrow and there is a 10 second audio clip to go with the lovely swirly stuff.

 

[Bonzo Dog]

They don't have heart problems!

The sad facts are, relative to 'the developed world ' they didn't used to. That seems to be changing as China industrialises. http://chinadaily.cn/english/doc/2005-09/15/content_478073.htm

 

[westie]

chinese wife and miso soup

chinese wife and miso soup

my wife is chinese ( i am a white kiwi ) and we eat chinese food for dinner almost every day; no msg and not so much salt. basically the ingredients of chinese food are not so different to european food; at least the european foods we SHOULD all be eating.

the main difference is in preparation, cooking style and spices. ok, rice and noodles are diferent, but surely they are just substitutes for bread and potatoes? chinese dishes full or greens will affect your inr just the same as european dishes full of greens do.

the one thing that seems to greatly affect my inr is the korean/japanese dish miso soup; soya beans being the main ingredient. my inr drops when i have bowls of strong soup over 2 or 3 days. probably this problem only applies to bigger amounts of home made miso soup as the small bowls of soup available in restaurants are much weaker.

the amount of soya sauce used in stir fries seems to have no affect on my inr

oh, my wife is happy to eat european food, but she expects me to cook that so i prefer to let her cook chinese. i always refuse her offers of cooked chinese breakfasts as starting the day with a bowl of noodles or rice is a step too far for me!

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Click on the Play arrow and there is a 10 second audio clip to go with the lovely swirly stuff.

Thanks Bina! DUH!

 

[cjune1961]

Chinese Food and Warfarin

Chinese Food and Warfarin

I don't know much about European food, unless you consider spaghetti that I thought it invented by the Chinese too. I use to eat take out lo-mein,chow mein, things like that 3-4 days a week and tacos or tex-mex the other days. Not into buffets, but a dish off of the menu always has so much soy, I was really wandering about the greens, cabbage, watercress, bok choy,and the others. Will be looking into it very soon though! Better than other fast foods that's for sure.

Carla.

 

[Ross]

I don't know much about European food, unless you consider spaghetti that I thought it invented by the Chinese too. I use to eat take out lo-mein,chow mein, things like that 3-4 days a week and tacos or tex-mex the other days. Not into buffets, but a dish off of the menu always has so much soy, I was really wandering about the greens, cabbage, watercress, bok choy,and the others. Will be looking into it very soon though! Better than other fast foods that's for sure.

Carla.

Carla all those yummy things have Vit k in varying degrees, but unless you feast on it daily, it's not likely to dent your INR any. So long as your consistent or if you do eat it everyday, your dose is adjusted to match that diet.

 

[catwoman]

Carla:

Like others have said, just eat what you want and you'll adjust your warfarin dosage according to the resulting INR.

The only time I would really be concerned about diet is if you drastically change your diet -- say go vegan overnight, perhaps go on a liquid diet due to a broken jaw, etc. Those might be such drastic departures from what your usual intake that you would probably want to test your INR 3-4 days after beginning such a diet and then again at 1 week to determine any additional dosage changes.

You have reason to be concerned about what you eat, but you may be obsessing a little. Many of us have been there, done that, and we learned that it's best to just live life and adjust our warfarin dosage accordingly. For those of us who home-test, it's no big deal.

 

[Guest]

When a someone tells you that you have to watch your greens they are in effect telling you, "I have determined your correct warfarin dose. Now it is your job to modify your diet to prove that I am correct."

Would you accept this nonsense from any other person in the world?

 

[dick0236]

I'd like to post a huge AMEN to the above posts by Catwoman and Allodwick. Normally, dealing with warfarin is not rocket science. Use a little common sense and enjoy your life. If you get out of wack (INR range), which you will from time to time, work with your doctor to get back in range. I refuse to let the "tail(warfarin) wag the dog(my life)".

 

[Jkm7]

When a someone tells you that you have to watch your greens they are in effect telling you, "I have determined your correct warfarin dose. Now it is your job to modify your diet to prove that I am correct."

Would you accept this nonsense from any other person in the world?

Every time I read this I go nutty!! That is exactly what they are saying.