What you should understand about the coumadin diet.

The prescription drug coumadin is one of the most widely prescribed anti-coagulant medications used in the world today. Appropriate for patients suffering from many vascular diseases including heart attack, stroke and deep vein thrombosis, coumadin treatment is a therapeutic intervention that has helped to save millions of lives from the threat of deadly blood clots. 

However, as with many drugs, it is important to know that certain foods can interact with coumadin to reduce its overall effectiveness. Avoiding these interactions and enhancing a patient’s overall health is the ultimate goal of guidelines for the coumadin diet.

Of primary concern when looking at a coumadin patient’s diet is keeping the intake of foods that contain Vitamin K very consistent from day to day. Because Vitamin K is known to reduce the overall effectiveness of coumadin, significant changes in the amount of the vitamin in the body will change the amount of coumadin needed to avoid clots. Keeping a steady level of Vitamin K in a patient’s diet makes it much easier for the doctor to identify the right maintenance level of coumadin for a specific patient.

Vitamin K is found in abundance in dark green leafy vegetables like kale and collard greens, but also in many other foods like asparagus, lentil and soybeans. Canola oil, mayonnaise and certain nuts, like pistachios, are also significant sources of Vitamin K.

All of these foods are normally considered very healthy and nutritious foods to incorporate into a diet, and the patient does not need to avoid them entirely. The goal for the coumadin diet is to eat them in consistent amounts from day to day so that Vitamin K levels do not spike or drop while under treatment.

While Vitamin K can inhibit the effectiveness of coumadin, other types of foods have different impacts that patients also need to be aware of. Cranberry juice actually increases its effectiveness, causing the blood to lose too much of its clotting mechanism.

Drinking more than two alcoholic drinks in a day can impact how coumadin is metabolized in the liver, so alcohol consumption needs to also be monitored carefully. It is also very important for a patient to discuss all the nutritional supplements they take with their doctor, since some popular supplements like gingko biloba, fish oil and garlic can have an impact on how coumadin interacts in the body.

While the guidelines surrounding the coumadin diet may seem daunting at the onset, the real focus is on maintaining consistency from day to day. With a little research and close consultation with your doctor, it is quite possible for a patient to continue to enjoy favorite healthy foods while undergoing coumadin treatment.