Healthy Foods I can eat on Coumadin: What Everybody Ought to Know

Quick Take

Many medical conditions require anticoagulant medication. The most prescribed blood-thinning drug is Coumadin. What are the healthy foods I can eat on Coumadin? What are the foods that affect the effectiveness of Coumadin but are safe to eat?

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Overview

Coumadin (Warfarin) is a commonly-prescribed medication that helps thin the blood. Knowing all the healthy food I can eat on Coumadin can be tricky. There is no diet specifically designed for a patient on blood thinners, but food can affect the way this drug works so it is important to watch what you eat.

Natural blood thinners are foods with antibiotic properties (onion and garlic), omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E supplements (natural enemy of vitamin K,) and salicylates (blocks the absorption of vitamin K). Vitamin K lessens the potency of Coumadin; avoid eating food and beverages that are rich with vitamin K (but do not eliminate it from your diet.) As much as possible, keep your daily intake average at 90 mcg (micrograms) for adult women and 120 mcg for adult men. The key to a Coumadin diet is to try to keep your daily vitamin K intake the same.

Salicylates

The most well known coagulant is vitamin K, in fact, the “K” was derived from the Danish translation, koagulation. The purpose of Coumadin is to thin the blood. Therefore, we want to control vitamin K absorption in the body by eating foods with salicylates. Salicylates are commonly found in aspirin, but are also found in fruits and spices.

Herbs and spices that are high in salicylates are cayenne peppers, curry powder, ginger, thyme, paprika, dill, oregano, cinnamon, licorice, peppermint, and turmeric. In traditional Indian medicine or Ayurvedic, most of these spices are considered as warming spices – the thinning of the blood increases circulation and speeds up metabolism and therefore makes people feel warmer.

Fruits that are high in salicylates are prunes, raisins, cranberries, cherries, grapes, blueberries, tangerine, oranges, and strawberries. In addition, chewing gum, peppermints, wine, cider, vinegar, and honey are high in salicylates.

Vitamin E

vitamin e

Food high in vitamin E are sunflower seeds, peanut butter, wheat germ, pine nuts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, leafy green vegetables , and fruits. Many topical substances and preserved foods contain vitamin E . Read the label carefully. You can also drink vitamin E capsules.

Omega- 3 Fatty Acids

tuna

Not only is this good for the heart as it lowers your cholesterol, it can also act as a natural blood thinner. Fish that are high in omega 3 fatty acids are salmon, mackerel, anchovies, albacore tuna, herring and lake trout.

Vitamin K

Although vitamin K lessens the effect of Coumadin, it is not advisable to eliminate vitamin K from the diet – we need vitamin K in our body. As stated above, keep the daily intake average of 90 mcg (micrograms) for adult women and 120 mcg for adult men. Not all the food listed below are healthy foods to eat when taking Coumadin, but healthy diet is always a choice. Learn about the nutritional facts and then decide what you want and do not want in your body. Eat a consistent amount of vitamin K everyday.