Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [nafex] Anticoagulants, Leafy Greens, & Vitamin K

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>
  • To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Anticoagulants, Leafy Greens, & Vitamin K
  • Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:34:22 -0500

You are right Don, Leafy greens are high in vitamin K and do tend to reduce the effectiveness of Coumadin.

However what was new to me was the fruits were reported to enhance the effects of Coumadin. That makes vitamin K an unlikely culprit. I did not see a mechanism proposed, but I only read those abstracts, not the whole reports nor the references..

On 3/10/2012 2:18 PM, Don Yellman wrote:
For Elizabeth Hilborn:

Your impression of the effects of consumption of leafy greens (and other
fruits/vegetables high in vitamin K), seems to be at odds with my
understanding of the interaction of this vitamin with anticoagulants
such as warfarin. Vitamin K does not enhance these anticoagulant
effects, but rather works directly against them, which can elevate the
risks of stroke as a result.

That is why people who use blood thinners are advised to avoid excessive
consumption of green, leafy vegetables, which would tend to negate the
anticoagulant effects of the drugs. The operative factor is high levels
of vitamin K, which is particularly high in certain vegetables, but
present to some extent in nearly all fruits and vegetables. You might
wish to consult your sources of information on this topic before tucking
into large spinach salads on a regular basis if you are using blood
thinners. I don't know whether Goji berry is high in vitamin K, but if
it is, that would also be one to avoid for users of blood thinners.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
__________________








Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page