Are you trying to improve your cardiovascular and blood health? Are you worried about blood clots around the leg or lung areas? If yes, then this post is a must for you!

A Coumadin diet is highly recommended for all those who are trying to see a change in their blood so that it is permanently free of clot formation.

Would you like to know more? Keep reading!

What Is Coumadin?

Coumadin, popularly known as warfarin, is a popular medication that allows your blood to thin down so that it remains clot-free. When you have unnecessary blood clots, you could become prone to dangerous cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes or clots in the leg and lung areas.

How Does It Work?

Your blood contains protein that leads to the formation of clots. The proteins are made by your liver with the help of Vitamin K. Coumadin blocks all the effects caused by Vitamin K, which makes the body difficult to form clots. So, if you would like to know whether the amount of warfarin you are consuming on a regular basis is good for you or not, you must get a health check up done regularly. What blood tests do is they check both your PT and INR (International Normalized Ratio) just to see the amount of time your blood takes to form clots. In case the PT or INR happens to be outside your target range, then the consumption of Coumadin needs to be balanced.

How Does Your Diet Affect Coumadin?

Foods that contain Vitamin K in abundance may affect the way Coumadin works in your body. If the amount of Vitamin K is high, it will work against the warfarin levels. This means if your INR is too low, there are fewer chances of the formation of blood clots.

Should You Avoid Foods That Are Rich In Vitamin K?

Avoiding foods that are rich in Vitamin K is not the solution to the problem. Yes, Vitamin K will work against Coumadin, but it is still very important for a healthy diet. It is actually okay if you eat foods that contain Vitamin K, as far as you know how to consume in moderation. The dose can definitely be balanced.

So, What Should Your Diet Look Like?

You should eat a consistent diet. This means you should eat the same amount of Vitamin K rich foods on a weekly basis. You may eat Vitamin K filled foods two to three times a week. What is most important is that you keep up with the same amount on a regular basis. The Coumadin levels will probably face a disbalance if you give up on Vitamin K rich foods.

What About Your Alcohol Intake?

The amount of alcohol you drink regularly can definitely affect your Coumadin levels. What’s worse is that too much of alcohol can actually increase your risk of bleeding. So, when you are on a medication, it is best to drink less alcohol. In fact, you shouldn’t indulge at all. Once in a while is still manageable.

Foods You Should Avoid Eating:

Some of the foods you should avoid eating during medication include kale, spinach, green tea, chard, parsley, mustard greens, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, etc (1).

If you’re eating lettuce, broccoli, endive, turnip greens or spinach, make sure it doesn’t cross 3 servings.

What Are The Foods You Should Eat?

The following list of foods should be added to your grocery list right away if you’re on medication:

• Beets
• Pumpkin
• Summer squash
• Turnips
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Eggplants
• Bamboo shoots
• Portabella mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Artichokes
• White mushrooms
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Bamboo shoots
• Portabella mushrooms
• Winter squash
• Sweet corn

You shouldn’t consume more than one cup of each of these items.

Fruits And Grains You Should Consume:

Fruits:

• Oranges
• Pineapples
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Litchis
• Bananas
• Watermelon
• Apples

Grains:

• White rice
• Brown Rice
• Plain pasta
• Couscous
• Cornmeal
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Bulgur
• Pearled Barley

A Few Things You Should Keep In Mind About The Coumadin Diet:

1. When your INR is low, it could indicate a higher risk of blood clotting
2. When your INR is high, it could indicate a higher risk of bleeding
3. Coumadin will boost your INR, and Vitamin K will decrease it
4. Most doctors and experts plan on keeping the INR within 2 to 3. But sometimes, it can also go up to 3.5
5. When an expert prescribes Warfarin, the purpose is basically the amount of Vitamin K you get on a regular basis
6. Do not drink any grapefruit juice around this time. Keep away from the fruit too
7. Do not take more than 3 servings of food that is rich in Vitamin K
8. Keep green tea out of your diet
9. Keep a track of your INR and PT levels
10. Do not drink cranberry juice. Avoid the fruit as well
11. Avoid ginger, garlic, turmeric, wheat grass, chestnut, bilberries, sweet woodruff, butchers broom, ginkgo, horse chestnut oil

Have you heard of Coumadin diet before? Have you tried this medication earlier? Share with us your experiences by commenting in the box below. We would be happy to hear from you.

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by Naomi via STYLECRAZE