My wife is on Coumadin® (warfarin) for life. She loves broccoli and cauliflower, but from the endless lists one can get on the Internet, broccoli and cauliflower appear to be a no-no for those on warfarin due to their high levels of Vitamin K. Yet they appear in quite a few of your recipes. Can you explain, please?
Dr. Gourmet Says...
Because it is clear that eating Vitamin K is important to users of Coumadin® (warfarin), I don't try to eliminate it from the diet completely. (See my column, "The Right Dose of Vitamin K")
For main course meal recipes, I consider those that are under 35 micrograms of Vitamin K to be safe. This is a moderate amount of Vitamin K. For side dishes, anything under 15 mcg is a good guideline. There are some recipes that will use broccoli, cauliflower or other ingredients that are higher in Vitamin K, such as asparagus.
The ingredients are not used in large amounts and the other ingredients in the recipes are generally low in Vitamin K, so the total for the dish is not too high to eat and enjoy.
Thanks for writing,
Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet
Read Related Questions
Will non-alcoholic beer affect
your Coumadin dose?
Does grapefruit really interact
with medications? (See also....)
Are almonds a good snack
for those on Coumadin?
Is regular tea, iced or hot,
contraindicated while taking Coumadin?
I can't have broccoli or cauliflower because of its high Vitamin K levels
- why is it in
your recipes?
Does salt increase INR levels?
If I'm on Coumadin, can I use Green
Tea for weight loss?
Is Mona Vie (acai juice)
safe with Coumadin?
Can those on Coumadin (warfarin) eat eggs
or Eggbeaters?
Can I cook with parsley while
on Coumadin?
Are peanuts affecting
my Coumadin?
Should you avoid cranberry
juice on Coumadin (warfarin)? Updated
information!
Are there foods that interact
with Coumadin even though they are low in Vitamin K?
Does freezing "kill" the
Vitamin K in foods?
Can a person on Coumadin (warfarin) eat black
eyed peas?
Can foods low in Vitamin K still
affect my INR levels?
How Much Vitamin K is in....?
There's an easy way to find out about the nutrition content of any food. Just use The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan Software.
Just register to use the software, then click the Recipe Box tab. The ingredient database includes over 7,000 ingredients and will show you the nutritional information for those ingredients - including Vitamin K. Use the Food Diary section to help you track your daily Vitamin K intake along with calories and other nutrients. Try it now!