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Get the Coumadin Cookbook!

Coumadin Book

This indispensable book includes:

• A primer on WHAT a Mediterranean-style diet is and WHY it's great for you
• 95+ delicious Coumadin safe recipes
• Information about managing your diet on Coumadin
• Ingredient and cooking tips throughout the book
• Complete Nutrition Facts, including Vitamin K content, for each recipe

Buy the paperback | Buy the eBook (PDF document)

Questions about ordering? Click here to read the FAQ.

How to order by mail: We are happy to accept personal checks drawn on a US bank for delivery within the United States only. Download the form to order by mail. We regret that we are unable to process orders by phone or ship printed books outside the United States.

Note: This is a revised and updated version of Dr. Harlan's The Dr. Gourmet Diet for Coumadin Users. These are the same recipes with updated Nutrition Information, with the addition of information on a Mediterranean-style diet.

How Much Vitamin K is in...?

Find out the exact amount of Vitamin K (in micrograms) of almost a thousand common foods! Listed both alphabetically and then in order of the amount of Vitamin K in the food, this list will help you know exactly how much Vitamin K you're eating. Just $4.95 for the eBook (PDF) or $12.95 for the paperback. Get your copy now!

It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific questions about your individual health, please contact your doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


 
 

Ask Dr. Gourmet

Will green tea supplement drinks interact with Coumadin (warfarin)?

I take 2.5 mg coumadin 5 days each week for fibrillation. Is it OK to use Green Tea Supplement drinks to try for some weight control?

Dr. Gourmet Says...

an iron teapot and a cup of green tea

Green tea and green tea supplements have become very popular in the last few years and have been touted as a panacea for many illnesses. While drinking green tea may be beneficial, there is less evidence to support the use of green tea extract, which is often marketed and used for weight loss. While there is some evidence to support this, there may be some risk. In a Clinical Observation published in The Annals of Internal Medicine (2006;144:68-69), Dr. Herbert Bonkovsky reports on a case of liver toxicity related to green tea extract.

The patient, a 37 year old woman, had arrived at the hospital complaining of abdominal pain, nausea and jaundice. Testing for infection was negative, but a liver biopsy showed liver damage. She had been taking "The Right Approach Complex", a weight loss supplement containing green tea extract. When she stopped taking the supplement, her liver tests returned to normal.

One year later the same patient was admitted to the hospital again with the same symptoms. A month earlier she had started taking the same supplement. Testing of her liver showed similar results to the previous year and again returned to normal after stopping the supplement for the second time. This is what doctors call a "positive rechallenge," meaning that the supplement caused problems with a second use or "challenge." This is generally taken as evidence of a medication or supplement as the cause of a side effect.

While one popular website still reports, "To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine," this is clearly not the case with supplements. Dr. Bonkovsky reports eight other cases where use of green tea extract caused liver problems.

As with all supplements, it is wise to be extremely careful and research them thoroughly before use - or avoid them altogether. Talk with your doctor and let them know if you are using supplements especially if you are using Coumadin® (warfarin) or any other prescription medication as many can not only cause health problems but can also interact with other medications.

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet

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