Jump to content

Vit. K and blood thinning drugs


CollegeB
 Share

Recommended Posts

I was talking to a friend about foods they like and they said they like brocoli and many other vegetables, yet a lot of these greens have vit. which blocks blood thinning medicine and increases the chance of blood clots. Are there some foods that will help blood thinning, maybe allow to eat more greens (even wheatgrass)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was talking to a friend about foods they like and they said they like brocoli and many other vegetables, yet a lot of these greens have vit. which blocks blood thinning medicine and increases the chance of blood clots.

That sounds like your friend mixed something up.

 

Vit. K plays a vital role in the building of coagulation factors in the liver. Those factors are vital for the physiological balance of the blood's coagulation.

There is a group of drugs that work as Vit. K antagonists and therefore make the blood less likely to congeal. This is only necessary for patients with a cardio vascular disease! Healthy persons don't want to mess with ther coagulation! "Thinning" the blood (the blood doesn't get thinner, only less able to coagulate) has disadvantages, too: you are more likely to get a bleeding, even internal ones, and bleedings are harder to stop.

 

So, vitamin K does NOT increase the chance of blood clots in healthy people!

 

Another point is that the diet formerly advised for patients who take vit.K antagonists, which was low in cabbage, spinach, cauliflower etc., is obsolete. It was shown that even very high amounts of spinach, the food richest in vit. K, have a negligibly small effect on the blood's ability to coagulate.

Nowadays no special diet is advised for those patients, just the normal guidelines for healthy eating.

 

 

 

Are there some foods that will help blood thinning, maybe allow to eat more greens (even wheatgrass)?

I have no idea

In general, a balanced vegan diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruit reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what you're asking, collegeB about blood thinning...I do know that vitamin K helps blood to clot. Vitamin K has also been shown to help preserve bones.

 

Examples of things that cause blood thinning -- garlic; essential fatty acids, like flax, hemp, and their oils, fish, etc.; ginger.

 

If one is having surgery, for example, they will be advised not to consume these foods; and, may be prescribed vitamin K to avoid excessive bleeding.

 

Oh, and leafy greens are a good source of vitamin K, as well as having some e.f.a.'s. -- the perfect food, perfectly balanced .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...