Confused over leafy greens!

[140703]

Hi, dad's on blood thinners and we want to switch to a healthier diet. we're confused what he can and can't eat, eg. greens, juices etc.

[MONIREN]

Yes, it does seem weird. Warfarin is usually the blood thinner with this restriction, we did find out, you still can have leafy greens, just not to vary it, which vegetable juice would do. Just hard at first until levels stabilise. Try to keep same amount daily. Thats just what we found. Hope this helps, but certainly ask pharmacist or gp, they know vegetables are necessary for good health. Take care. Moni

[Mentdent]

Grapefruit needs to be avoided with some stuff and St. John’s Wort can be dangerous.

[LInnieOAP in reply to Mentdent]

Hi, I’ve been on warfarin for over 30 years , I eat leafy greens about twice to 3 times a week as a second vegetable on my plate regularly. There are lots of other vegetables just as good for you too. I think the way to go is slightly smaller portions of the leafy ones.I would not drink green juices, why if you can eat them would you drink them, I consider it a craze! As other have said I wouldn’t take supplements unless recommended by my GP, these are a commercial money spinner and often have too a low dose of what you need anyway.

A good diet and exercise you can cope with and staying as stress free as possible is most important, and to follow advice from your doctors.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

You have had some good advice but much depends on the specific drug prescribed. Do read through the PIL) Patient Information Leaflet) provided. Some herbs and spices should be avoided. One that sticks in my mind is Tumeric particularly as a supplement.

More generally on diet the BHF recommend a Mediterranean diet.

[Breesha]

I was stable on Warfarin for 10 yrs, ate a normal diet , nothing to excess, but beware Herbal supplements , good wholesome food and You wil be fine , I do add a caution about Licorice ( which I love ) it can have a very adverse effect on many heart drugs.

[gladliz]

Hi 140703I'm on Warfarin and my prescription says not to have Cranberries or their juice. No problems there as I don't particularly like them. However, I do like Broccoli, Cabbage, etc . If your Dad has always eaten them them it shouldn't be too much of a problem from what my practise nurses tell me. If he's never eaten them before or decides to eat vast quantities then it becomes a different matter. Everything in moderation it seems.

[Shar28]

Hello, my husband is on Warfarin. He was advised to adjust the dose to his diet. He has a portion (80g) of leafy green veg every day. These veg contain vitamin K2 which counteracts the effect of warfarin but at the same time helps your INR be stable and ensures the calcium in your diet goes into your bones and not your artery walls, where it can cause problems.

The key to diet and Warfarin seems to be moderation in everything. You don’t need to eat and drink exactly the same thing each week, just the same categories. There’s loads of information on the AF charity website including 3 factsheets on Warfarin & diet, & meds on the link below

heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

Warfarin takes time to settle and will sometimes times go wobbly for no apparent reason, but most people find it’s safe, effective and manageable.

Best wishes to you and your dad.