Does anyone know of any no-go dietary areas if one is taking blood-thinners please? I heard some teas aren't good but that sounds unlikely?
Blood thinning and diet.: Does anyone... - British Heart Fou...
Blood thinning and diet.
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Parsley56
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'Blood thinners' actually seems to cover either anti-platelet (like low dose aspirin) or anti-coagualant (like warfarin), and you haven' t told us what you are taking. So I suggest you research for your particular medication to see if there are any diet restrictions, perhaps first by looking at the patient information sheet that comes with your meds. I take aspirin and used to take clopidogrel and there are no diet restrictions for aspirin but there might be some for clopidogrel. But if you are in any doubt go talk to a pharmacist who is qualified to answer.
Clopidogrel and aspirin. What does anyone think? I can't find much online.
as Lowerfield says, your pharmacist would be in the know.
Yes, I agree. Certainly more than my GP.Thankyou.
blood clotting is controlled by vitamin k. Most food contains it, some more than others.
All things in moderation.
I am on blood thinners, Sintrom. I was advised by my Consultant to keep to a low Vitamin K diet and not much citrus. Most green foods (Green Tea included) are high in Vitamin K. Have a look on Google there is loads of info regareding Vitamin K foods.
I'm on clopidigrel, I read that vitamin k might impact it but checked with my cardiologist who said i would have to eat a substantial amount for it to impact and that a normal healthy diet with lots of veg including vit k would be perfectly fine and good for all round health.
Only thing to avoid in quantity is grapefruit but again would need to be substantial quantity. I have it occasionally in salads or mocktails but only ever a little.
Hope that helps
I am in Warfarin and enjoy half a grapefruit every morning without any problems. Regular INR testing will take care of any issues before they occur.
I have been on Warfarin since 1998. Things like grapefruit, cranberries, green veg and alcohol can affect INR levels but best to discuss with your pharmacist.
I had no knowledge of that, interesting though. Thankyou
Dont be tempted to use local supermarket one its not organic I also take Nattokinase look that up too
I've added a reply below to help explain why you shouldn't try these products alongside or instead of prescribed medication .
I'm on Edoxaban and never been told to exclude anything
Taking a herbal substitute when taking Clopidogrel could be dangerous without first taking advice from a clinician. The OP appears not to be on a blood thinner (Warfarin or a DOAC) but is on an anti-platelet drug along with aspirin.
The NHS’ advice for those taking Clopidogrel is here:
More advice on anti-platelet drugs:
my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...
Very grateful for that, thankyou L8Again. I am taking Clop and aspirin for very good reasons (post surgery) so am not about to risk my health by experimenting.
I hope that you get on well with the treatment. It is somewhat odd, in my view, that ‘blood thinners’ has become a common reference term for anticoagulants when they do not actually thin the blood: they are prescribed to prevent clots from forming.
I’m on warfarin. My anti-coagulation team told me to maintain my current diet as they would dose accordingly but not to binge drink alcohol or binge eat grapefruit / cranberry / green leaves / liver / blue cheese etc
the only things that the hospital pharmacy flagged up was that I was also taking omega 3 snd vitamin E both of which act as blood thinners. I was thrilled to drop the omega as everything tasted of herrings .( I had been on it for high triglycerides. The vitamin For menopausal symptoms.
I have gone back on vitamin E now I am on apixaban
Herrings!! Thankyou for that.
My dad was told to give up his daily grapefruit while taking warfarin.
Hiya, best thing I’ve just done is to see a nutritionist and to have food testing….she’s a mine of information and has looked up what could potentially react with heart meds and has told me what supplements to take to counteract the effects of some of them…am also on Rivaroxaban.
Finding a good one is another matter, but thankyou!
With the combination of " blood thinners" you are on the rules for foods and drinks are not as strict as it is for Warfarin.You should avoid grapefruit and cranberry the fruits, juices, teas and extracts, including other juices which are part of the grapefruit family ( pomelo) . This includes dried versions of the fruits.
You should avoid alcohol.
It's better not to eat food like liver and blue cheeses.
Green Tea and green tea extracts should be limited to occasional use.
After that most things in food forms are fine although you should limit the portion size of certain foods containing Vitamin K1 like green leafy vegetables, asparagus , broccoli, spinach etc.
Most things can be eaten in small quantities in the diet as food , like garlic, ginger family products , turmeric , cayenne pepper and chilli, Vitamin Q10 and Omega 3 foods and foods containing resveratol like grapes, or Nattokinanse ( fermented soy enzymes) . These are usually fine in meals but not as supplements.
They should NOT be taken as supplements at the same time as anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications because of the high doses so you should avoid supplements of these , no matter how often they are recommended as a "natural " alternative.
There's a big difference between taking these sorts of high dose supplements when you are not on medication and generally healthy with new or mild blood pressure symptoms and taking them when you have a diagnosed preexisting condition which has got to the point that it requires daily essential and efficient medication to manage it.
High dose supplements, like the ones included above , have the potential to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and they can thin the blood but there is no guarantee that they will do this as efficiently as a prescribed medication or at the level you require for proper treatment and protection when you have a diagnosed health condition. They are not like for like.
They have "potential" in people with minor, mild or borderline health issues to help improve symptoms or reduce the chance of getting a long term health issue but only alongside other strict diet and lifestyle changes. It is only potential , there is no consistent evidence that they could be used as a replacement for prescribed medications in the general population.
Those high dose supplements will, however, interact with your essential medications and potentially cause your blood to " thin" more than is required, increasing the risk of bleeding , bruising and slower wound healing . They are also metabolised by the same pathway in the liver as the prescribed medications which can cause a build up of medication in your blood stream over time. Basically, their "potential" may not be high enough to make them a reliable alternative to medication but it does make them problematic enough to cause harm if taken alongside medication.
When your condition requires daily medication according to a doctor's recommendations , it doesn't help improve it further and won't create the possibility that you will eventually be able to stop the medication in the future if you start or continue the supplements as well , instead , it's more likely to cause unwanted side effects and symptoms like easy bleeding , low blood pressure or heart rate at night, dizziness after taking the supplements and medication and digestive issues.
Which is the why when people say things like , why don't you try garlic , pepper or Natto instead of taking medications , this is what you need to remember and they may need to be helped to understand.
I hope I don't sound to harsh , but I've written this as reply not just for your use , but in the hope others may read it as well, especially people whom regularly recommend Supplements instead of prescribed medications.
There no stigma to taking prescribed medication, it is evidence that you are a sensible person taking successful proactive steps to maintain your quality of life and protect your health. We should get a medal for it rather than being made to feel bad or anxious about it .
So , otherwise , unless you are obsessed with grapefruit, blue cheese and liver food wise the world is your cherry bowl. Take care , Bee
That was an excellent reply, thankyou. Considered and rational responses are just what is required on this site.
I checked with the pharmacist at our local Superdrug. There are no dietary precautions for Clopidogrel.
NHS agrees
Good
My father in law was told to avoid cranberry.
I wonder why. Thankyou
Cranberry contains enzymes that can interfere with the metabolism of warfarin and potentially other ' blood thinning ' medications and anticoagulant properties that can increase bleeding time and bruising if combined with anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications.
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