What should I eat while I am taking warfarin (Jantoven)? What foods should I avoid?
Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.
Warfarin is a blood-thinning medicine that helps treat and prevent blood clots. There's no special diet for people who take warfarin. But some foods and drinks can make it harder for warfarin to prevent blood clots. It's important to pay attention to what you eat and drink while taking this medicine.
For example, vitamin K can make warfarin less effective. So it's important to get about the same amount of vitamin K every day. The recommended daily amount of vitamin K for adult men is 120 micrograms (mcg). For adult women, it's 90 mcg.
To keep a steady level of vitamin K in your diet, do not change the amounts of vitamin K-rich foods or drinks you have from day to day or week to week. Vitamin K-rich foods include:
- Asparagus.
- Broccoli.
- Brussels sprouts.
- Collard greens.
- Kale.
- Mustard greens.
- Seaweed.
- Spinach.
- Swiss chard.
- Turnip greens.
Drinking certain liquids while taking warfarin might lead to bleeding problems. Do not use or only drink small amounts of the following when taking warfarin:
- Alcohol.
- Chamomile or green tea.
- Cranberry juice.
- Grapefruit juice.
Talk with your healthcare team before making major diet changes. Also tell your team about all the medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements that you take. If you are sick and can't eat for a few days or have ongoing stomachaches, diarrhea or fever, call your healthcare team.
With
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.
Show References
- Hull RD, et al. Warfarin and other VKAs: Dosing and adverse effects. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 18, 2022.
- San San Tan C., et al. Warfarin and food, herbal or dietary supplements: A systematic review. The British Pharmacological Society. 2020; doi:10.1111/bcp.14404.
- Yu CP, et al. Bidirectional influences of cranberry on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin with mechanism elucidation. Nutrients. 2021; doi:10.3390/nu13093219.
- Vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminK-HealthProfessional/. Accessed April 18, 2022.
- Quick reference guide to foods that are high and low in Vitamin K. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/prevention--treatment-of-arrhythmia/a-patients-guide-to-taking-warfarin. Accessed April 18, 2022.
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thrombophlebitis/expert-answers/warfarin/faq-20058443