Get the Coumadin Cookbook!
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
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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!
Read More Ask Dr. Gourmet Questions
Will apple cider vinegar help
my acid reflux while I am on Coumadin (warfarin)?
Is it okay to cook with garlic while
on Coumadin (warfarin)?
Are juicers a good idea for
those on Coumadin (warfarin)?
Is my husband's Coumadin dosage stable because
he eats a big salad every day?
Are freeze dried acai berries and
changa mushroom powder OK with Coumadin?
Are Aronia berries (chokeberries)
safe with Coumadin?
Thanks for your lists of foods containing
Vitamin K!
Can you eat green pickled
tomatoes if you are on Coumadin (warfarin)?
I am on Coumadin. Can I eat these
foods from Starbuck's or these vegetarian items?
Will non-alcoholic beer affect
your Coumadin dose?
Is Lean Cuisine Coumadin
safe?
Does grapefruit really interact
with medications? (See also....)
Are almonds a good snack for
those on Coumadin?
Is regular tea, iced or hot, contraindicated
while taking Coumadin?
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 eating garlic counteract large amounts of Vitamin K?
I am newly on warfarin. This past summer my mother's garden exploded with basil and parsley and I made and have frozen tons of pesto. I have been eating it regularly (it's impossible to resist!). I've only been eating a few tablespoons at a time, but since I know it's high in vitamin K I have been trying to counteract the effect a bit with three or four cloves of garlic, boiled and eaten whole.
The total amount of Vitamin K I consume at any given time is not massive: not like eating a plateful of mustard greens - probably between 100-200 mcg.
Is it reasonable for me to assume that eating large amounts of garlic following the pesto will help keep my INR in a safe range?
Dr. Gourmet Says...
This could be very dangerous for you and cause wide swings in your INR.
If you are going to begin to incorporate high Vitamin K foods in your diet, keeping in touch with your doctor to monitor carefully is key. A couple of tablespoons of basil pesto will contain at least 120 micrograms (mcg) of Vitamin K.
Furthermore, there's no evidence that the garlic will offer you any protection at all: indeed, there is no evidence for garlic offering much protection for any health problems. Some studies have shown that it might be helpful with high blood pressure or cholesterol, but this evidence is slight at best.
You are right that garlic is delicious, but it is not going to offset the effects of eating higher amounts of Vitamin K.
Thanks for writing,
Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet