Foods A Diabetic Should Avoid When Taking Coumadin

Coumadin® (warfarin sodium) is a prescription medication that treats existing blood clots and aids in the prevention of new ones. Coumadin is often given to patients who may be at risk for developing blood clots that could lead to heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism. This drug is not a blood thinner, as some people believe, but it instead causes the blood to take longer to form a clot.

Certain foods can interfere with how this medication works in the body. Too much vitamin K can reduce the effectiveness of Coumadin, but patients are recommended by the American Heart Association to eat the same diet that they have always eaten. Vitamin K is found in spinach, leafy greens, and broccoli. Eating these vegetables is important in most diabetic diets.

Is a Special Diet for Diabetics Taking Coumadin Necessary?

Many people believe that they will need to eat differently if they have type 2 diabetes. This is usually not necessary, as long as the person does not suddenly increase their intake of salads, broccoli, or spinach. Too much vitamin K can prevent Coumadin from working effectively. Patients with diabetes who take Coumadin may need to test their blood sugar regularly, and they usually also require regular testing for the Coumadin drug in their blood to ensure that levels are safely where they should be. There are self-testing kits available so that you can make sure that your level of Coumadin in your system is within the safe level.

Foods to Avoid When Taking Coumadin

Many doctors and nutritionists caution diabetic patients to follow their regular diabetes diet plans to keep their blood sugar levels under control. There are some foods that should be avoided when taking Coumadin, including olive oil, canola, and soybean oils. Foods made from soy, such as bacon or burgers, should also be avoided. Cranberries can raise the level of vitamin K in the blood and should not be eaten.

Diabetics taking Coumadin need to read the labels of foods carefully to be sure that common foods like mayonnaise or salad dressing do not contain canola, soybean, or olive oils. Fat-free salad dressings without added sugar can be a healthy choice. Green tea has also been found to interfere with Coumadin, so drink it in limited quantities each day. With a few simple dietary changes, diabetics who take Coumadin can have a delicious, interesting diet each day.

Photo: Pexels

Get a Free Diabetes Meal Plan

Get a free 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan from Constance Brown-Riggs who is a Registered Dietitian-Certified Diabetes Educator and who is also a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Just enter in your email below to download your free Diabetes Meal Plan.

By clicking Submit, you agree to send your info to BattleDiabetes.com who, in addition to 3rd party partners, may contact you with updates, products and information and we agree to use it according to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

More Articles

More Articles

For decades people with type-1 and advanced type-2 diabetes relied on painful and often flawed insulin injections to regulate blood sugar...

Scientists have discovered that a single gene forms a common link between type 2 diabetes and...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Could a person's risk for type 2 diabetes be written in their genes?

According to a study recently published in ...

Women who frequently shift around their sleeping hours could have worse metabolic health outcomes than their peers who stick with a...

The presence of the hormone leptin may hinder prenatal development, which could explain the origin of type 2 diabetes, according to...

An analysis of fossilized Native American feces shows that our ancestors ate up to sixteen times the fiber that we do today, but our...

Managing diabetes is hugely challenging for people of any age, but a new study suggests that young people may suffer all the more....

Disruptions to the gut’s ecosystem could be a future symptom facing young children who take antibiotics, which makes them more susceptible...

Breastfeeding a newborn holds many benefits for mommy and baby; it reduces the baby's risk for colds and viruses, it helps his bones (and yours)...

Fans of the Dexcom G5 Mobile have something to smile about.

At yesterday's hearing with the U.S. Food and Drug...

If you start your day with a cup of tea and end it with a glass of red wine, your blood sugar may thank you.

At least that...

As medical experts continue to debate whether or not "healthy obesity" can even exist, one new study suggests that risk for heart disease...

For years, type 1 diabetics have been anxiously waiting for that medical marvel that can stop the constant injections: the artificial...