Banting And Vitamin K

A question that has been asked more often recently is regarding foods that are low in Vitamin K for those on medications that require them to watch their Vitamin K content.



Some important things to consider with regards to Vitamin K:

Alcohol

Alcohol can affect your dose and should actually be avoided.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist about this issue and any questions you may have.

Dietary supplements and herbal medications

Many dietary supplements can alter the INR/PT such as: arnica, bilberry, butchers broom, cat’s claw, dong quai, feverfew, forskolin, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, horse chestnut, insositol hexaphosphate, licorice, melilot (sweet clover), pau d’arco, red clover, St. John’s wort, sweet woodruff, turmeric, willow bark, and wheat grass. Much is unknown about dietary supplements. The safest policy is for individuals on warfarin (Coumadin) to avoid all dietary supplements unless your doctor approves. This includes any vitamin/mineral supplements that list vitamin K on the label. If they are taken regularly on a daily basis, they pose less of a problem than if taken off and on. Running this by your doctor can only be a good idea though.


 Vitamin E supplements

 Evidence suggests that vitamin E has blood-thinning effects. Vitamin E intakes above 1,000 International Units (IU) per day may increase the risk of excess bleeding. Research suggests that doses up to 800 IU may be safe for individuals on blood thinning medications, but the evidence is not conclusive. It is best to ask your doctor about taking Vitamin E supplements.






Antibiotics

Some antibiotics can either lower vitamin K levels in the body or interfere with the activity of your medication.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether you will need to adjust your vitamin K intake or dose when you take antibiotics.

Avoid Drinking Green Tea


Lets start with the foods that are HIGH in Vitamin K, with their portion sizes:








With that said - the following foods are low in Vitamin K:






The only Banting Friendly Fat to avoid in my opinion would be olive oil as it is pretty high in Vitamin K. For instance - per tbs - it has more vitamin K than a cup of tomatoes.

All unprocessed banting friendly meats seem to be acceptable.



IMPORTANT:

Even though foods are low in Vitamin K - this does not mean it will not interact with any medication you may be on.

The information above is intended as an information guide only - any concern should be addressed by your doctor or health care provider.





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