Health Articles 101

Foods with vitamin K in high quantities can cause serious health problems if you are on medication to prevent blood clotting. It is important to talk with your doctor about how much you can safely eat of foods with vitamin K. Dietary measures should never be used as a means of controlling clotting disorders unless you consult with your doctor first. You should not totally eliminate vitamin K from your diet because it is necessary for bone health and strength. It is a good idea to keep the amount of vitamin K that you consume consistent from day to day. Foods with vitamin K include spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and leafy, green vegetables. Here is a list of foods with vitamin K and the number of units in each food:

1. 1 cup cooked frozen kale-1,147 units

2. 1 cup cooked fresh kale-1,062 units

3. 1 cup cooked frozen collards-1,059 units

4. 1 cup cooked frozen spinach-,1,027 units

5. 1 cup drained canned spinach-988 units

6. 1 cup cooked fresh spinach-889 units

7. 1 cup cooked frozen turnip greens-851 units

8. 1 cup cooked fresh collards-836 units

9. 1 cup cooked fresh beet greens-697 units

10. 1 cup cooked fresh turnip greens-529 units

If you are not on blood thinning medication, you might want to use your diet as a way to reduce the risk of blood clots and even as a way of unclogging arteries. Foods with vitamin K in large amounts act as blood coagulants and counteract effect of blood thinning foods such as gingko, ginger, garlic, fish oil, feverfew, dong quai, tree ear mushrooms and vitamin E-rich anticoagulants. Cayenne pepper, red clover and chamomile may also be used as natural blood thinners.

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