Does tart cherry interfere with coumadin?
Question posted by sonnyp31 on 26 March 2012
Last updated on 20 July 2017 by mamivina
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3 Answers
I take Coumadin and also take cherry tart to avoid gout.
The above poster is correct when he says tart cherry is not high in Vitamin K. Vitamin K has a big effect on coumadin/warfarin but it is not the only factor that interferes with coumadin and INR's. Vitamin C can also affect coumadin and cherries are very high in Vitamin C and Vitamin C can potentiate the effects of coumadin making your INRs higher where Vitamin K counteracts coumadin and will lower your INR. The main thing with any substance is consistancy. You can consume Vitamin K containing foods but you must consume them consistantly. If you like dark green leafy veggies (high in Vit K) you can eat them but you must eat something with a similar amount of Vit K every day so maybe greens one day, a salad the next, spinach the next, and asparagus another day. This way your Dr can work your coumadin around the Vitamin K. If you suddenly stop those green veggies then your INR will shoot up like a rocket because the Vitamin K isnt there to counteract the effects of coumadin.
Cherries have a low level of vitamin K. If you are eating less than 15 cherries in a day then you should not have any problems. Items such as echinacea, grapefruit juice, ginkgo, goldenseal, St. John’s wort are what you need to stay away from.
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