Can you eat spinach with Xarelto?
In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can you eat spinach with Xarelto?”. We will also discuss which is nutrient drug interaction, which is an anticoagulant drug, and which is vitamin K. Also what foods to avoid consuming while taking anticoagulant medication.
Can you eat spinach with Xarelto?
It is not recommended to eat foods that are a source of vitamin K which includes green leafy vegetables such as spinach, however, this can be consumed once a week.
This is because there are interactions between medications and foods that can affect the action of the medication when certain types of food are consumed, this interaction is commonly known as drug-nutrient interaction.
These drug-nutrient interactions can cause some alteration in the effect of the drug, i.e.: when the pharmacological effect is lost; when toxic effects are caused; or when the utilization of nutrients is affected.
The causes of nutrient-drug interaction can be pharmacokinetic, which covers from the moment the drug enters the organism until certain plasma levels are reached, and pharmacodynamics is related to this plasma level and the effect that will occur at the site of action.
For a drug to cause the expected effect or therapeutic effect, it must enter the blood.
Within pharmacokinetics, where the greatest number of interactions with nutrients takes place, there are the processes of absorption, distribution, binding, and elimination.
What is an anticoagulant drug?
Anticoagulant drugs prevent blood clotting by preventing the formation of clots, which are a kind of mass formed by the blood that has lost its liquid state to form a gel.
Xarelto is a medicine called an anticoagulant, which is prescribed to prevent blood clots from forming in the brain or other blood vessels in the body or if you have a form of irregular heart rhythm called non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
Also to treat blood clots in the veins of the legs (deep vein thrombosis) and in the blood vessels of the lungs (pulmonary embolism), and to prevent these blood clots from coming back in the blood vessels of the legs and/or lungs.
Also, to treat blood clots and prevent the recurrence of these blood clots in the veins or in the blood vessels of the lungs after treatment.
When there is clot formation it can be harmful to our body as they can form in different organs such as the lungs, brain, heart, and kidneys. Clots can form in the blood vessels called veins in the above-mentioned organs and cause venous thrombosis which can lead to problems such as ischemic stroke, heart attack, kidney problems, and kidney failure.
What foods to avoid when an anticoagulant such as Xarelto is indicated?
The foods to avoid when taking an anticoagulant are green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard because this food group contains phylloquinone which is a chemical compound called the main dietary form of vitamin K.
What is vitamin K?
Vitamin K is a nutrient that has a coagulation function, that is, it helps with the formation of clots preventing the detection of bleeding. The main function of this vitamin is to intervene in the synthesis of coagulation factors such as prothrombin.
Therefore, its deficiency increases the likelihood of bleeding. This is especially important for those who receive antibiotics that prevent the synthesis of vitamin K in the intestine because they alter the bacterial flora. In these cases, it is important to consume the different types of foods that are rich in vitamin K.
What diet to follow when taking anticoagulant drugs?
Avoid consuming foods rich in vitamin K such as green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, fruits such as blueberries and figs, and liver. Below, different foods are shown with the contributions in micrograms per 100 grams of vitamin K:
- Cabbage 440 (µg)/100 grams
- Spinach 380 (µg)/100 grams
- Mixed lettuce salad 315 (µg)/100 grams
- Asparagus 60 (µg)/100 grams
- Okra 40 (µg)/100 grams
- Iceberg lettuce 35 (µg)/100 grams
- Green beans 33 (µg)/100 grams
- Fresh peas 24 (µg)/100 grams
- Cucumber 20 (µg)/100 grams
- Cauliflower 20 (µg)/100 grams
- Carrot 10 (µg)/100 grams
- Tomatoes 6 (µg)/100 grams
The bottom line
As seen in the article, Xarelto is a drug called an anticoagulant, which can have a nutrient drug interaction after ingestion of some foods such as spinach. Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that contains vitamin K through a chemical compound called phylloquinone.
Vitamin K is a vitamin that intervenes in the synthesis of coagulation factors, so it is important not to consume it daily to avoid interaction with the drug and to prevent it from having the indicated effect.
Other FAQs about Spinach that you may be interested in.
How many cups are 50 grams of spinach?
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we have addressed the query “can you eat spinach with Xarelto?” We have also discussed which is nutrient drug interaction, which is an anticoagulant drug, and which is vitamin K. Also what foods to avoid consuming while taking anticoagulant medication.
Citation
https://www.guthrie.org/blog/dont-eat-these-foods-if-you-take-blood-thinners-or-statins
