What does vitamin K have to do with warfarin?

It's important to understand the role of vitamin K in warfarin treatment and a healthy diet. Warfarin works by disrupting the role of vitamin K in a complex series of molecular events that cause blood clotting. But vitamin K is a nutrient essential for heart and bone health.

Foods rich in vitamin K are green vegetables, including lettuce, spinach and broccoli. If you are taking warfarin, the amount of vitamin K in your diet may affect how well the medicine works. If you take warfarin, it's important to have a consistent amount of vitamin K in your diet. Too little vitamin K can increase your risk of bleeding. Too much vitamin K can decrease warfarin's anti-clotting ability.

Talk to your doctor about healthy choices you can make to get an adequate and consistent supply of vitamin K.