Vital Scoop and Vitamin K

[PatriceK]

I'm looking for a way for my 85-year-old mother to get more protein in her diet.  Since she has an artificial heart valve and takes coumadin as a blood thinner, she is supposed to avoid Vitamin K.  The label on Vital Scoop does not specifically list Vitamin K, but because of all the green ingredients, I wonder if it would be advisable for her to take it.  Any thoughts?

[jodi f.]

I'm going to channel Ed, here: Greens are an indispensable part of any diet, required for health. While vitamin K in supplement form may prove harmful to someone on Coumadin, food sources rarely pose a problem. To be safe, her doctor can monitor her coagulation factors and adjust her dose of Coumadin as needed. Better to adjust the drug than remove the greens, eh?

[PatriceK]

Thanks, Jodi.  That goes along with my thinking--that greens are essential.  It has always bothered me that she's being told not to eat broccoli or dark green lettuce.  It seems that if she gets these greens in the form of Vital Scoop and takes the same amount each day, it would be easier to adjust her Coumadin dosage if needed.  I'm not sure if her doctor will be open to anything but highly conventional procedures, but one can always present an alternative and see what happens.  Thanks again!

[PatriceK]

I thought of another question for you, Jodi (or anyone).  You said that food sources of Vitamin K rarely pose a problem.  Would you consider the greens in Vital Scoop to be a food source or a supplement?

[jodi f.]

Food source, definitely. By "supplement", and I could have been clearer, I meant the purified, isolated nutrient. It would be a white powder in a capsule.

[PatriceK]

Thank you for that clarification!