No goji berries with vitamin K antagonists

Interaction: Vitamin K antagonists and goji berries

03/04/2013

The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), in its latest issue of the Bulletin on Drug Safety, draws attention to possible interactions between vitamin K antagonists and goji berries. Vitamin K antagonists such as phenprocoumone (e.g., Marcumar®) and warfarin (e.g., Coumadin®) are widely used. They are used to inhibit blood clotting.

The adjustment to these drugs or agents must be done individually for each patient and is generally complicated by numerous possible interactions with other drugs as well as with food and dietary supplements, as the BfArM notes. The treatment therefore requires regular monitoring of the coagulation tendency of the blood.

Interaction with goji berries
Now further interactions have been reported in connection with the intake of goji berries. In patients taking vitamin K antagonists, increased levels of INR and bleeding occurred after consuming goji berries. Therefore, the BfArM advises patients taking vitamin K antagonists to avoid goji berries. The berries are used in Chinese cuisine as well as traditional Chinese medicine. (Pm)

Image: Sara Hegewald