DIETARY VITAMIN-K-1 AND STABILITY OF ORAL ANTICOAGULATION - PROPOSAL OF A DIET WITH CONSTANT VITAMIN-K-1 CONTENT

Case reports cited Medline or Biological Abstracts (1966-1996) were re viewed to evaluate the impact of vitamin K-1 dietary intake on the sta bility of anticoagulant control in patients using coumarin derivatives . Reported nutrient-drug interactions cannot always be explained by th e vitamin K-1 content of the food items. However, metabolic data indic ate that a consistent dietary intake of vitamin K is important to atta in a daily equilibrium in vitamin K status. We report a diet that prov ides a stable intake of vitamin K-1 equivalent to the current U.S. Rec ommended Dietary Allowance, using food composition data derived from h igh-performance liquid chromatography. Inconsistencies in the publishe d literature indicate that prospective clinical studies should be unde rtaken to clarify the putative dietary vitamin K-1-coumarin interactio n. The dietary guidelines reported here may be used in such studies.