Food for Platelets

Looking for power foods for platelets, also looking for what not to eat or drink (things that bring your platelets down).

There really are not any foods that raise platelet counts, nor foods that cause them to go down. There are foods that can cause platelets to be less sticky and you'd need to avoid those if counts are low.

I've never been told to avoid any foods. I don't know if that means that my doctors are negligent or if it really doesn't matter. Have the haematologists of others here told them to avoid any foods?

I remember seeing this the other day...

www.pdsa.org/about-itp/warnings.html

Herbs, Food, and Supplements
Some food, herbs, and supplements can reduce the number of platelets for various reasons. This list includes those substances that have been documented in journal or other articles. It is not known whether there are few items in this category or if they are underreported. If your platelets drop after taking something new, please notify your doctor.

alcohol3 (also called ethanol-induced thrombocytopenia)
aspartame (NutraSweet)5
cow’s milk*6
cranberry Juice*6
jui [a Chinese medicinal herbal tea]*7
L-tryptophan*8
lupinus termis bean (cultivated in Egypt, a food protein supplement that contains quinolizidine alkaloids)6
niacin (liver damage due to long exposure) 9
tahini (pulped sesame seeds)*6



Food and Supplements that Interfere with Platelet Function
This list contains food and supplements that can change the way platelets work and make it more difficult for your blood to clot. They do not reduce the platelet count unless noted. A small quantity of these substances will probably be safe and not cause a problem.

There are many drugs such as Plavix and Coumadin that are designed to interfere with platelet function as well as other drugs such as aspirin that reduce platelet function as a side effect of their other uses. The food and supplements listed can amplify the effect of these medications. See the results of the NIH Conference on Dietary Supplements, Coagulation, and Antithrombotic Therapies held January 13-14, 2005, for more information and an extensive bibliography.

Many of the listed substances are also antioxidants or have other properties that promote healing. A balance is important. We are publishing this list so you are aware that everyday or easily-available substances can have an effect on platelets, although their anti-clotting action is much weaker than pharmaceuticals.

If you have a reasonably high platelet count and few bleeding symptoms, many items on this list will not cause problems unless you ingest large quantities. Ironically, some patients with ITP have a clotting problem and are taking blood thinners. Others may have a clotting problem and not know it. The propensity to clot and medication status are important factors when considering diet choices. Please discuss any concerns with your doctor.


aspartame (NutraSweet, can also reduce the number of platelets)16
beer (including non-alcoholic beer)17,18
blueberries19
chocolate (dark)20
coffee21
feverfew22
garlic23
onions24
gingko biloba25
ginger26
ginseng27
green tea28
guarana (a dietary supplement)29
kiwi fruit30
omega 3 fatty acids (hemp seed, fish oil)31, 32
pycnogenol (pine bark extract)33
quercetin, rutin, and related bioflavonoids34, 35
red/purple grape products (grape juice, red wine, raisins, grape seeds)36
red wine37
tomatoes38
vitamin E39
wood ear or cloud ear mushroom (Auricularia auricula-judae, used in Chinese cuisine)40

I know and that's why I wondered whether others' haematologists really believe it or if they, like mine, think it's a bit of an unnecessary scare story.

I've read that kiwi, beets and organic leafy greens support an increase in platelet production. I have started implementing these in my diet. I don't think I will see changes over night. Only time will tell. While tomatoes is on the blood thinning list it also is an antioxidants. Antioxidant help slow free radical development, so the body's immune system can focus on fighting chronic disease development or cellular repair.

I've also read to avoid sugary food, berries contain little sugar for a fruit and are also an antioxidant.

I am finding the problem with ITP and looking for a solution is there are things that help and could also hinder. And its gets frustrating. One article says eat tomatoes another doesn't. I think this is what make ITP so hard to deal with. I believe there are many reason we all have ITP which is why one fix doesn't fit all and we have to work it personally looking for our own needle in the haystack.

I have read though people do get better through diet, homeopathic treatments and trial and error. I truly hope this is true. I personally need to know that in the end I can say I have done all I can. So I am fighting this with all the knowledge and resources I can muster. I hope it works for me as it has for others.

There are thousands of things that can cause Platelets to drop, but I do not know of any foods that will raise them. Our bodies are in a constant battle fighting off the bad things in the food we eat and the air we breathe. A healthy diet is always a good choice whether one is healthy or dealing with some kind of disease/disorder. It is so much easier said than done though!

Hi Jaynemarie,
I've read that list before, too. I personally followed that list very diligently when my platelets were at 1. I noticed after a couple of weeks my bleeding symptoms almost disappeared--which made me very happy. At the present, my platelets are in the normal range (or they were so when tested last November).

I still follow a similar list--but not as strict as I was a couple of years ago. I do not use any aspartame, do not drink tea, eat much tomatoes, drink alcohol, and a few of the others. If my platelets do fall again to 1-10, I will definitley look at my diet again and do the best I can to keep my bleeding to a minimum (I do eat chocolate, though:) ).

We each have a "gut" feeling on what works and what doesn't work; and, I feel each of us need to assess our own situation and do what we can. P.S. I also believe in exercise.

Raw garlic can lower your platelets and quinine--a compound in 'bitter' beverages(gin, vodka and some Italian sodas) may as well.

I suggest getting lots of leafy dark green veggies, contaning vitamin K, which will not necessarily help build platelets but it will keep the rest of your clotting mechanism functioning properly. This, in theory will help your body to respond to bleeding, with or without platelets.

I've not seen enough convincing evidence that food affects platelets in either direction. If it does, it's not very significant or consistent.

Eating a lot of leafy dark green veggies sure can't hurt you:) I try to eat nice salads as much as possible--really good for the diet.