7 Major Foods to Avoid with ITP

When I had thrombocytopenia and was hospitalized for weeks, one of the things I looked into was food. Are there foods that make your symptoms worse? Well, there are. Here’s a list of foods to avoid with ITP. 

7 Major Foods to Avoid with ITP 

1.    Tomatoes 

When you have ITP, be sure not to eat too many tomatoes because these veggies may interfere with clotting. Remember ITP is caused by low platelets which means your blood can’t clot properly. 

You can eat them in small amounts, say a tomato slice in a burger but don’t consume too much ketchup or tomato juice. 

2.    Berries 

Berries are the healthiest foods on the planet but guess what – they have natural blood-thinning effects. This means you should not eat too much of them. 

It’s easy to throw a ton of blueberries into a smoothie or just keep on munching mixed berries but it’s not advised to overconsume berries in an ITP diet.

3.    Garlic & Onion 

Now, garlic and onion are some of the top most key ingredients in cooking. I don’t mean avoid them completely because this can be virtually impossible let alone depressing. 

Just try not to consume a lot of garlic and onions. You can take easy measures such as reduce on the garlic powder when it comes to seasoning, don’t take garlic supplements and last but not least, use fresh garlic/onion and try to avoid powdered – onion powder is so much more concentrated that a fresh onion! Same goes for garlic.

4.    Red Grapes 

If you’re a grape lover, it’s time to cut down on it a bit. Red grapes have blood-thinning compounds so you’d want to not over-consume them. 

Of course, having them in moderation won’t cause any disturbances. Now if you’re eating a whole bunch of grapes in one day, then that would be a problem.

5.    Alcohol

We all know that taking alcohol is bad enough for your health even if you don’t have ITP.

Alcoholic beverages should be avoided because alcohol is known to have anti-clotting properties. 

Many people with ITP find that they aren’t able to drink much, some avoid it at all costs. The fact is that it may affect you badly, given that it is addictive and a depressant as well. 

6.    Foods with Quinine 

Quinine is a substance that has been found to lower platelets. It is an ingredient in some tonic waters as well as citrus and energy drinks. 

Steer clear from such drinks, folks, because they are not ITP-friendly.

 7.    Foods High in Saturated or Trans Fat

Avoiding foods high in saturated or trans fat is useful advice for everyone, even if you don’t have ITP or any health condition for that matter.  

But for people with ITP, it’s even more important to restrict such foods because ITP sufferers are most likely on corticosteroids (Prednisone) to manage symptoms. 

Saturated fat is found in high-fat dairy products and processed foods like confectionery, pastries and junk food. Trans fat is found in processed foods especially those made from hydrogenated oil.

Not to mention, ITP sufferers who receive steroid treatment are at a greater risk for high blood pressure, which is easily brought on by overconsumption of saturated and trans fat rich foods.

Final Thoughts 

Most of these foods such as tomatoes, berries, garlic, onion, grape products or processed foods can be consumed in small or moderate quantities. 

But please try to avoid alcohol, foods with quinine and foods rich in saturated and trans fat. Most ITP diets also recommend cutting out refined flour and refined white sugar but I believe you can consume these in moderation.