A man from Ayrshire, UK, had to be hospitalized after eating too many Brussels sprouts last Christmas, it has emerged.
The traditional Christmas vegetable contain lots of vitamin K which promotes blood clotting.
However, this counteracted the effect of anticoagulants the man was taking because he had a mechanical heart.
Doctors at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank eventually realized too many sprouts were to blame.
The case was reported in a festive edition of the Medical Journal of Australia.
It outlines how the man’s condition stabilized after the diagnosis.
Consultant cardiologist Dr. Roy Gardner said: “Patients who are taking anticoagulants are generally advised not to eat too many green leafy vegetables, as they are full of vitamin K, which antagonise the action of this vital medication.”
Jill Young, chief executive of the Golden Jubilee Hospital, added: “Whilst we think this is possibly the first-ever festive admission to hospital caused by the consumption of Brussels sprouts, we were delighted that we were able to stabilize his levels.”
