Drug & supplement interaction

Green Tea + Warfarin Sodium

Warfarin Sodium brand names: Coumadin, Panwarfin, Sofarin.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Warfarin Sodium falls into 3 drug categories that Green Tea can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, green tea may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodUnlikely
Interactions3
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Green Tea and Warfarin Sodium

These two interact in 3 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 3 Interactions?

Green Tea interacts with whole categories of medication. Warfarin Sodium falls into 3 of those categories, so it can interact with Green Tea in 3 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 3

Why this applies to Warfarin Sodium

Warfarin Sodium falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Green Tea interacts with.

Theoretically, green tea may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
Conflicting reports exist regarding the effect of green tea on bleeding risk when used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs; however, most evidence suggests that drinking green tea in moderate amounts is unlikely to cause a significant interaction. Green tea contains small amounts of vitamin K, approximately 7 mcg per cup. Some case reports have associated the antagonism of warfarin with the vitamin K content of green tea. However, these reports are rare, and very large doses of green tea (about 8-16 cups daily) appear to be needed to cause these effects. Furthermore, the catechins and caffeine in green tea are reported to have antiplatelet activity.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the practical picture with warfarin and green tea. Warfarin is a careful balancing act, where even small shifts can move you toward bleeding or toward clotting. There are two things to know. First, green tea contains a little vitamin K (roughly 7 mcg per cup), and vitamin K is exactly what warfarin works against. So in theory, drinking large amounts could blunt warfarin and let clots form. The catch is you'd need a huge intake (think 8 to 16 cups a day) to see that, which is why a normal cup or two rarely matters.

Second, the catechins and caffeine in green tea may slightly thin the blood on their own, which could nudge bleeding risk the other way. The evidence here is weak and conflicting, so don't panic. The real advice: keep your green tea intake steady rather than swinging wildly, and ask your pharmacist before starting concentrated green tea extracts.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Mitscher LA, Mitscher LA, Jung M, Shankel D, et al. Chemoprotection: a review of the potential therapeutic antioxidant properties of green tea (Camellia sinensis) and certain of its constituents. Med Res Rev 1997;17:327-65.
  2. Booth SL, Madabushi HT, Davidson KW, et al. Tea and coffee brews are not dietary sources of vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone). J Am Diet Assoc 1995;95:82-3. PubMed
  3. Lou FQ, Zhang MF, Zhang XG, et al. A study on tea-pigment in prevention of atherosclerosis. Chin Med J (Engl) 1989;102:579-83.
  4. Graham HN. Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol chemistry. Prev Med 1992;21:334-50. PubMed
  5. Taylor JR, Wilt VM. Probable antagonism of warfarin by green tea. Ann Pharmacother 1999;33:426-8. PubMed
  6. Heck AM, DeWitt BA, Lukes AL. Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2000;57:1221-7. DOI
  7. Ali M, Afzal M. A potent inhibitor of thrombin stimulated platelet thromboxane formation from unprocessed tea. Prostaglandins Leukot Med 1987;27:9-13. PubMed
  8. Ardlie NG, Glew G, Schultz BG, Schwartz CJ. Inhibition and reversal of platelet aggregation by methyl xanthines. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 1967;18:670-3. DOI
  9. Son DJ, Cho MR, Jin YR, et al. Antiplatelet effect of green tea catechins: a possible mechanism through arachidonic acid pathway. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2004;71:25-31. PubMed
  10. Chan, H. T., So, L. T., Li, S. W., Siu, C. W., Lau, C. P., and Tse, H. F. Effect of herbal consumption on time in therapeutic range of warfarin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation. J.Cardiovasc.Pharmacol. 2011;58(1):87-90. PubMed
  11. Nutescu EA, Shapiro NL, Ibrahim S, et al. Warfarin and its interactions with foods, herbs and other dietary supplements. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2006;5(3):433-51. PubMed
Moderate

WARFARIN (Coumadin)

2 of 3
Theoretically, green tea may increase the risk of bleeding if used with warfarin.
Conflicting reports exist regarding the potential of green tea to antagonize the effect of warfarin; however, most evidence suggests that drinking green tea in moderation is unlikely to cause a significant interaction. Green tea contains a small amount of vitamin K, approximately 7 mcg per cup. Some case reports have associated the antagonism of warfarin with the vitamin K content of green tea. However, these reports are rare, and very large doses of green tea (about 8-16 cups daily) appear to be needed to cause these effects. Therefore, use of green tea in moderate amounts is unlikely to antagonize the effects of warfarin; however, very large doses should be avoided.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the practical picture with warfarin and green tea. Warfarin keeps your blood from clotting by working against vitamin K. Green tea naturally contains a little vitamin K (roughly 7 mcg per cup), so in theory a lot of it could push back against warfarin and make it work less well, which could raise your clot risk. The good news: it takes a huge amount, somewhere around 8 to 16 cups a day, before this really shows up. A normal cup or two is very unlikely to matter.

Since warfarin is a narrow-margin drug where small shifts change your INR, the smart move is consistency. Keep your green tea intake about the same day to day rather than going from none to a pot a day, and let your pharmacist or doctor know what you drink so your monitoring stays on track.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Booth SL, Madabushi HT, Davidson KW, et al. Tea and coffee brews are not dietary sources of vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone). J Am Diet Assoc 1995;95:82-3. PubMed
  2. Lou FQ, Zhang MF, Zhang XG, et al. A study on tea-pigment in prevention of atherosclerosis. Chin Med J (Engl) 1989;102:579-83.
  3. Graham HN. Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol chemistry. Prev Med 1992;21:334-50. PubMed
  4. Taylor JR, Wilt VM. Probable antagonism of warfarin by green tea. Ann Pharmacother 1999;33:426-8. PubMed
  5. Heck AM, DeWitt BA, Lukes AL. Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2000;57:1221-7. DOI
  6. Ali M, Afzal M. A potent inhibitor of thrombin stimulated platelet thromboxane formation from unprocessed tea. Prostaglandins Leukot Med 1987;27:9-13. PubMed
  7. Chan, H. T., So, L. T., Li, S. W., Siu, C. W., Lau, C. P., and Tse, H. F. Effect of herbal consumption on time in therapeutic range of warfarin therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation. J.Cardiovasc.Pharmacol. 2011;58(1):87-90. PubMed
  8. Nutescu EA, Shapiro NL, Ibrahim S, et al. Warfarin and its interactions with foods, herbs and other dietary supplements. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2006;5(3):433-51. PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

3 of 3

Warfarin Sodium also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Green tea is unlikely to produce clinically significant changes in the levels and clinical effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro and in vivo research suggests that green tea can inhibit intestinal CYP3A and induce hepatic CYP3A4 enzymes. However, this effect is unlikely to be clinically significant, as green tea does not appear to affect CYP3A4 activity in humans.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the honest scoop on this particular pairing. The interaction on file looks at how green tea might nudge a liver enzyme called CYP3A4, which helps clear certain medicines. With warfarin, though, this is a very minor concern. Lab and animal studies hint green tea could tweak this enzyme a little, but in actual people it doesn't seem to meaningfully change CYP3A4 activity, so your warfarin levels are unlikely to shift from this mechanism.

That said, warfarin is a finicky drug where even small changes matter. The bigger real-world issue is that green tea naturally contains some vitamin K, which can work against warfarin's blood-thinning effect. Keep your intake steady rather than suddenly loading up, and check with your pharmacist or doctor, especially around INR checks.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Donovan JL, Chavin KD, Devane CL, et al. Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract does not alter cytochrome P450 3A4 or 2D6 activity in healthy volunteers. Drug Metab Dispos 2004;32:906-8. PubMed
  2. Nishikawa, M., Ariyoshi, N., Kotani, A., Ishii, I., Nakamura, H., Nakasa, H., Ida, M., Nakamura, H., Kimura, N., Kimura, M., Hasegawa, A., Kusu, F., Ohmori, S., Nakazawa, K., and Kitada, M. Effects of continuous ingestion of green tea or grape seed extrac
  3. Chow, H. H., Hakim, I. A., Vining, D. R., Crowell, J. A., Cordova, C. A., Chew, W. M., Xu, M. J., Hsu, C. H., Ranger-Moore, J., and Alberts, D. S. Effects of repeated green tea catechin administration on human cytochrome P450 activity. Cancer Epidemiol.B PubMed
  4. Engdal, S. and Nilsen, O. G. In vitro inhibition of CYP3A4 by herbal remedies frequently used by cancer patients. Phytother.Res. 2009;23(7):906-912.
  5. Schönthal AH. Adverse effects of concentrated green tea extracts. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 Jun;55(6):874-85. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Green Tea Also Interacts With Other Medications

Green Tea has 13 major, 904 moderate, 375 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Warfarin Sodium one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 13 Moderate 904 Minor 375 No known interaction 1,538 (incl. Warfarin Sodium)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Green Tea

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Green Tea. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Green Tea or Warfarin Sodium

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Green Tea or Warfarin Sodium, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Warfarin Sodium

This page covers Green Tea only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Warfarin Sodium page lists 361 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Alfalfa (major), American Ginseng (major), Beer (major) and Cannabis (major).

Open the Warfarin Sodium interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Green Tea as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 9,084 real supplement products containing Green Tea, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Green Tea. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Warfarin Sodium too, on top of Green Tea — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Green Tea and Warfarin Sodium Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Green Tea
Top 5%

#26 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Warfarin Sodium
Top 1%

#18 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Green Tea

What is Green Tea?

Green Tea
  • Antioxidant support
  • Weight loss
  • Heart health
  • Mental alertness
  • Cancer risk reduction

Green tea is a popular beverage rich in antioxidants called catechins, and drinking it in normal amounts is considered safe for most people. Concentrated green tea extracts are a different story—they may help modestly with weight or heart health for some, but high doses have been linked to rare liver problems. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking green tea supplements, especially if you have liver concerns or are pregnant.

Read the full Green Tea monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Warfarin

What Is Warfarin Used For?

Brand names: Coumadin, Panwarfin, Sofarin

Warfarin sodium tablets and Jantoven tablets are both used to prevent and treat venous thrombosis (blood clots in the veins) and pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lungs). They are also used to prevent clot-related complications in people with atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm) or who have had a heart valve replaced.

In people who have had a heart attack, warfarin is used to reduce the risk of death, another heart attack, stroke, or other clotting events. It does not dissolve an existing clot, but it helps prevent the clot from growing and stops new dangerous clots from forming.

See full Warfarin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Green Tea

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Green Tea — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

13Major
904Moderate
375Minor
1,537No known interaction
13 Major 904 Moderate 375 Minor 1,537 No interaction
Major

13 interactions

Moderate

904 interactions

Showing 60 of 904 moderate interactions — see all 904 on the Green Tea page.

Minor

375 interactions

Showing 60 of 375 minor interactions — see all 375 on the Green Tea page.

No interaction 1,537 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Green Tea against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,537 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Green Tea list.

See the full Green Tea interactions page
See every supplement checked against Warfarin Sodium, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Green Tea monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Warfarin Sodium supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Warfarin Sodium, ranked by severity Warfarin drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Green Tea and Warfarin Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Green Tea with Warfarin Sodium?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 3 interactions listed for Green Tea and Warfarin Sodium?
Warfarin Sodium belongs to more than one drug category, and Green Tea interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Green Tea and Warfarin Sodium interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Warfarin Sodium and Green Tea?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.