Althouse: Overdosing on Brussels sprouts.

December 21, 2012

Overdosing on Brussels sprouts.

Too much vitamin K!

52 comments:

edutcher said...: You are safe nowhere.; 12/21/12, 12:06 PM
Big Mike said...: My wife found a recipe that actually makes Brussels sprouts taste good, providing they're fresh. I could never eat more than three of them at a sitting before that point. Give my wife credit for persistence.; 12/21/12, 12:07 PM
SteveR said...: Take away my Brussell Sprout Feast and Christmas just won't be the same. Forget Green Energy I want Low K Sprouts.; 12/21/12, 12:10 PM
Crunchy Frog said...: Any brussels sprouts are too many brussels sprouts.; 12/21/12, 12:14 PM
Crunchy Frog said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/21/12, 12:14 PM
rhhardin said...: Vicki won't touch rice and brussels sprouts.; 12/21/12, 12:14 PM
jaliranchr said...: Brussel sprouts and parsnips are the two veggies I absolutely refuse to eat. Learned to dislike them as an adult because I was never served them as a child, thank goodness.; 12/21/12, 12:18 PM
coketown said...: I LOVE BRUSSELS SPROUTS! But I didn't know it had an 's' at the end until I read the article. Brussels. Like German's Chocolate Cake. Except that's apostrophe-s. Is it supposed to be Brussel's sprouts? Named after their discoverer, G. Macmillan Brussel IV? But now if you look for recipes of German's chocolate cake, all you get are recipes for German chocolate cake. The possessive is gone. The s is vanquished. Furthermore, I think it should be adapted across fields and we should spell them as we call them: brusselsprouts.; 12/21/12, 12:22 PM
Anonymous said...: Named after their discoverer, G. Macmillan Brussel IV?

Perhaps they're named for Brussels, a city in modern-day Belgium.; 12/21/12, 12:35 PM
chuck said...: If you ever get the urge, I believe dog liver is toxic for the same reason.; 12/21/12, 12:36 PM
Levi Starks said...: What on earth was a man with a mechanical heart doing eating Brussels sprouts?; 12/21/12, 12:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Can we get every single lefty to do this? Especially Inga and Garage's kids.; 12/21/12, 12:38 PM
Aridog said...: Any veggie one must soak in cheese sauce to make palatable, is a veggie I won't eat. That'd be any form of broccoli, cooked cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts...among a few others. Nastiest of all...soggy asparagus with puke sauce as presented on "Veal Oscar." Oscar was an idiot.; 12/21/12, 12:41 PM
Gahrie said...: There are two good recipes for Sprouts.

The first is to mash them and onions together with leftover mashed potatos and fry them up.

The second is to sautee them with garlic and bacon.; 12/21/12, 12:43 PM
Aridog said...: Gahrie said...

There are two good recipes for Sprouts.

You forgot one: one is to use them raw as projectiles from Wham-O large pouch slingshots. They really sting on impact. Tested by all of us on my block as a kid. They ended that "you missed" lie when playing combat games...but didn't do the damage of a stone, marble, or ball bearing.; 12/21/12, 12:54 PM
effinayright said...: My family excuses themselves when I prepare sprouts as I like them: steamed for nine minutes, then cut in half, a little salt and pepper, with butter and a little sesame oil.

But if they're not fresh they're terrible. Whole Foods generally offers them displayed on ice to preserve freshness.

I've tried them oiled and baked in the oven. Blech.

Then again, I think Crunchy Cheetos are Nature's Perfect Food, so what do *I* know?; 12/21/12, 12:56 PM
Anonymous said...: cut them in half & steam them then toss them in well cooked bacon bits - just drain off most of the bacon fat.

add artichokes to make it special or toasted pine nuts to make them extra special.; 12/21/12, 12:59 PM
Kelly said...: Slice the sprouts in half, toss them with olive oil and roast. Fry bacon, sauté shallots in reserved grease, add some wine, finish with cream. Toss the sprouts and bacon in the sauce, or throw the sprouts away and eat the sauce. Good either way.; 12/21/12, 1:07 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/21/12, 1:14 PM
ndspinelli said...: Brussel Sprouts have a bad name. I think they should rename them Bruge Sprouts.; 12/21/12, 1:18 PM
shirley elizabeth said...: Sauteed in butter, salt, fresh ground pepper. The smaller the better. I fixed 5 lbs for Thanksgiving.

Some people just can't handle their delicious, butter absorbing vegetables.; 12/21/12, 1:19 PM
Aridog said...: Serious questions :-)

Do all y'all who prepare Brussels Sprouts as food...do you actually do it in doors, where the odor will linger?

Next, why, if the little pygmy cabbages are soooo good, do almost all the recipes presented here involve strong flavored additions?; 12/21/12, 1:26 PM
KCFleming said...: Not an overdose.

It's a simple problem explained ad nauseum to patients who start blood thinners.

From the NIH:

"How does warfarin work?
Blood clots are formed through a series of chemical reactions in your body. Vitamin K is
essential for those reactions. Warfarin (Coumadin) works by decreasing the activity of
vitamin K; lengthening the time it takes for a clot to form.

To help warfarin (Coumadin) work effectively, it is important to keep your vitamin K
intake as consistent as possible. Sudden increases in vitamin K intake may decrease
the effect of warfarin (Coumadin). On the other hand, greatly lowering your vitamin K
intake could increase the effect of warfarin (Coumadin)."; 12/21/12, 1:33 PM
KCFleming said...: If only journalists had access to the internet.; 12/21/12, 1:33 PM
traditionalguy said...: Fresh Brussels with the hard end cut off and an X cut into it sauteed in a pan with garlic are a real treat.

But I seldom make them anymore since I became a blood thinned Arrhythmia patient. Vitamin K in large servings of brussels or spinach affects the blood therapeutic levels of the blood thinner.

Common sense is all you need.; 12/21/12, 1:35 PM
Amexpat said...: BS (the vegetable) are a stable in my diet. Easy to prepare - steam a few minutes and add olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Good as a snack or a side dish to fish or meat.; 12/21/12, 1:37 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Regard them as tiny cabbages and treat them accordingly.

Blanch to loosen. Core. Tear then apart leaf by leaf. Show them who's boss.

A few Brussels sprouts will make a huge pile of loose leaves.

Completely alter the bitter little bastards. Do as the Dutch do with cabbage, sweet and sour, brown sugar and vinegar. Balsamic and bacon. Chile flakes. So like a Thai thing it hits every area of your mouth including bitter but now it's everything not just bitter, and the bitter is knocked way back.

Oh man, you just gave me an idea. Corned beef and torn Brussels sprouts instead of corned beef and cabbage.

No cheese required.; 12/21/12, 1:39 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I can't stand the things. They taste like acetone or nail polish remover. I'm safe.; 12/21/12, 1:51 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: What you do with a Brussels sprout is pickle it and put it in a Bloody Mary.

With fresh, crisp asparagus.; 12/21/12, 1:59 PM
Astro said...: Not enough info in the story.
The effects of too high a dose of anti-coagulants, like Coumadin, are obvious: easy bleeding that leads to frequent nosebleeds or a small cut that won't stop bleeding, or easy bruising. But the article doesn't say what the effects are of too much vitamin K. The article also doesn't say if the patient sought medical help, or was admitting following routine screening. My guess is the latter.
He probably visited his doctor for a routine check on the clotting rate of his blood and the test showed that it clotted way too fast for the dosage of anti-coagulant he was taking. So they probably did an immediate admission to the hospital to get the levels back within the proper range.; 12/21/12, 2:07 PM
ricpic said...: If you sautee brussel sprouts, along with onions, garlic and tomatoes, in olive oil and season with salt (or lemon juice), pepper, balsamic vinegar, which has already been mentioned and maybe a little turmeric or curry powder, well, then you don't really taste the brussel sprouts, you taste all those other wonderful flavors. I use them that way from time to time as a substitute for broccoli.; 12/21/12, 2:07 PM
McTriumph said...: Never understood why people like to hide the taste of vegetables. They are best steamed and eaten with a little butter and pepper.; 12/21/12, 2:17 PM
kjbe said...: Never had one.; 12/21/12, 2:20 PM
Chip S. said...: @NotquiteunBuckley, it's supposed to be a cocktail, not a salad dressing.; 12/21/12, 2:25 PM
Roger J. said...: My lady friend and I always have brussel sprouts on boxing day along with aged standing rib roast and roasted red potatoes. I subscribe to the "x the bottom and steam and steam the little bastards" approach. My lady friend's Russian daughter in law makes a wonderful salad by, as mentioned up thread, tearing them apart leaf by leaf, adding some bacon and parmesan and serving them as a green salad.; 12/21/12, 2:27 PM
Roger J. said...: My dear DBQ--do you often eat acetone and nail polish remover? I am perplexed about how you know that brussel sprouts are comparable :); 12/21/12, 2:30 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Too much vitamin K!

Sounds like a good GOP slogan.; 12/21/12, 2:57 PM
traditionalguy said...: The vitamin K levels lower affect the clotting rate: More K is less clotting and less K is more clotting when the cumidin dosage stays the same.

An occasional small spinach salad or three brussels is not a problem

But we are warned to avoid it because it seems too hard for folks to get it right.

Atrial Fibrillation is a heart muscle arrhythmia which can cause un-thinned blood to form clots in the atrium of the heart that will break lose and cause strokes or a blood clot that lodges in the heart. That is called "the widow maker clot" when in the left anterior descending artery.

That death has nothing to do with heart failure from a hardening of the arteries/stenosis usually blamed on cholesterol levels causing reduced blood flow to the heart and treated by a bypass surgery scheduled as soon as possible in the coming weeks.

The widow maker is more like a strong heart being shot with bullet. It can only be treated be removal of the bullet using a heart catheter done within a window of 20 minutes or less.

So I don't fool around with vitamin K , even in a multivitamin tablet.; 12/21/12, 2:58 PM
McTriumph said...: Roger J
When's Boxing Day? What time is dinner?; 12/21/12, 3:04 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I take it Brussels sprouts are not from Brussels?

I take it I'm not the first to notice that?; 12/21/12, 3:21 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Brussels sprouts and baby corns should get a reality show.; 12/21/12, 3:25 PM
Crunchy Frog said...: I always wondered why German chocolate cake has coconut in it, when there are no palm trees in Germany...; 12/21/12, 4:28 PM
Strelnikov said...: If I may borrow from the self righteous anti-2nd Amendment lobby, even one spout is too many.; 12/21/12, 4:36 PM
Strelnikov said...: If I may borrow from the self righteous anti-2nd Amendment lobby, even one spout is too many.; 12/21/12, 4:36 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: No fiscal cliff deal.; 12/21/12, 4:39 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: My dear DBQ--do you often eat acetone and nail polish remover? I am perplexed about how you know that brussel sprouts are comparable :)

Not often. Once is enough :-) Actually, when working with acetone on furniture pieces or having removed the polish from my nails and NOT being careful to thoroughly wash my hands before touching my face or lips...I got the taste. Don't rub your eyes either!

Cauliflower that is cooked has the same awful lingering bitter nasty taste. Strangely enough raw cauliflower is tolerable. Cooked. No.; 12/21/12, 4:51 PM
dbp said...: We generally eat these things roasted. One variaton is a sort of roasted aloo gobi, but we delete the potatoes (to cut carbs) and put in Brussles sprouts instead.

This recipe is my wife's potato version, but the substitution is tricky: Leave out the potato, add in the same amount of whole sprouts.; 12/21/12, 4:56 PM
dbp said...: Crunchy Frog said...

"I always wondered why German chocolate cake has coconut in it, when there are no palm trees in Germany"

Cacao trees are not native to Germany either.; 12/21/12, 4:59 PM
Roger J. said...: McTriumph--boxing day is Dec 26 and is a British holiday--; 12/21/12, 5:16 PM
ken in tx said...: I think of Brussels sprouts as little cabbages. I cook and eat them like cabbage. I had some cut-up and sauteed with garlic on a pizza tonight.

BTW, I understand that bear liver is toxic because of too much vitamin A.; 12/21/12, 8:45 PM
Triangle Man said...: I avoided Brussels sprouts until last Christmas. I was served some at Christmas dinner and enjoyed them immensely. They were cut in half and tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. They were then roasted, cut side down, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. This caramelized the cut surface, made the sprouts tender, and crisped the loose leaves. I have been converted to a sprout lover. Also fantastic with pecans and/or bacon added to the mix.

I agree with DBQ that they, and cauliflower, can be very bitter and unpleasant, but roasted, they are fantastic.; 12/22/12, 7:49 AM
Triangle Man said...: I avoided Brussels sprouts until last Christmas. I was served some at Christmas dinner and enjoyed them immensely. They were cut in half and tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. They were then roasted, cut side down, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. This caramelized the cut surface, made the sprouts tender, and crisped the loose leaves. I have been converted to a sprout lover. Also fantastic with pecans and/or bacon added to the mix.

I agree with DBQ that they, and cauliflower, can be very bitter and unpleasant, but roasted, they are fantastic.; 12/22/12, 7:50 AM