ITP Diet: 3 Foods To Eat and 3 To Avoid

Medically reviewed by Johna Burdeos, RD

Written by Anastasia Climan, RDN, CDN

Updated on August 12, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease that can cause low platelet levels, and while there are no official dietary recommendations for people with ITP, making thoughtful food choices can support overall health.
Eating foods like leafy green vegetables, foods with healthy fats, and whole unprocessed foods may benefit people living with ITP, while limiting added sugars, trans fats, and certain drinks like alcohol and tonic water can help leave more room for foods that provide real nutritional value. Some drinks and foods may also affect platelet count or interfere with how ITP medications work in the body.
Talking with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian is a great step toward understanding how nutrition fits into your personal ITP care, especially if you are taking medications that may require changes to what you eat or drink.

View all takeaways

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease that can cause low platelet levels. Platelets are blood cells that help blood clot.

There are no official dietary recommendations for people living with ITP, and there’s no scientific evidence that specific foods can raise a low platelet count. For most people, food choices should be viewed as a way to support overall health, not as a substitute for ITP treatment.

If you have ITP, your specific dietary needs will vary based on your overall health, any other conditions you have, and which medications you take. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn more about nutrition and ITP. They can offer advice, resources, and referrals to nutrition specialists and dietitians.

🗳️ Have you changed your diet due to ITP?

Yes

Read on for an overview of some types of food to eat and foods to limit if you’re living with ITP.

Foods To Eat When You Have ITP

Many nutritious foods can benefit people with ITP. Eating a balanced diet can also support your general health.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy greens and dark green vegetables like broccoli are a good source of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They’re also good sources of vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting.

Making leafy green vegetables a part of your regular diet may help contribute to your overall health while living with ITP. Experiment with different greens to get a range of flavors and plant nutrients.

You can try roasting kale to make kale chips, braising collard greens, adding spinach to omelets and soups, or swapping the bread on your sandwich for hearty leaves of romaine lettuce.

If you’re not a big fan of salads or sauteed greens, you can also sneak more greens into your diet with a refreshing green smoothie. Put a handful of fresh or frozen spinach, kale, or spring mix in your blender, along with sweet fruits like ripe bananas, pineapple, mango, strawberries, blueberries, or citrus. Add water or yogurt, blend until smooth, and enjoy.

If you’re not a big fan of salads or sauteed greens, you can also sneak more greens into your diet with a refreshing green smoothie.

To encourage kids to eat more greens, call a green smoothie “dino juice” and let them help you choose the ingredients. You can also freeze green smoothies into ice pops.

Foods With Healthy Fat

Different types of dietary fat can affect health in different ways. Replacing foods high in saturated fat with foods that contain unsaturated fats may help support heart health.

Foods that contain these healthier fats include:

Avocados
Chia seeds
Fatty fish, like wild salmon and sardines
Ground flaxseed
Hemp seeds
Peanuts and peanut butter
Walnuts

Omega-3 fatty acids are one type of unsaturated fat. The body can’t make omega-3 fatty acids, so you need to get them from food.

When cooking, reach for olive oil and canola oil instead of solid fats like butter, margarine, or lard.

Whole Foods

Choose whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible. Whole foods include:

Vegetables
Fruits
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Eggs
Beans
Lean meats, poultry, and fish
Plain dairy foods such as milk and yogurt without sweeteners

Whole foods contain fiber and other nutrients that are often removed during processing. These foods can help make up a nutrient-dense eating pattern.

Foods To Avoid When You Have ITP

There’s no specific list of foods you should avoid if you have ITP. Instead, moderating certain foods and drinks can help you leave more room for foods that provide nutritional benefits and help you feel better.

Foods With Added Sugar

Limit foods and drinks with high amounts of added sugar. Added sugar can be cane sugar or other sweeteners added to foods and drinks during processing or preparation.

Other examples of added sugars include:

Cane juice
Corn syrup or sweetener
Honey
Molasses
Nectar

Added sugar can show up in foods that don’t taste sweet, such as breads, cereals, ketchup, salad dressings, and pasta sauces. It can also be listed under many different names on food labels, like cane juice, dextrose, and fructose.

While you don’t have to cut out sugar completely, checking the ingredients on food labels and preparing your own food at home can help you be more aware of your sugar intake.

Foods With Trans Fat

Trans fat can raise heart health concerns. Partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) are the main source of artificial trans fat in processed foods.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided in 2015 that PHOs are not generally recognized as safe. Manufacturers have largely stopped adding PHOs to foods in the United States.

However, trans fat isn’t completely gone from food. It can occur naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products, and very low levels may be present in some edible oils.

The amount of trans fat in fried foods, fast foods, and packaged snacks varies by ingredients and preparation. Consider these “once-in-a-while” foods rather than daily staples.

When shopping, check the ingredient list. If you see “partially hydrogenated oil,” the food may contain artificial trans fat.

Drinks That May Affect Blood Clotting

In addition to watching your plate, consider what you drink. Drinking alcohol may affect your platelet count. If you’re concerned about your risk, ask your healthcare provider if drinking alcohol is safe for you.

You may want to avoid drinking alcohol or tonic water, as both may affect your platelet count.

Additionally, tonic water contains quinine, which can lead to drug-induced thrombocytopenia — a low platelet count caused by a drug or substance. Instead, enjoy fizz from club soda.

How Do Food Choices Affect ITP Medications?

You may need to alter your diet when taking certain medications to manage ITP. Some medications must be taken with food. Other ITP medications work best while avoiding certain foods, drinks, or supplements.

For example, eltrombopag (Promacta), a platelet-raising medicine, needs to be taken separately from foods and drinks that contain a lot of calcium. Dairy products, calcium-fortified drinks, antacids, and mineral supplements can reduce absorption if taken too close to this medicine.

You may need to alter your diet when taking certain medications to manage ITP.

People who take corticosteroids for ITP should understand possible side effects. Long-term use can cause side effects such as gastrointestinal symptoms, increased appetite and weight gain, fluid retention, high blood pressure, or elevated blood sugar. These effects may lead to changes in your diet.

Talk to your pharmacist when you start a new medication. You can also ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian or nutritionist to address any digestive or nutritional concerns.