Vitamin K Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms, and Food Sources
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that plays a role in blood clotting, bone health, and heart health. Functioning correctly in several organs, including the brain, lungs, and kidneys, is also necessary. Vitamin K deficiency can result in serious health problems; however, it is rare among adults because most adults get enough vitamin K from their diet or through supplementation.
What Is Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in blood clotting and bone health. It's also involved in proper heart function and brain health.
A deficiency of vitamin K can cause excessive bleeding, bruising, and poor bone health. Too much vitamin K may increase your osteoporosis, heart disease, or stroke risk.
Why Do We Need Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body can store later. It's essential for blood clotting and helps prevent osteoporosis, a bone disease characterized by weak bones.
The best way to get your daily vitamin K is through plant foods such as dark leafy greens, broccoli, and other vegetables.
Vitamin K Deficiency
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and is found in leafy green vegetables, eggs, liver, dairy products, and oils.
A vitamin K deficiency can cause abnormal bleeding and bruising. This condition is rare, but it may occur in infants who are breastfeeding or have a disorder of the intestine that reduces their ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Vitamin K deficiency can also occur in older people with chronic liver disease. If you have any signs of bleeding after taking vitamin K supplements or eating foods rich in this nutrient (such as spinach), contact your doctor immediately.
How Much Vitamin K Do We Need?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin K for adults is 90 micrograms per day, 75 micrograms for women, and 120 micrograms for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Vitamin K Side Effects
While vitamin K is generally considered a safe supplement, it can cause side effects in high doses. Like most vitamins, too much vitamin K can lead to toxicity. Vitamin K is not easily removed from the body and can build up in your system over time if you take too much of it. This can lead to blood clots forming inside your body, which may result in internal bleeding or other health problems.
Vitamin K toxicity is rare but possible if consuming large amounts of this supplement regularly. If you are considering taking vitamin K or are currently taking it for an extended period, talk with your doctor about the dosage that's right for you so that no potential risks will come into play.
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that has multiple functions. Its primary role is in blood clotting. It also plays a role in bone health and heart health.
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that has multiple functions. Its primary role is in blood clotting, but it also plays a role in bone and heart health.
Vitamin K is found naturally in plants and dairy products. It's essential for blood clotting because it helps convert prothrombin to thrombin, which converts fibrinogen into fibrin strands necessary to form clots. The liver makes most of the body's supply of vitamin K2 (MK-7), one type of natural form found in foods—but that doesn't mean you should go overboard on leafy greens or broccoli just yet!
Vitamin K deficiency can lead to excessive bruising or bleeding, significantly when you're injured or have surgery done on your body; heavy menstrual cycles; osteoporosis (a condition where bones become weak); easy bruising; nosebleeds; excessive nosebleed after dental work; bleeding gums; low levels of calcium in the blood; abnormally high calcium levels in the urine due to kidney disease or cystic fibrosis.
What Does Vitamin K Do?
Vitamin K helps with many parts of your body.
Blood clotting: Vitamin K is involved in producing proteins necessary for blood clotting. Without enough vitamin K, you would bleed excessively.
Bone health: Vitamin K is needed for calcium absorption and bone health. It helps to prevent osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become weak and brittle over time due to the loss of minerals like calcium and phosphorus.
Heart health: Vitamin K is vital in helping keep your heart healthy by regulating calcium buildup inside the arteries, which can lead to plaque buildup or heart attack if not appropriately controlled.
Cancer prevention: Some research has shown that people with high levels of vitamin K have a lower risk for cancers like prostate cancer; however, more research needs to be done before we fully understand how this works precisely within our bodies (Gardner et al., 2018).
What Foods Contain Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is found in the following foods:
Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens are excellent sources of vitamin K. One cup of cooked spinach contains more than 300 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin K.
Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are also excellent sources of vitamin K. One cup of cooked broccoli contains more than 100 percent of your daily recommended intake for this nutrient, while a one-half cup of cooked Brussels sprouts has about half that amount.
Cabbage is another food with large amounts of vitamin K; a single cup provides almost 200 percent of the recommended dose for women or men over 71 years old who need at least 90 micrograms per day (view data).
Other good sources include:
Asparagus (100 grams), which supplies approximately 50 percent of the RDI;
Green beans (100 grams), containing roughly 40-50 percent RDI;
Avocado - 1/2 avocado provides 20% DV;
Eggs - 1 large egg provides 15% DV;
Soybeans and soybean products like tofu contain substantial levels, too but not as high as some other foods on this list because they're very high in fat content so remember to consume them in moderation only!
Dark Leafy Greens
Dark green vegetables such as kale, spinach, and broccoli are good sources of vitamin K. While you can eat more than one serving of these vegetables per day to get the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, a single serving is enough as well.
Leafy Greens
Lettuce and salad greens like romaine lettuce also contain small amounts of this nutrient—but not enough on their own to meet your daily needs. If you're looking for an easy way to add some additional servings of dark leafy greens into your diet, try adding them to smoothies or juices!
Broccoli
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin K, which has many health benefits. To get the recommended amount of vitamin K, you must eat between 90 and 100 grams of broccoli or its equivalent daily.
While broccoli contains many other nutrients, it's important to note that it does not contain much calcium—a mineral that helps build strong bones and teeth. Broccoli also doesn't have as much fiber as other green vegetables because most of its fiber is in the stems rather than the leaves (which are more commonly eaten).
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin K. They are also high in vitamin C and potassium, as well as dietary fiber, folate, and magnesium. Brussels sprouts contain a good amount of B6 and choline as well.
Cabbage
Cabbage is another food that is a good source of vitamin K. One cup of shredded cabbage contains about 300 micrograms of the vitamin, which is about 40% of what you need on most days.
Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked, and it tastes great when prepared with other vegetables in a salad. However, if you want to get the most out of your vitamin K intake, dressing up your cabbage with some vinegar is recommended, as this can increase absorption by up to 60%.
Asparagus
Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K. In fact, one cup contains over 200% of the recommended daily intake. This vegetable contains other nutrients, such as vitamin C, thiamine, and folic acid. It's low in calories and fat with no carbohydrates or cholesterol, making it a very healthy choice for anyone who wants to lose weight or lower their cholesterol level.
Green Beans
Green beans are a good source of vitamin K, but they also contain other vitamins and minerals. A cup of cooked green beans contains 36 mg of vitamin C, which is higher than the daily recommended intake for adults (90 mg). It also has 1 g of fiber, which can help to reduce constipation by making you feel fuller sooner after meals and prevent weight gain by keeping you regular.
If you want to cook your green beans without losing any nutrients or flavor, there are several ways you can do so:
Boiling: Bring a pot of water to a boil with salt or broth; add trimmed fresh green beans and cook until tender but not mushy (about 5 minutes). Drain immediately when done, and serve hot or at room temperature with butter or olive oil if desired.
Blanching: Fill a large pot halfway up with water; bring it just shy of boiling point with some salt added for good measure before adding trimmed fresh green beans in batches (1 pound per batch should do fine) for 2–3 minutes each pack until just tender but not mushy enough that they're falling apart when mixed in pasta sauces later on down the line!
Avocado
Avocado is a good source of vitamin K, which helps keep your bones strong.
Avocados are fruits, not vegetables. They're also rich in potassium and healthy fats that help protect your heart.
In addition to their vitamin K content, avocados contain other vitamins and minerals essential for bone health, such as vitamin E, folate (folic acid), magnesium, and calcium.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is not a good source of vitamin K, but it is a good source of vitamin C and B6. It also contains significant amounts of manganese, potassium, and fiber.
Cauliflower belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale. These vegetables have been linked to lowering the risk for several cancer types, including lung and prostate cancer.
Eggs
Eggs are a great source of vitamin k. You should eat one egg per day to get the recommended daily value. You can incorporate eggs into your diet by eating them hard-boiled and adding them to salads or pasta dishes; you can also use them as an ingredient in homemade mayonnaise or spreads that are higher in fat.
Soybeans and Soybean Products
Soybeans and soybean products are good sources of vitamin K, which can help maintain your body's health. One cup of cooked soybeans has about 33 milligrams (mg) of phytonutrient compounds, including 14 mg of vitamin K and 6.3 mg of folate per serving. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults is 90 micrograms (mcg) per day.
Soybean products are also high in protein content – one cup provides 16 grams – and contain plenty of fiber: 7 g per serving. Soybeans also provide iron at 15 percent DV per serving; zinc at 12 percent DV; magnesium at 9 percent DV; phosphorus at 8 percent DV; manganese at 2% DV; copper at 1 %DV; selenium at 13% DV; chromium 10~15%.
Other Sources of Vitamin K1 and K2
There are many sources of Vitamin K1 and K2, but the best source of Vitamin K2 is animal products. Some examples include:
Beef (such as steak)
Chicken liver, kidney, and other organs with high amounts of fat
Eggs from pastured chickens
Vitamin K1 is found in plants such as leafy greens, broccoli, and cabbage. These are also good sources of vitamin C.
Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that allows the blood to clot correctly, but it also has other functions that not many know about! There are two types of vitamin k, one found in plants and one in dairy products and meats, and each serves a slightly different function in the body, so it's essential to consume them both!
Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that allows the blood to clot correctly, but it also has other functions that not many know about! There are two types of vitamin k, one found in plants and one in dairy products and meats, and each serves a slightly different function in the body, so it's essential to consume them both!
Vitamin K can also be found in leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale. If you're vegetarian or vegan, you may be missing out on this essential nutrient because plant-based sources of vitamin k aren't as readily available as they are for omnivores. Luckily there's an easy solution: take a supplement! But before we get too excited about our new supplement plan (we love accessories), let's discuss the benefits of taking vitamins more generally.
Conclusion
In conclusion, vitamin k is an essential vitamin that plays many different roles in the body. There are two types of vitamin k, one found in plants and one in dairy products and meats, each serving a slightly different function in the body, so it's important to consume both!