What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K refers to a fat soluble vitamin, which is absolutely essential for the proper functioning of the body, since it helps in the proper formation of blood clots. The presence of Vitamin K in the body aids in the production prothrombin, a compound that prevents unchecked bleeding and hemorrhaging. After an injury, Vitamin K initiates the healing process in the body, as it curbs bleeding. It also strengthens the bones and the capillaries.

Therefore, it is absolutely essential for people to add an adequate amount of various Vitamin K sources to their diets. Given below are some of the most common benefits of Vitamin K:

•   Increasing the strength in the bones and the calcium storing ability in them. This in turn can reduce the chances of suffering from a fracture or other bone disorders like osteoporosis.
•   It can prevent the arteries from hardening. By doing so, it can reduce the any risk of suffering from coronary artery diseases as well as heart failure.
•   Bringing about an improvement in certain conditions that are related to Crohn’s disease, celiac disease and ulcerative colitis.
•   Recent studies show that Vitamin K can also be effective in the treatment of cancer. Several health experts believe that the use of Vitamin K sources is as effective as a certain prescription drugs, since it slows down the growth of tumors.

Vitamin K sources

Vitamin K can be divided into three different categories, K1 or phylloquinone, K2 or menaquinone and K3 or menadione. There are many Vitamin K sources of food that are high in K1. The K2 Vitamin cannot be derived from Vitamin K food sources, as it is produced by bacteria that live in the intestines. K3 Vitamins are derived from manmade sources of Vitamin K. Therefore, since there are so many Vitamin K sources that are easily available to people, it is rare for them to suffer from a deficiency of this Vitamin.

Vitamin K foods chart

The levels of Vitamin K in the body can be increased by adding rich Vitamin K sources to a diet. One could also refer to a Vitamin K foods chart in order to check for foods that would help you with intake of Vitamin K. The Vitamin K sources in food are many and these include:

•   Beef
•   Broccoli
•   Cabbage
•   Cauliflower
•   Eggs
•   Green tea
•   Lettuce
•   Liver
•   Soybean
•   Spinach
•   Strawberries
•   Wheat bran
•   Wheat germ

Anybody who follows a healthy and nutritious diet should be able to derive the required amounts of the nutrient, since there are so many Vitamin K sources. In a rare instance, if a person does suffer from the deficiency of Vitamin K, he or she may experience an excessive amount of bruising for no apparent reason. The person could also end up bleeding profusely, even from minor cuts or injuries. Some of the other symptoms of Vitamin K deficiency are blood in the urine, unexplained nosebleeds and intestinal bleeding. Though Vitamin K deficiency is rare, it can be very serious. Therefore, all instances of Vitamin K deficiency should be closely monitored by a doctor.

Submitted on January 16, 2014