Vitamin K
There are three types of vitamin K. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting, amino acid metabolism, cell signaling in bone tissue, and more. It is especially important right after birth, as it prevents excessive bleeding in infants. Vitamin K can be found in several whole foods including green leafy vegetables, lentils, and peas.
Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin. There are three types of Vitamin K; phylloquinone (vitamin K1), menaquinone (vitamin K2), and menadione (vitamin K3). Bacteria that colonize the large intestine can synthesize vitamin K2. However, the contribution of this production to vitamin K status is unclear.
Vitamin K has many functions in the body including:
Vitamin K can be found in several foods including:
Note: The fermentation of foods can increase their vitamin K content.
Common symptoms and resulting conditions of vitamin K deficiency include:
However, your individual response could be different. If you suspect a health problem or deficiency in certain nutrients, please see your primary health care provider (doctor, naturopath, etc). They can help unravel the complexity of your physiology.
Common symptoms of vitamin K excess/toxicity include:
However, your individual response could be different. If you suspect a health problem or an excess of certain nutrients, please see your primary health care provider (doctor, naturopath, etc). They can help unravel the complexity of your physiology.
Note: Blood thinning drugs act as vitamin K antagonists to prevent excessive blood clotting. Thus, consuming too much vitamin K in the diet (or from supplements) can negate the anti-clotting effect and prevent pharmaceutical efficacy.
For recipes rich in vitamin K, check out any of the Encyclopedia of Food entries for food items listed above.
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There are three types of vitamin K. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting, amino acid metabolism, cell signaling in bone tissue, and more. It is especially important right after birth, as it prevents excessive bleeding in infants. Vitamin K can be found in several whole foods including green leafy vegetables, lentils, and peas.
