Both vitamin K and iron are important for healthy blood: Iron is needed for haemoglobin synthesis while vitamin K helps blood clotting. According to registered pharmacist Clara Jane Snipes, infants benefit from supplements of both but only if given in appropriate amounts at the right time. To understand the risks and benefits, you first need to know how each nutrient works. You also will see that there is a single dietary trick that can help your body get enough of both nutrients.
Iron Deficiency
Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin and myoglobin, both of which bond loosely with oxygen and release it where it is needed, to the brain or exercising muscles, for example. Haemoglobin is found in the blood and myoglobin in the muscles. Because iron is so important for oxygen transport, anemia is one of the first effects of a deficiency. Symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness and dizziness.
Improving Iron Uptake
Many foods are good sources of iron, including lean red meat, eggs, beans, whole grains and iron-fortified cereals. However, because iron is often bound up with other nutrients it can be difficult to absorb. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, combining different foods can improve absorption. For example, the ascorbic acid in a glass of orange juice helps release iron from cereal products. Also, if you combine fish or meat with dark leafy vegetables in a meal, you increase iron absorption up to three times.
Vitamin K Deficiency
The Linus Pauling Institute reports that vitamin K deficiency is unlikely in healthy adults because it is common in many foods, it is recycled by the body and bacteria in your large intestine synthesize it. Deficiency is a risk in newborn, especially preterm, infants because bacteria have not yet colonized the intestines and vitamin K recycling is not properly established. It also appears that vitamin K does not readily cross the placenta, so newborn infants tend to start with low levels. Because of this, the Academy of Pediatrics recommends an intramuscular injection of vitamin K for all newborns.
Deficiency symptoms include easy bruising, nosebleeds and blood in urine. In infants, bleeding in the skull can be life-threatening. Also, since vitamin K has a role in bone calcification, deficiency can result in low bone density.
Vitamin K-Rich Foods
Vitamin K is fat soluble, so many oils, such as olive and soybean oils, provide a good source, as does mayonnaise. Green vegetables such as cooked broccoli, raw lettuce and parsley also are rich in vitamin K. A cup of raw kale provides 547 mcg, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Given that the recommended intake for adults males is 120 mcg, kale is an excellent source of vitamin K.
The Link
For healthy adults, the risks of deficiencies in vitamin K and iron can be reduced by eating meals that combine meat or fish with green leafy vegetables. Green leafy vegetables will help with iron absorption from the animal food and provide the necessary vitamin K.
Of course, some healthy people such as strict vegetarians, heavily menstruating women and infants might require supplements, but medical advice should be sought first. Excess iron intake can cause dizziness just as a deficiency does. Newborn infants can benefit from vitamin K supplementation, but too much is linked to childhood leukemia.
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