Vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin, assists blood clotting. Discovered in the early 1900s, vitamin K helps produce four of the 13 proteins needed for blood clotting, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, and is currently being researched for its role in other areas of medicine and health.
About Vitamin K
Vitamin K, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for the functioning of several proteins involved in blood clotting. Vitamin K, found primarily in leafy green vegetables such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and parsley, as well as in some cooking oils, is found in two primary forms. Vitamin K-1, also known as phylloquinone, is synthesized by plants, while forms of vitamin K-2, also referred to as the menaquinones, are synthesized by bacteria. Most adults should consume between 90 and 120 mcg of vitamin K daily, while most children should consume between 30 and 75 mcg of vitamin K per day. This recommendation can easily be met through daily consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Initial Research
The discovery of vitamin K arose from a series of studies at the Biochemical
Institute of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark from 1928 to 1930 that showed chicks could not thrive on a diet lacking a certain factor without developing hemorrhagic disease.
Discovery of Vitamin K
In 1935, various leafy green vegetables and hog liver were found to be the most potent sources that prevented the development of hemorrhages in chicks. The factor was found to be a fat-soluble compound named vitamin K, after the first letter of the Scandanavian and German spelling of "koagulation," defined as the ability to clot blood.
Current Vitamin K Research
Current research on vitamin K focuses on the role of vitamin K and its interaction with anticoagulants such as warfarin. Individuals that take anticoagulants are encouraged to manage vitamin K intake with anticoagulant medicine. In addition, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, research is currently being done regarding the association between vitamin K intake and vascular and bone health.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin K
- "Nobel Lecture;" The discovery of vitamin K, its biological functions and therapeutical application; Dam, H; 1946
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin K
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source: Vitamin K
- "American Institute of Nutrition"; Herman James Almquist (1903- ): Biographical Sketch; Jukes, T.H.; November 1986
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