Vitamin K is an essential vitamin for preventing osteoporosis -- this vitamin helps your body use calcium from food sources and supplements to repair and build bone cells, according to Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." It also helps your body manufacture blood platelets that clot blood, preventing excessive bleeding from wounds. Although vitamin K deficiencies are uncommon, several factors may lead to depletion of this vitamin in your body.
Poor Diet
Poor nutrition is a common cause of vitamin K deficiency. A diet high in refined flours and sugars, cheese and meats is low in vitamin K. This vitamin is found in fresh vegetables such as kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and turnip greens, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Other sources include avocados, eggs and strawberries.
Malabsorption
A condition involving malabsorption of vitamins can lead to deficiency of vitamin K. Crohn's disease, a chronic condition involving inflammation of the intestines, may interfere with your body's ability to absorb vitamins, including vitamin K, from food sources, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome are conditions that similarly affect the intestines and vitamin absorption. Biliary atresia, a typically genetic condition marked by a lack of bile ducts connecting your liver to your intestines, may also contribute to poor vitamin K absorption.
Chronic Alcohol Use
Chronic use of alcohol can cause severe scarring of your liver's tissues. This impedes the flow of bile through your liver and into your intestines. Bile is a substance produced by your liver and stored in your gallbladder. This substance is essential for breaking down foods and assimilating nutrients for use in cellular repair, energy and other physical functions. Liver scarring, particularly severe scarring known as cirrhosis, can cause depletion of vitamin K in your body, according to Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing."
Blood-Thinning Medications
Long-term use of blood-thinning medications, particularly warfarin, may deplete vitamin K supplies in your body, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. This may be compounded by use of certain herbs, such as garlic, fenugreek, ginger and ginseng, which may also thin your blood, notes Michael Castleman, author of "The New Healing Herbs."
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin K
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.; 2010
- "The New Healing Herbs"; Michael Castleman; 2010
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