Primarily grown in California, Mexico and the Mediterranean, oregano is a pungent herb used most often with tomato, egg and cheese-based foods. Adding just a teaspoon to recipes can help meet close to 8 percent of your daily vitamin K needs. Oregano is available fresh, ground and as dried leaves. Culinary Cafe states that the best way to extract the most flavor from oregano in recipes is by crushing the leaves.
Function
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is needed for the body to function properly. Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting, bone health and cell growth. A study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" in 2007 found that low intakes of vitamin K led to bone loss and an increased risk of bone fractures.
Recommendations
According to Medline Plus, the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults consume 90mcg of vitamin K each day. Vitamin K intake may affect how certain medications, such as warfarin, function in the body. Discuss your medication use and vitamin K intake with a doctor to be sure you are meeting your vitamin K needs safely.
Sources
In the body, bacteria found in the intestines are able to make approximately 50 percent of our daily vitamin K needs, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. The remaining 50 percent of your vitamin K needs must come from diet. Foods high in vitamin K include leafy greens such as spinach and kale, cabbage, cauliflower, parsley, broccoli, cauliflower, soybeans and vegetable oils.
Oregano
The USDA reports that there is 11.2mcg of vitamin K in a teaspoon of oregano leaves. Ground oregano contains slightly less vitamin K, with only 6.2mcg per teaspoon. You would have to consume more than 8 tsp. of oregano leaves to meet your daily vitamin K needs using oregano alone. The easiest way to meet your daily vitamin K needs is by consuming a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Oregano
- Medline Plus: Vitamin K
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin K
- Culinary Cafe: Oregano
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Vitamin K and the Prevention of Fractures: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials; Cockayne S., et al.; January 2007
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