Hemophilia is a condition in which your blood does not clot. If you have this inherited disorder, you lack sufficient levels of specific blood-clotting agents, called factor VIII and factor IX. This can lead to prolonged external and internal bleeding following an injury. Symptoms of hemophilia include joint pain, joint swelling, heavy and prolonged bleeding post-injury, delay in the initiation of bleeding, bruising, bleeding of the mouth and gums, tooth loss and digestive problems. Vitamin K may play a beneficial role in treating this condition.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a nutrient used to decrease bleeding risk that can occur in malabsorption syndromes, liver disease or from prolonged antibiotic intake. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, this vitamin is injected into newborns to prevent the occurrence of hemorrhage post-delivery. This is because babies are born without the necessary bacteria to produce vitamin K, and breast milk cannot initially compensate. According to the UMMC, vitamin K may be beneficial for hemophilia because it can aid in blood clotting. Research is inconclusive and more evidence is required.
Deficiency In Vitamin K
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a deficiency in vitamin K can result in excessive bleeding. This indicates its potential benefit for hemophilia, in which bleeding does not stop. Deficiency can be the result of liver diseases, use of blood-thinning medications, hemodialysis treatment for kidney conditions, and burns of a serious nature. The recommended daily intake for this vitamin is 120 mcg in adult males and 90 mcg in adult females.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin K
Because vitamin K may be important for people with hemophilia, you should be aware of vitamin K-rich foods.These include beef liver, broccoli, turnip greens, cabbage, dark green lettuce, asparagus, kale and green tea. Other sources include olive oil, soybean oil and corn oil. The green color in plant-based foods is from the chlorophyll present. Chlorophyll is what contains the vitamin K. You should be cautious about freezing these foods because freezing foods can damage the vitamin K content. Heating does not affect it.
Mandatory Requirements
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that all babies, including babies born with hemophilia, should be given a vitamin K injection at birth. You should consult your doctor about any concerns. There is no toxicity known to occur with vitamin K in its forms vitamin K-1 and vitamin K-2, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, toxicity may result from the synthetic form, vitamin K-3. You should not take vitamin K supplements without first consulting your doctor.
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