Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in two forms: menaquinone and phylloquinone. Both forms of vitamin K are in an active form that your body can use. The bacteria that normally live in your large intestine are able to synthesize menaquinone. Phylloquinone is the primary source of vitamin K in the diet.
Functions of Vitamin K
The process of blood clotting relies on 13 different proteins called clotting factors. These proteins work together to ensure that blood-cell fragments called platelets come together to stop bleeding when you accidentally cut yourself or have an injury to your blood vessels. Vitamin K is one of these clotting factors. Without enough vitamin K in the blood, a small cut could lead to uncontrollable bleeding. Vitamin K also helps your body build strong bones by regulating the bone protein osteocalcin. Low levels of vitamin K in the blood have been linked with lower bone mineral density, and vitamin K supplementation may improve bone health. The Harvard School of Public Health reported that indications show that women who get at least 110 mcg of vitamin K per day are 30 percent less likely to break a hip than woman who do not reach their vitamin K goals.
Dietary Recommendations
Vitamin K recommendations differ by age. Children between 1 and 3 need 30 mcg per day, and children between 4 and 8 need 55 mcg daily. Children between 9 and 13 should aim for 60 mcg per day, and teenagers between 14 and 18 should consume 75 mcg daily. Once you reach the age of 19, vitamin K needs differ by gender. Male adults aged 19 and older need 120 mcg per day, whereas women of the same age need at least 90 mcg daily.
Food Sources
Only 25 percent of Americans meet their vitamin K intake requirements from their diet, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. The richest sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, parsley and broccoli. Vegetable oils, such as canola oil and soybean oil, are also good sources of vitamin K.
Considerations
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, it was once thought that the bacteria in your large intestine contribute approximately 50 percent of the vitamin K in your body. Recently, researchers determined that the contribution from bacteria is not quite that high, although it remains unclear exactly how much vitamin K the bacteria contribute. Because of this, recommendations for vitamin K intake are based on food intake alone.
Member Comments