Vitamin K is easily obtained through diet. There are many healthy foods available that contain this important nutrient. The average intake of vitamin K for adults in the U.S. is 70 micrograms, or mcg, per day, but more is necessary. Incorporating vitamin K-rich foods into your menu plan will help your body to better clot blood and might help strengthen bones.
About Vitamin K
Vitamin K naturally occurs in the body from intestinal bacteria that naturally produce it. Only small amounts are absorbed this way, however, so the bulk of vitamin K must be consumed through diet. The main source of vitamin K is green, leafy vegetables, but it's present in a variety of other foods as well. Vitamin K plays such an important role in blood clotting that newborns in America are given a vitamin K injection upon birth to prevent bleeding in the brain.
Recommendations
From birth to 6 months, adequate intake of vitamin K should be 2 mcg daily, increasing to 2.5 mcg from 6 months to one year, and further increasing to 30 mcg from ages 1 to 3. You need even more vitamin K as you grow. Children from 4 to 8 require 55 mcg of daily vitamin K, 60 mcg for kids 9 to 13, and 75 mcg for teens 14 to 18 years. For adults, vitamin K recommendations change based on gender. Adequate intakes of vitamin K for women ages 19 and older is 90 mcg daily, increasing to 120 mcg for men of the same age range.
Vitamin K-Rich Foods
Not eating enough greens and leafy vegetables often leads to vitamin K deficiency because these are the foods most abundant in vitamin K. Kale, spinach, collard greens, turnips, broccoli and brussels sprouts are high in vitamin K. One cup of cooked spinach contains 1,027 mcg of vitamin K -- more than enough to meet adequate intake recommendations. Incorporate these greens into salads and as sides to entrees to add vitamin K to your diet. Other foods, such as tomatoes, carrots, mangoes, papaya, chickpeas, potatoes, strawberries and nuts, contain vitamin K to a lesser degree; 1 oz. of cashew nuts contains 9.8 mcg of vitamin K. Vitamin K supplements are available, but it's best to obtain vitamin K through food. If you are considering a supplement, talk to your doctor first.
Considerations
If you take blood thinners such as warfarin, you must monitor your vitamin K intake carefully. The drug works specifically at suppressing vitamin K activity to reduce clotting, so your diet is an important factor when taking these drugs. Foods such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, turnip greens, broccoli, lettuce, collard greens and mustard greens must be limited because they contain more than 60 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin K. Ensuring that your vitamin K intake is not too high or low, but consistent and moderate, while taking blood thinners is essential.
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