Vitamin K, like all vitamins, is important for your body to grow and function. For a while, it was thought that vitamin K only had one purpose, but research is showing otherwise. Current recommendations for vitamin K are 120 mcg for men and 90 mcg for women each day.
Blood Clotting
For a long time it was thought that vitamin K's only purpose was to play a role in the blood clotting mechanisms of your body. Vitamin K shots are routinely given to newborn babies to prevent bleeding problems. Blood clotting is an important purpose of vitamin K, though not the only purpose.
Bone Integrity
Recently, researchers have begun to realize that vitamin K is important for other functions of the body, including maintaining bone integrity. Vitamin K activates at least three proteins in the body that are directly involved with building and maintaining bones. The proteins are activated when vitamin K saturates osteocalcin, a bone building protein, with chemical entities called carboxyl groups. A deficiency in vitamin K has been associated with an increased risk of hip fractures and decreased bone mineral density in women, but not in men, according to the Agricultural Research Service. Getting enough dietary vitamin K may help prevent osteoporosis and hip fractures in menopausal women.
Coronary Heart Disease
There have only been a few studies on the relationship of vitamin K and the heart. Researchers from the Health Sciences Research Institute reviewed five studies of vitamin K and found that higher intakes of vitamin K2 were associated with decreased incidents of coronary heart disease. These researchers have not found studies indicating any evidence of vitamin K1 having health benefits.
Foods Containing Vitamin K
Vitamin K may be very prevalent in your diet if you eat vegetables. Vitamin K can be found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale and spinach. Other vegetables that contain vitamin K are onions, cabbage and broccoli.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin K (Oral Route, Parenteral Route)
- AskDrSears.com: Value Your Vitamins
- USDA: Agricultural Research Service: Vitamin K: Another Reason to Eat Your Greens
- USDA: Agricultural Research Service: It's "Hip" to Get Enough Vitamin K
- PubMed.gov: Is Vitamin K Consumption Associated with Cardio-metabolic Disorders? A Systematic Review
- TheNutritionNotebook: Vitamin K2
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