If you have ever cut your finger or developed a scab on your body, you know first hand how important vitamin K is. Vitamin K is often referred to as the clotting vitamin, because it is used by your body in the production of proteins that clot your blood. For your body to be able to clot your blood, you must consume the vitamin through the foods that you eat.
Daily Intake Requirements
Vitamin K is one of the 13 essential vitamins that your body needs every day. It must come from the foods that you eat, and if you do not consume enough, your body will not be able to clot your blood properly. Nutritionists have determined that adult women need 90 mcg per day and adult men need 120 mcg per day. This amount is called the adequate intake, or AI, and it is the minimum that you must get through your diet each day to avoid deficiency symptoms. If you are looking to increase your intake of vitamin K and you are on blood-thinning medication, talk with your doctor because potential side effects could occur.
Sources
Sources of vitamin K that you should have in your diet include green leafy vegetables and dark berries. Some examples of vegetable sources include kale, collard greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and parsley. If you eat a balanced diet that includes a serving of some or all of these foods each day, you should have ample amounts of vitamin K in your diet. If you do not eat these types of foods, add a multivitamin that includes vitamin K.
Deficiency
If you consume less than the adequate intake of vitamin K for a period of time, your body will develop deficiency problems. Most notably, your body will have trouble clotting your blood. Symptoms could include frequent nosebleeds, easy bruising, bleeding gums, blood in your urine, blood in your stool, tarry black stools or extremely heavy menstrual bleeding.
Considerations
Eating a balanced diet ensures that your body gets all of the essential vitamins and minerals it needs. The Harvard School of Public states that a multivitamin can ensure that you are getting all of the essential nutrients each day. A multivitamin should be taken daily in addition to a healthy and balanced diet. When selecting a multivitamin, be sure that vitamin K is included, because not all multivitamins contain vitamin K.
Member Comments