Vitamin K In Sweet Cherries

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps to make four of the 13 proteins required for blood clotting, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. High vitamin K intake can also improve bone health and reduce the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Sweet cherries provide very small amounts of vitamin K per serving, but they provide other essential nutrients.

Sweet Cherry Vitamin K Content

A serving of 10 raw sweet cherries contains 1.4 micrograms of vitamin K, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Other foods that provide about the same amount of vitamin K include ground beef, commercially prepared white bread, cocoa powder and crème-filled chocolate snack cakes with frosting.

Better Vitamin K Sources

Leafy green vegetables, including kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, brussels sprouts and beet greens provide the best sources of vitamin K. A 1-cup serving of frozen kale boiled without added salt provides 1,146 micrograms of vitamin K, according to the USDA. A 1-cup serving of frozen collard greens boiled without added salt provides 1,059.4 micrograms of vitamin K, and a 1-cup serving of frozen spinach boiled without added salt provides 1,027.3 micrograms of vitamin K.

Recommended Vitamin K Intake

Men should consume 120 micrograms or more of vitamin K per day, and women should consume 90 micrograms or more per day, according to the Harvard School pf Public Health. Even higher vitamin K intake may reduce the risk of broken bones. Research has shown that women with a vitamin K intake of 110 micrograms or more per day have a 30 percent reduction in risk of breaking a hip than women with lower vitamin K intake, notes the Harvard School of Public Health.

Nutrients in Sweet Cherries

While sweet cherries don't contain much vitamin K, they do provide other important nutrients. A 1-cup serving, or about 21 cherries, provides 350 mg of potassium, a nutrient that can lessen the impact of salt on blood pressure, slow bone loss and reduce your risk of kidney stones, according to the USDA. The same serving of sweet cherries also provides 1 g of dietary fiber, 15 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake and 2 percent each of your recommended daily value of vitamin A, calcium and iron.