The clotting of blood is an important process that allows your body to stop wounds from bleeding. If your blood clots too quickly or too slowly, however, it can have serious consequences for your health. Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting, and vitamin E also appears to affect blood clots. Deficiencies in either of these vitamins can lead to serious problems with the clotting ability of your blood.
Blood Clotting
Blood clotting is a complex process that is designed to limit bleeding after an injury. The first step of blood clotting is constriction of the nearby blood vessels, followed by the platelets in your blood clumping together to form a loose plug. This platelet plug is then stabilized when it is surrounded by the protein fibrin. At this point a blood clot is formed. Ultimately, the blood clot will be broken down after the body is done repairing the tissue.
Vitamin K and Blood Clotting
One vitamin that is important for blood clotting is vitamin K. Vitamin K is needed for many of the chemical reactions that allow the blood to form clots. If you do not get enough vitamin K in your diet, your blood will have trouble forming clots, resulting in an increased tendency to bleed or bruise after an injury. Vitamin K can be found in vegetable oils, mayonnaise and in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale and lettuce.
Vitamin E and Blood Clotting
Although it is important for the blood to be able to clot efficiently, too much blood clotting can be dangerous. Aberrant blood clots can block blood vessels, including the coronary arteries that provide blood to the heart. Vitamin E is needed for the body to break down blood clots, and if you do not get enough vitamin E, you may develop too many clots in your blood. Vitamin E can be found in green leafy vegetables, peanuts and almonds, whole grains and some cereals.
Considerations
Although vitamin deficiencies can affect your blood's ability to clot, you usually get enough of the vitamins needed for proper regulation of blood clotting by eating a variety of different foods, including fruits and vegetables. Talk to your doctor before taking supplements to correct vitamin deficiencies. Some people have to limit their vitamin K intake to prevent aberrant blood clotting, particularly if they are taking medications, such as warfarin, that thin the blood.
