Difference Among The Various Forms Of Vitamin K

Danish researcher Henrik Dam discovered vitamin K in 1930, naming it after the Danish word "koagulation" for its importance in blood clotting. Since the discovery of the nutrient, researchers have identified three forms of vitamin K. These three main forms of vitamin K serve different functions in the body and their differences lie in how many five-carbon units exist in the side chain of the molecule.

Vitamin K-1

Vitamin K-1 is available in the natural form phylloquinone and a synthetic form, phytonadione. Plants such as spinach, broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower and soy beans naturally synthesize vitamin K-1, making them good dietary sources of this form of the nutrient. Synthesized and naturally occurring vitamin K work in similar manners in your body to clot your blood.

Vitamin K-2

The second form of vitamin K is also known as menaquinone. Vitamin K-2 occurs in your body naturally because bacteria in your intestines produce it. Much like vitamin K-1, the chemical structure of vitamin K-2 affects certain proteins in your blood and allows them to bind to membranes. Vitamin K-2 is one of the most abundant sources of the nutrient in your body, and may provide enough vitamin K for proper bodily function even if your diet is lacking in vitamin K-1.

Vitamin K-3

Vitamin K-3 is a synthetically-produced nutrient, scientifically known as menaphthone or menadione. According to the optical microscopy lab of Florida State University, vitamin K-3 is a yellowish, crystalline substance that naturally converts to vitamin K-2 in your body. Newborns lack the bacteria in their intestines that produce vitamin K, and doctors inject them with vitamin K at birth to prevent severe hemorrhaging. However, newborns are also vulnerable to vitamin K-3 overdose, which can lead to significant brain damage. (Reference 4)

Vitamin K Deficiency

Some people may occasionally suffer from vitamin K deficiency due to certain conditions and medications, such as wide-spectrum antibiotics. Vitamins K-1 and K-3 are available as dietary supplements on their own or in multivitamins. If you have a vitamin K deficiency, your doctor may also give you an injection of vitamin K or suggest more vitamin K-rich foods in your diet to compensate for a temporary deficiency.