Carboxylation Of Vitamin K

Carboxylation is a molecular process that vitamin K triggers in your body. Carboxylation depends on vitamin K, so maintaining your vitamin K level is important to the various physiological functions that carboxylation engenders. Research into the carboxylation of certain proteins in the human body is ongoing as of July 2011.

Carboxylation Process

During carboxylation, vitamin K reacts with glutamates in your body to produce the amino acid y-carboxyglutamate, or Gla. Once carboxylation takes place in your body through vitamin K, what remains are the byproducts of Gla -- vitamin K2 epoxide, vitamin K3 epoxide and water. Gla then travels through the body to facilitate processes such as blood clotting and bone strengthening.

Importance of Carboxylation

Vitamin K's production of Gla through carboxylation is crucial because the Gla then reacts with different proteins in your body to make them biologically active. According to researcher Jane Lukacs of the University of Michigan, once Gla reacts with these proteins, they can then bond readily to nutrients such as calcium to increase bone mass. A majority of the vitamin K-dependent proteins assist in blood clotting after carboxylation. As of 2002, researchers had identified 14 vitamin K-dependent proteins and believe vitamin K might play other important roles in the human body beyond blood clotting and bone strengthening.

Medication Side Effects

Some medications, such as the blood thinner warfarin, prevent the vitamin K in your blood from triggering further carboxylation. The warfarin inhibits your body from recycling the vitamin K byproducts of carboxylation. Because your body does not store vitamin K, you excrete these byproducts, and the vitamin K becomes less effective at blood clotting. Other supplements and medications, such as vitamin E, might also interfere with carboxylation through vitamin K.

Vitamin K Needs

Though vitamin K plays an essential role in carboxylation, your body does not require a large amount of it on a daily basis to feed this process. The Linus Pauling Institute says in its micronutrient report for vitamin K that adult males require 120 mcg daily, while nonpregnant females need 90 mcg. You can obtain your daily vitamin K needs through leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils and supplements if necessary.