Vitamin K in Prunes

Although dark, leafy greens provide more than 31 times as much vitamin K as prunes or dried plums, their sweet flavor makes prunes a more palatable alternative. Dried plums, the industry-preferred term for prunes, blend well in juices, smoothies, sauces and condiments. Prune sauce added to ground meat prevents food-borne illness and improves the taste and color of foods likely to be reheated, such as breakfast sandwiches, hamburgers, chili and casseroles.

Effects

Vitamin K -- including that found in prunes -- coagulates or clots blood by binding with calcium, aiding wound closure and healing. Vitamin K also works with vitamin D and osteocalcin, a bone-synthesizing protein, to mineralize bone, preventing osteoporosis. Women with adequate vitamin K intake had 24 to 36 percent fewer hip fractures, according to a study conducted by Diane Feskanich and colleagues, published in the January 1999 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

Serving Size

Post-menopausal women, who have the highest risk from vitamin K deficiency, can eat 10 to 12 prunes, or 100 g per day, without any negative effects on bowel movements, according to Edralin A. Lucas in a 2004 study of 58 women, published in volume 4, issue 4 of the "Journal of Applied Research." This is two servings per day, according to the California Prune Board, which recommends a serving size of four to five dried plums per day. Healthy adult men can have up to 120 mcg of vitamin K per day and healthy women can have 90 mcg per day. Getting it only from prunes would mean eating 4 cups of prunes per day for men and three a day for women, making it more likely that they might experience gastric distress or loose stools as a result.

Prescription Medication Issues

People taking anticoagulants such as warfarin need to watch their vitamin K intake to avoid large differences in daily amounts consumed. Warfarin and vitamin K act against one another, leaving the individual at risk for heart attacks or strokes due to blood clots. Mackenzie L. Dismore and colleagues list prunes as one source of excess vitamin K that people taking warfarin should avoid, in a study published in the December 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Suggested Preparation

Prunes can be served as is, soaked in liqueur, wine, orange or apple juice, chopped and added to cookies and cakes, or used as filling between layers of cake or pastry sheets. They also make an excellent sweetener in smoothies or tart beverages.

Mixing 2 parts cream cheese to 1 part pureed prunes creates a sweet filling for wonton wrappers or chickpea ravioli. Once you bake them in the oven or drop them into a vat of hot oil and dust them with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, you have a healthy, delicious treat. You can also mix prune puree into ground pork, chicken, turkey or venison, along with your usual sausage spices, and omit the sugar while making flavorful breakfast sausage.