Vitamin K is one of several fat-soluble vitamins you need in your diet each day. It plays a multitude of roles in your body, but is most commonly known for aiding in blood clotting. While you need vitamin K for normal functions, it does not work alone. Vitamin K works alongside certain proteins and amino acids, as well as vitamin E, to function. You should get adequate amounts of these nutrients from your diet each day, but in some cases, you might need to take a dietary supplement. Talk with your physician before you decide to take a dietary supplement because they might interact negatively with each other at high doses.
Function with Proteins
Several proteins that rely on vitamin K for activation begin the coagulation cascade. This process is a series of events, each one relying on one another, that help your body form clots, aiding in wound healing. Gamma-carboxylation of glutamic acid, a type of amino acid, relies on vitamin K to bind with calcium, the starting point of the coagulation cascade. Protein factors II, VII, IX and X make up the majority of the cascade by activating thrombin, a protease enzyme that binds with lipids in cells during clotting. Lastly, proteins C and S control and balance the coagulation cascade so that it functions normally during bleeding and wound healing. Each of these proteins depends on vitamin K for activation.
Importance of Vitamin E
Vitamin E, another fat soluble vitamin, helps your body use vitamin K. You need vitamin E to make red blood cells, which you might lose during periods of blood loss after injury. While you do need vitamin E for your body to utilize vitamin K, too much can have the opposite effect. One form of vitamin E in particular, tocopherol quinone, might interfere with carboxylase enzymes that need vitamin K as part of the coagulation cascade. One study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2004 concludes that high doses of vitamin E supplementation might antagonize vitamin K levels in your body, but research was inconclusive as to whether this interaction was positive or negative. Because vitamin E can have negative effects on proper functioning of vitamin K, talk with your health care provider before taking any kind of supplementation.
Dosage and Food Sources
As adults, women need 90 mcg of vitamin K daily, and men need 120 mcg, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you do not need additional vitamin K. Oils are rich sources of vitamin K; a 1 tbsp. serving of olive oil provides 8.1 mcg, soybean oil has 25 mcg and the same serving size of canola oil has 16.6 mcg. Dark green vegetables and leafy greens are additional food sources. A 1 cup serving of steamed broccoli contains 220 mcg, 1/2 cup of raw kale has more than 270 mcg, and 1 cup of raw spinach offers 145 mcg.
Vitamin K Deficiency
If you don't consume enough vitamin K, have problems with absorption or consume other nutrients that might interact with it, you risk having a vitamin K deficiency. When this occurs, you might have problems with proper clotting, meaning injuries are unable to heal. Early warning signs include bruising easily or bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding of the gums.
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