Vitamin K plays an important role in your health. The nutrient forms an essential part of the blood coagulation cascade, a chemical reaction that allows your body to respond to injury and tissue damage. Maintaining a proper amount of vitamin K in your body relies on proper synthesis of vitamin K in your intestines, as well as the ability to digest your food and effectively absorb the vitamin.
Vitamin K Digestion Process
As a fat-soluble vitamin, the digestion and absorption of vitamin K relies on the absorption of fats and oils within your food. During the digestion process, the enzymes in your stomach and small intestine extract fats from the foods you eat, then absorb them for use within your body. The vitamin K from your foods is dissolved in this fat; your body absorbs vitamin K via fat droplets. As a result, an inability to properly digest and absorb fat can also hinder your ability to absorb vitamin K.
Sources of Dietary Vitamin K
A number of foods provide a dietary source of vitamin K to help prevent a vitamin K deficiency. Dark leafy green vegetables -- like parsley, kale, Swiss chard and spinach -- provide rich sources of the vitamin. In addition, several plant oils, including olive and soybean oils, contain small amounts of vitamin K.
Vitamin K Synthesis
In addition to the absorption of vitamin K from the foods you eat, your body also obtains vitamin K from bacteria in your digestive tract. Specialized bacterial species within your large intestine generate relatively large amounts of vitamin K. Generally, most of the vitamin K you absorb comes from intestinal bacteria and not from your diet. Diseases that disrupt your intestinal balance of bacteria can also prevent the proper synthesis and absorption of vitamin K, increasing the risk of a vitamin K deficiency. As a result, people suffering from intestinal disorders might take vitamin K supplements to prevent deficiency.
Risk of Inadequate Digestion and Vitamin K Synthesis
The inability to digest and absorb dietary vitamin K, or the diminished synthesis of vitamin K in your digestive tract can pose a health risk due to vitamin K deficiency. Since vitamin K proves essential for blood coagulation, individuals with a vitamin K deficiency might develop abnormal bleeding upon injury, as well as bruising as a result of internal bleeding. In addition, the deficiency can affect your bones, increasing your risk of bone fracture.
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