Vegetables such as broccoli and parsley contain a considerably greater amount of vitamin K than meats. In a 100 g serving, parsley contains 540 mcg of vitamin K and broccoli contains 113 mcg, according to University of North Carolina School of Medicine; however, many meats have a modest amount of vitamin K.
Phylloquinone and Menaquinone
Various types of vitamin K exist, some of which are synthetic. The two that occur in nature are phylloquinone and menaquinone. Phylloquinone is the more common form of vitamin K and some phylloquinone occurs in meats; however, as a general rule, meats contain a little more menaquinone than phylloquinone, especially a form of menaquinone called MK-4. For example, 100 g of lean raw ground beef contains, at an average, only 0.9 mcg of phylloquinone but 4.9 mcg of MK-4, according to the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.”
Beef
All forms of beef contain some vitamin K; the amount varies with the fat content. When raw, 100 g of fatty ground beef averages 2.4 mcg of phylloquinone. If the fat content is moderate, it averages 1.3 mcg, while lean ground beef averages only 0.9 mcg. All three forms of raw ground beef have more MK-4 than phylloquinone, according to the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.”
Beef Liver
Beef liver differs from regular beef in its vitamin K content. It has slightly more phylloquinone but averages only 0.5 mcg of MK-4 in 100 g. In contrast, raw calf liver averages 1.0 mcg of phylloquinone and 5.0 mcg of MK-4, according to the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.”
Poultry
Poultry meats have a small amount of vitamin K. A cup of diced chicken contains 3 mcg of vitamin K, while the same amount of diced dark meat of turkey contains 5 mcg, and a cup of diced duck contains 6 mcg, according to University of Utah Health Care. The same source gives 2 mcg of vitamin K for a cup of diced beef.
Lamb
Lamb compares favorably in vitamin K content to most other meats. One cup of chopped lamb contains 6 mcgof vitamin K, according to University of Utah Health Care.
Fast Foods
Fast foods, such as hamburgers and hot dogs, contain higher levels of phylloquinone than the meats from which they are derived. A possible reason for this is preparation of the fast foot with vegetable oils, according to the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.”
Seafood
Fish and other seafood do not contain much fat, so they are poor sources of a fat-soluble vitamin like vitamin K, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For example, 100 g of raw salmon contains only 0.3 mcg of phylloquinone and 0.3 mcg of MK-4, according to the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.”
References
- Food Standards Agency: Risk Assessment Vitamin K
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Vitamin K Contents of...; Sonya Elder, et al; 2006
- University of Rochester Medical Center: Nutrition Facts
- Encyclopedia.com: Vitamin K
- University of Utah Health Care: Vitamin K Content of Common Foods
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine: Vitamin K Content of Common Foods
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Fish Watch - U.S. Seafood Facts
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