Vitamin K

Not all vitamins were discovered as a cure for deficiency. Vitamin K’s existence was suspected in 1929, but it was discovered, identified, and isolated later, and has been used widely since 1939. Vitamin K was initially unveiled in experiments on chickens. It was found that with certain diets chickens lost their blood-clotting ability. It was observed that the blood of chickens coagulated faster on diets that contained sprouted soybeans containing naturally occurring vitamin K. We now understand that vitamin K has excellent blood-clotting ability.

Healthy bacteria in the intestines normally produce vitamin K. Much of the population lacks healthy levels of intestinal “flora” and would be advised to supplement vitamin K through naturally occurring sources. Vitamin K is most readily found in leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, and to a lesser extent in sprouts and algae, olive oil, and green tea.

Vitamin K is essential for synthesizing the liver protein that controls clotting. It is involved in creating prothrombin, the precursor to thrombin, an important factor for blood clotting, assisting in the production of six of the 13 known proteins needed for clotting. People taking anticoagulants must be careful to keep their vitamin K intake stable. This vitamin is also important to bone formation.

Consuming low levels of vitamin K has been linked with poor boon density, while supplementation with vitamin K has shown improvements in biochemical measures of bone health. A report suggests that women who get at least 110 micrograms of vitamin K a day are 30 percent less likely to break a hip as women who receive any amount less than 110 micrograms.

Other reports showed that those eating a daily serving of lettuce or other green leafy vegetable cut the risk of hip fracture in half when compared with eating one serving a week. Data from the Framingham Heart Study also shows an association between high vitamin K intake and reduced risk of hip fracture.

Dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of vitamin K. According to a survey in 1996, a substantial number of people, particularly children and young adults, are not getting the vitamin K they require. A deficiency of vitamin K may result in internal hemorrhaging or nose-bleeds. In newborn children a deficiency of vitamin K can result in hemorrhagic disease, as well as postoperative bleeding. As a result, mothers who are breastfeeding need to consume foods that are rich in vitamin K so that the infant is properly nourished.

Toxicity does not easily occur with a normal dietary intake of naturally occurring vitamin K, but synthetic vitamin K can cause a serious toxic reaction. High uptake of synthetic vitamin K in the range of 10,000 mgs or more has been seen to cause flushing and sweating, jaundice, and anemia. Vitamin K-3 (menadione) supplements have been banned by the FDA because of their high toxicity. If you are taking any anti-coagulant (to prevent blood clotting) medication you must consult your medical practitioner before taking a vitamin K-rich supplement of any kind.

Dietary deficiency is rare, but can occur when the body does not absorb fat properly, as in gall-bladder disease. Major sources of vitamin K include spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, sprouts (specifically onion sprouts), and raw sauerkraut. As a dietary supplement, we recommend a full-spectrum botanical source of vitamin K such as spinach or kale extract.