Health Benefits
Vitamin K is also a fat soluble, antioxidant.
The “K” is derived from the German word “koagulation.”
Coagulation refers to the process of blood clot formation.
Vitamin K is obtained from the “friendly” bacterial synthesis within the gut normally present in the small intestine (Lactobacillus bacteria). Once synthesized, vitamin K is absorbed and stored in the liver. This provides about half of the person’s needs, the rest is provided by the diet such as dark green leafy vegetables including the cabbage family.
This vitamin acts primarily in blood clotting, where its presence can be a matter of life and death.
Vitamin K is needed for the production of prothrombin, which is necessary for blood clotting, bone formation, bone mineralization, calcium metabolism and repair.
As we depend on bacterial synthesis for vitamin K, deficiency is most likely in newborn infants and people taking antibiotics.
Therapeutic Uses
Hemorrhaging, bruising, nose bleeds, arthrosclerosis, stroke, varicose veins, skeletal weakness, fractures, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, periodontal disease, ageing, cancer, child birth, pain, menstrual problems, miscarriage, morning sickness, pregnancy, inflammation, calcium kidney stones, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, insulin resistance, pancreatic insufficiency, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis.
Antagonists: Light, drugs – alcohol, anabolic steroids, antibiotics, mineral oil, sulpha drugs, warfarin, pharmaceuticals – antacid, anticoagulants, laxatives, calcium supplements, chemotherapy.
Note: As vitamin K is synthesized by the friendly bacteria in the gut, antibiotics can kill these bacteria and interfere with the absorption of this vitamin.
Dietary Sources
Starch Foods
- Oats
- Rye
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Miso
Other
- Blackstrap molasses
- Olive oil
- Soybean oil
- Canola oil
- Natto
Vegetables
- Green leafy veggies
- Kale
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Brussel sprouts
- Turnip greens
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Lettuce (iceberg)
- Silver beet
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Watercress
- Beans (string)
- Cauliflower
- Parsley
- Green peas
- Kelp
Protein Foods
- Egg yolks
- Yoghurt
- Milk
- Cashew nuts
- Pistachio nuts
Hebal Source
- Green tea
- Alfalfa
- Nettle
- Oat straw
- Shepherd’s purse
- Gotu kola
- Cornsilk
- Parsley
A Guide to Vitamins Found Naturally in Food
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