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Almond Street Natural Foods
Your Healthy Resource Center
Your Healthy Resource Center
Health Foods Multivitamins Herbal Formulas Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting. Without it, even a small cut would
cause continuous bleeding in the body. Vitamin K also plays an important role
in kidney function and bone growth and repair - some studies have even shown
that it may help prevent osteoporosis.
Nutritionists categorize vitamins by the materials that a vitamin will dissolve in.
There are two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble
vitamin's "vitamins A, D, E and K" are stored in the fat tissues of the body for a
few days to up to 6 months. If you get too much of a fat-soluble vitamin, it can
be stored in your liver and may sometimes cause health problems. Vitamin K is a
fat-soluble vitamin.
Taking mega-doses of fat-soluble vitamins can lead to toxicity. Eating a normal
diet of foods rich in these vitamins won't cause a problem. Remember, you only
need small amounts of any vitamin.
Some health problems can make it hard for a person's body to absorb these
vitamins. If you have a chronic health condition, ask your doctor about
whether your vitamin absorption will be affected.
How Much Vitamin K Is Enough?
Women should consume 65 micrograms a day of vitamin K, and men should
consume 80 micrograms a day of vitamin K.
Sources of Vitamin K
About half of the vitamin K necessary for good health is supplied by bacteria
living in the intestine, but dietary consumption of vitamin K is also important.
Good sources of vitamin K include:
Dark, leafy green vegetables such as spinach or kale
Beef liver
Green tea
Cheese
Can You Have Too Much or Too Little?
Newborns are especially prone to vitamin K deficiency, so the American
Academy of Pediatrics recommends vitamin K supplementation. Vitamin K
deficiency in adults is rare but it may occur in people with conditions such as
cystic fibrosis and celiac disease whose bodies cannot absorb vitamins from
foods properly. When it occurs, vitamin K deficiency may cause bleeding gums
and skin that is easily bruised.
Vitamin K toxicity is also rare, but you should not take doses of more than 500
micrograms without talking to your doctor. Vitamin K may interfere with the
effectiveness of medications such as anticoagulants (also known as blood
thinners), so talk to your doctor before using a supplement that contains
vitamin K.
Vitamin Storage
If you want to get the most vitamins possible from your food, refrigerate fresh
produce and keep milk and grains away from strong light. Vitamins are easily
destroyed and washed out during food preparation and storage. If you take
vitamin supplements, store them at room temperature in a dry place that's free
of moisture.