Vitamin K Food Sources to Prevent Deficiencies

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat soluble, hydrophobic vitamin used in the conversion of proteins in the body. The fat soluble portion means that it gets carried easily in a fat like an oil.  The hydrophobic part means that it repels water.  Vitamin K has two key and very important benefits to the human body. Primarily it is used for blood coagulating. This is done by vitamin K mixing glutamic acid and caboxyl during clotting of the blood. It’s what causes our blood to clot on a bleeding cut and start the healing process.
The second benefit of vitamin k is to aid in the conversion of proteins into Osteocalcin. Osteocalcin helps in building the bone mineral density of the body. Essentially it’s how strong the bones are by bringing minerals into the bone and making them more compact and dense.

There are two natural types of vitamin K.  Vitamin K1, which is also called Phylloquinone, is the most common. Phylloquinone is only acquired by eating foods that contain vitamin K1. Vitamin K2, also called Menaquinone, is produced by bacteria in the large intestine. Both vitamin types handle the same two jobs of blood clotting and bone strength building.

Vitamin K Deficiency and its dangers

The average diet combined with normal bacterial activity can usually cover an adequate amount of vitamin k that the human body will use but not all of it. Keep in mind, this is under normal circumstances and there are some special cases where a body can become vitamin k deficient. Those at risk of vitamin k deficiency are those that drink large amounts of alcohol or that have liver problems. Additionally any intestine disorders can give stress to the vitamin k producing bacteria. Antibiotics are not choosey in the bacteria that they kill off and can destroy the good bacteria in the intestine that makes Vitamin K2.

The warnings of vitamin K deficiency are centered around the two main benefits. A difficulty in blood coagulating is the more apparent of the two and the simplest to fix. Blood will have troubles clotting when not in the presence of vitamin K so bringing vitamin k levels up in the body should have a quick fix.
 The second deficiency concern is more long term and harder to cure. Because of its role in bone mineral density, a vitamin k deficiency can help lead to Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bone strength to the point where bones become brittle and easily broken.