The body needs to get micronutrients that are essential like minerals and vitamins. The body needs these nutrients to carry out vital processes. Vitamin K is one of these vitamins the body needs for its health, In this article we will take a closer look at vitamin K, its health benefits, and where to find it.
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What is vitamin K?
Vitamin K refers to a group of vitamins that dissolve in fatThey play important roles in blood clotting, bone metabolism, and regulating calcium levels in the blood.
The body needs vitamin K to produce prothrombin, which is an important clotting factor needed for blood clotting and bone metabolism.
There are two main types of vitamin K or K, which are vitamin 1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 or K1, also known as phylloquinone, comes from plants and is the main dietary form of vitamin K.
Then there is vitamin K2 or K2, also called menaquinone, found in some animal foods and fermented foods.
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Sources of vitamin K or K :-
Most healthy adults can get enough vitamin K through their daily balanced diet because vitamin K is found in many foods, especially in large amounts in green leafy vegetables like Swiss chard and turnip.
There are also some vitamin K sources like vegetable oils and some fruits, and you can get vitamin K2 from meat and dairy products and eggs.
Here’s a list of the main foods that contain vitamin K:-
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Kale.
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Green mustard.
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Raw spinach.
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Beef liver.
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Cooked green beans.
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Peach.
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Kiwi.
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Oil Soybeans.
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Eggs Boiled.
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Uses of vitamin K or K :-
Vitamin K is gotten from food. When you eat foods rich in vitamin K, bacteria in the large intestine turn it into the stored form, vitamin K2 or K2, which is absorbed in the small intestine and stored in fat tissue and the liver.
Without vitamin K the body can't make prothrombin, which is an important clotting factor needed for blood clotting and bone metabolism.
Most healthy people are not at risk of vitamin K deficiency. It's more likely to affect newborns and those with malabsorption issues, like short bowel syndrome, cystic fibrosis, or ulcerative colitis.
Most newborns usually get a vitamin K shot to protect them from bleeding in the skull, which can be fatal.
Recommended vitamin K intake depends on age and gender. Women aged 90 and above should have 90 micrograms daily, while men the same age need 120 micrograms per day.
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Health benefits of vitamin K:
Vitamin K offers many important health benefits in different ways, Its benefits include:
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Bone health:
Many studies show a strong link between low vitamin K intake and developing the condition Osteoporosis, Studies show that vitamin K helps keep bones strong. It also improves bone density and reduces the risk of fractures.
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Cognitive health :-
Higher vitamin K levels in the blood link to better episodic memory in older adults. In one study, healthy people over 70 with high vitamin K1 levels had strong verbal episodic memory.
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Heart health :-
Vitamin K may help keep blood pressure low by stopping mineral buildup. This buildup can clog arteries and makes the heart work harder to pump blood.
Mineral buildup happens naturally as we age and is a major risk factor for heart disease. Getting enough vitamin K also lowers the risk of stroke.
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Signs of vitamin K or K deficiency :-
One clear sign of vitamin K deficiency is heavy bleeding, and bleeding can happen in places other than the wounds, like :-
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bruising easily.
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small blood clots under the nails.
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bleeding in the mucous membranes.
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black stools that might have some blood in them.
Although vitamin K deficiency is rare in healthy people, some groups are at high risk and might need vitamin K supplements, but only under a doctor's guidance, and they include :-
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Taking blood-thinning medications.
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Taking antibiotic medications.
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Conditions of poor fat absorption.
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Following a diet very low in vitamin K sources.
