vegetables broccoli

vegetables broccoli

Vitamin K is a vitamin that rarely gets attention, except in people who use blood thinners should avoid excess intake of Vitamin K.

Vitamin K is fat-soluble vitamin found in foods and also produced by certain bacteria. Natural forms of vitamin K is phylloquinone (K1) which is found in plants, and menaquinones (K2 or MK), which is mostly made by bacteria that live in the intestines.

Vitarnin K is very sensitive to heat and light and easily destroyed by heat and light it. Too bad that people often cook the food for too long, so the chance of losing its vitamin K content.

There is a risk of vitamin K deficiency in people with conditions such as impaired absorption of fat, including chronic pancreatic disease, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, or chronic diarrhea. The use of antibiotics in the long term can also increase the risk of deficiency of Vitamin K.

The role of vitamin K

Vitamin K has several important roles in the body, the most frequently studied is its role in blood clotting and bone health.


Blood clotting

When we cut off fingers or hit something, the body must prevent excessive bleeding. One way is to form a blood clot in the area of ​​injury, blood clots, ideally will stop the bleeding. To do this, the body uses a series of blood clotting proteins, some of which must be activated by vitamin K.

Some medications such as warfarin may interfere with vitamin K activity, thereby reducing the body's ability to make blood clotting if injured. Drugs such as these are often referred to as "blood thinners", which is prescribed to prevent dangerous blood clots that can occur in people with health conditions such as thrombophlebitis or congestive heart failure.

Therefore, the effectiveness of the drug can be reduced by vitamin K, then for taking the drug are warned to avoid foods high in vitamin K and consult a physician before using supplemental vitamin K.

Build healthy bones

Vitamin K is important for building healthy bones. Although bone consists mainly of minerals, especially calcium, bone is also a living tissue with multiple components and requires nutrients for its survival.

Bone is a protein composition of minerals stored on it. This is where the importance of the role of vitamin K. It is believed that vitamin K is required to change certain bone proteins so that the minerals, like calcium, can be stored properly. Without the participation of vitamin K, all the calcium is not possible to build healthy bones.

Research on the effects of vitamin K supplementation on bone has made several important findings. For example Vitamin K2 and vitamin D3, which are used together, can reduce bone loss. The researchers also concluded that, as we age, the amount of vitamin K we obtain through food intake may not be enough to keep the calcium in our bones. Another study found that high doses of Vitamin K2 or K1 supplementation was associated with decreased risk of fractures in postmenopausal women.

Some studies on the effects of vitamin K on bone formation has been found that it also can help to control the deposition of calcium in the arteries, where it can contribute to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. This may be especially important for women.

Calcium paradox

Researchers have long studied the so-called "calcium paradox". It is seen in postmenopausal women who, on one side at risk of osteoporosis. On the one hand they are also at risk of arterial calcification, which indicates excess calcium deposits. Vitamin K may be an important part in solving this problem, by helping to keep the calcium in the bones and remove calcium from arterial lines.

The potential for vitamin K to reduce arterial calcification is one way that can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In one study, supplementation of vitamin K was associated with slowing the rate of calcification of coronary arteries carrying blood to the heart in men and women who already have temapt calcification in these areas.

Source of Vitamin K

You do not need to use supplements to get more vitamin K in your diet. Try to get your intake of vitamin K from green vegetables, broccoli and beans.

Most vitamin K comes from plant sources, especially green leafy vegetables such as radishes, kale, and mustard greens, mustard greens and vegetables in family-sawian, including broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy. Soy, milk, cheese and yogurt are also good sources of vitamin K.

Every person has a daily intake of Vitamin K which is different, mostly differentiated by age, as quoted from the Health Canada below.
Children aged up to 6 months: 2.0 mcg
Ages 7 to 12 months: 2.5 mcg
Ages 1 to 3 years: 30 mcg
Ages 4 to 8 years: 55 mcg
Ages 9 to 13 years: 60 mcg
Ages 14 to 18 years: 75 mcg
Men aged 19 years and older: 120 mcg
Women aged 19 years and older: 90 mcg
Pregnant and lactating women ages 18 to 50 years: 90 mcg