What is vitamin K and why do we need it? The understanding nutrients series
I started this series to give you a better understanding of the nutrients in your food. Every nutrient has a role to play to keep us healthy! You can find the catalogue of this series here.
Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin
that doesn’t seem to get much press, so here is everything you need to know.
What is vitamin K?
Vitamin K is actually the name of a
group of compounds. Vitamin K1 is called phylloquinone and is found in plants
like green vegetables. Vitamin K2 is called menaquinones and is created by bacteria.
It’s found in animals or fermented foods. There is also an idea that the
bacteria in our own guts can make vitamin K2 as well.
Roles of vitamin K:
Blood clotting: the key role of
vitamin K is helping our blood clot. Blood clotting is a complex process with
many steps. To simplify it, vitamin K is needed to form some of the proteins
that allow our blood to clot. This stops us from continuing to bleed when we
get cut.
If you’re on blood thinners
(anticoagulants) like warfarin, it’s important to consume the same amount of
vitamin K each day. Warfarin works against vitamin K and stops your blood
clotting by thinning it. The dose of the blood thinner won’t be effective if
you have more vitamin K than normal.
Bone health: there’s limited
research in this area, but we’re growing our understanding of vitamin K and its
role in bones. Vitamin K supports a protein that’s involved in the
mineralisation of bone. This means it helps the formation of our bones and
ensures their structure.
How much vitamin K should we be having?
Vitamin K is different to other
vitamins in that the amount you need depends on your weight. Adults need 1
microgram (µg) per kg of body weight. So, if you weigh 70kg, you’d need 70
micrograms (µg) of vitamin K.
Foods that are high in vitamin K:
This isn’t a complete list but just
to give to an idea of foods vitamin K is found in. It’s generally found in
green leafy veg, vegetable oils, and some grains.
- 100g of kale has 623µg of vitamin K
- 100g of spinach has 394µg of vitamin K
- 100g of broccoli has 185µg of vitamin K
- 100g of lettuce has 129µg of vitamin K
- 100g of brussels sprouts has 127µg of vitamin K
- 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil has 17µg of vitamin K
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil has 8µg of vitamin K
We tend to be able to absorb more
vitamin K from oils than vegetables due to the structure of the plant cells.
But having the veg with a source of fat can improve the absorption.
What happens if you don’t get enough vitamin K?
You should be able to get enough
vitamin K through your diet. But a deficiency could occur if you have a
disorder in which absorption is disrupted, such as ulcerative colitis. Or if
you’re taking medication that will interfere with vitamin K absorption.
Overall, a deficiency is rare.
A vitamin K deficiency is usually identified by seeing the time it takes for your blood to clot. A deficiency can lead to uncontrollable bleeding, easily bruising, and dark poo. It’s treated by vitamin K tablets.
Key points:
- Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin. There are 2 types, vitamin K1 is found in plants and vitamin K2 is made by bacteria.
- Vitamin K plays a crucial role in blood clotting. Scientists are also discovering its role in bone health.
- Adults need 1 microgram (µg) of vitamin K per kg of body weight.
- Foods like green vegetables and vegetable oils contain vitamin K.
- A deficiency in vitamin K is rare but can lead to bleeding.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post.
Bye for now! 👋
References:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-k/
https://quadram.ac.uk/UKfoodcomposition/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminK-HealthProfessional/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1492156/
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/vitamins/#vitamin-k
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