Let's Talk About Vitamin K
How much do you know about vitamin K? The average American might not be getting enough of it, and they might not even be aware of the deficiency.
You might be deficient if your diet doesn’t include enough dark, leafy greens. People with issues that affect their ability to absorb nutrients are at increased risk of deficiency. Low vitamin K intake can result in uncontrolled bleeding and poor bone health. Here's what we all need to know about getting enough vitamin K in our diets.
What Is Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is one of many nutrients the body needs for proper functioning. It comes in multiple forms, which vary depending on the source. Vitamin K is fat-soluble, which means the body can store it along with absorbed fats.
Vitamin K1 comes in two forms. The first is a compound called phylloquinone, which is found in dark, leafy greens. Phytonadione is a synthetic form of phylloquinone that’s often used in supplements. Vitamin K2 comes as one of nine compounds called menaquinones, which you find primarily in fermented foods and animal products. We also produce small amounts of vitamin K2 through bacteria that live in our guts.
Adequate vitamin K intake should come easily with a well-balanced diet, and yet according to the Micronutrient Information Center, most Americans fall short. This may be because most of us don’t include nearly enough vegetables in our diets.
Could You Be Deficient?
Vitamin K is vital for blood clotting and bone health, so some deficiencies may present in the form of easy bruising, excessive bleeding (e.g. cuts), heavy menstrual periods or osteoporosis. Since these issues are often linked to other causes, many people who have low-level deficiencies might not even know it. But, it's notable that those who may be at an increased risk of vitamin K deficiency may be because they have health issues that affect their ability to absorb nutrients.
Most of us aren't likely to be deficient as long as we eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of dark, leafy greens. If you don’t eat enough of them already, it's worth looking into how you can incorporate more green veggies into your daily meal plans. Soybeans, carrot juice, pumpkin, cashews and pomegranate juice are also good sources.
Interactions and Contraindications
Vitamin K can affect the way some medications work in the body. Most profoundly is the way it can interact with blood thinners. Lowering vitamin K intake while taking these types of medications can result in dangerous bleeding, while raising intake may reduce the blood-thinning properties, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. So this is an important discussion to have with a doctor if blood thinners are a part of someone's health care needs.
Other medications may reduce the body’s ability to absorb or produce enough vitamin K. Antibiotics can kill off the menaquinone-producing bacteria in the gut. Weight-loss aids like Alli and Xenical reduce the body’s ability to absorb fats, which can affect the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Cholesterol drugs like cholestyramine and colestipol prevent the reabsorption of bile acids, which can also affect vitamin absorption.
Supplements are available for people who need them, but the safest way to make sure we're getting the right amount of vitamin K is to eat a varied, well-balanced diet with plenty of dark leafy greens. For those who are unsure whether their diet is giving them all the vitamins needed, check out apps like MyPlate.gov, which can help get a plan going on the right track.
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