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  • Vitamin K

All about vitamins: vitamin K

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is first and foremost indispensable for the production of proteins that are needed for blood clotting, but it is also needed in bone structure and for the production of other kinds of protein found in other tissues.

Vitamin K appears in nature in two forms basically: in the form of phylloquinone (vitamin K1), which is synthesized by green plants, and in the form of menaquinone (vitamin K2), synthesized by bacteria. So, vitamin K1 gets into our system via food, while vitamin K2 is produced by our bowel bacteria - their proportion is fifty-fifty percent. In case of sufficient diet and healthy intestinal flora the vitamin K levels of the body are adequate.

The most important sources of phylloquinone are vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprout, but dairy products and liver are also rich in vitamin K.

Those who have been subjected to permanent antibiotics treatment have to be prepared for increased demand of vitamin K. Also, heavy overdose of vitamin E can lead to the decrease of vitamin K supplies. Regarding children, especially premature babies, vitamin K deficiency resulting from underdeveloped bowel bacteria may lead to anemia.

Although vitamin K is one of the vitamins that dissolve in fat, the body does not store it. Its overdose can cause problems in the nervous system, mostly of premature babies.

Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin K:

For children:

For women:

For men: