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The Alphabet of Vitamins: Vitamin K

by LIVING HEALTH on January 25, 2017

Vitamin K: The Forgotten Vitamin

Today I am going to share with you several important facts about vitamin K. While this obscure vitamin, also known as “the forgotten vitamin” can almost go unnoticed, yet let us not forget that some of its benefits are unsurpassable. Overall, Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is necessary for a number of critical bodily functions including:

strong bone development
blood clotting
transportation of calcium throughout the body
heart disease prevention
cellular growth regulation

Studies show that 73% of Americans do not get an adequate amount of vitamin K in their diet.

Three Types of Vitamin K

There are three types of vitamin K: K1, K2, and K3.

Vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, occurs naturally in dark green vegetables. Since it is directly absorbed into your liver, it aids in healthy blood clotting.

Vitamin K2, or menaquinone, is synthesized in the body from the bacteria that lines your G.I. tract, therefore your bones, tissues, and blood vessel walls will directly absorb menaquinone.

K3, or menadione, is a synthetic form that must be activated in the liver. When injected in infants, K3 can potentially cause toxic effects and for this reason it is not recommended for intake.

Vitamin K + Vitamin D

Although Vitamin K is important, you will not take advantage of its full potential unless it is adjunct to vitamin D; in fact, one will not work optimally in your body if you are deficient of the other.

According to Dr. Cees Vermeer, Professor of the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht at the University of Maastricht, most Americans are deficient in vitamin K as well as vitamin D. Although the majority of people get enough vitamin K to maintain healthy blood clotting, it is not sufficient to protect the body from other health problems.

The Properties of Each Type of Vitamin K

Numerous studies reveal that K1 and K2 can help the body fight certain types of cancers, most noteworthy are colon, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prostate, lung, leukemia, and stomach.

In 2008, a German research group found K2 to have considerable benefits in protecting men against prostate cancer, which is one of the most common cancer for men in the United States.

Another important fact about K2 is that it protects your heart from heart failure and coronary artery disease while preventing your arteries from hardening.

Studies have shown that K2 may stop calcium from damaging artery linings and other tissues of your body’s organs. Research also found that cardiovascular disease might be averted when vitamin K2 and vitamin D are taken together. Consequently, these two vitamins combined prevent calcification of your coronary arteries.

Finally, vitamin K2 can prevent osteoporosis because one of its effects is improving bone density. K2 helps calcium and other vital minerals absorb into your bone matrix by acting as the biological “glue”. Several Japanese studies discovered that when participants with Osteoporosis consumed K2, it reversed bone loss for some and it even increased bone mass for others.

Where to Find Vitamin K

The following foods contain high amounts of vitamin K: broccoli, Swiss chard, kale, spinach, turnip greens, and green tea. Fermented foods such as miso and nattō are also a great source of this low-key vitamin.

Additional foods include grass-fed beef liver, lettuce, asparagus, cabbage, and the pith of citrus fruits. On the negative side, antibiotics, cholesterol medication, and aspirin can inhibit the body from absorbing vitamin K.