What Does Vitamin K Do and Why is it Important to Know?

So you have heard about a Vitamin and know you want to know what does Vitamin K do? Well, first let's define what a vitamin is. A Vitamin is a key nutrient that the body needs in small amounts to grow and stay strong. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin (it is stored in the body), available in foods and manufactured by intestinal bacteria.

Vitamin Liquid

It consists of a group of compounds called vitamin K1, K2, K3 or K4.

Vitamin Liquid

K1 (phylloquinone) is present naturally in plants. K2 (menaquinone) is made by bacteria in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. K3 (menadione) is man made. K4 (menadiol) is man made. It can be used by intestinal bacteria to make K2. Unlike the fat-soluble compounds K1, K2 and K3, K4 are water-soluble.

Vitamin K is necessary for

Proper bone growth Blood coagulation, accomplishing this by helping the body transport calcium To treat overdoses of the drug warfarin Protects the heart

So what exactly does Vitamin K do? It protects us from excessive bleeding when we get cut. It protects us when we get hit or are injured to not bleed internally. It is used by the body in the formation of prothrombin and other blood clotting proteins. Vitamin K is also required for the biosynthesis of some proteins found in plasma, bone and kidneys

If you have had a stroke or are high risk for strokes then you may be on a drug called Coumadin (Warfarin) which is known as a blood thinner. If you are on this medication you should avoid blood thickening foods high in Vitamin K. Vitamin K will decrease the action of Coumadin therefore its value as a stroke preventer will be decreased.

Most vitamin K from food sources is obtained from leafy green vegetables (such as those in the accompanying chart) and from four vegetable oils, including olive oil and soybean oil. Beef liver and green tea is also sources of vitamin K.

So now you know the answer to "What does Vitamin K do and why is it important to know?" This is just a small part of what are body needs to be well. The key to well being is to research and to apply what you know.

What Does Vitamin K Do and Why is it Important to Know?
Vitamin Liquid

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