Health BENEFITS of Vitamin K:
- essential for proper blood clotting and wound healing
- assists in transporting calcium to the bones
- helps prevent bone loss and bone fractures
- prevents calcification of the arteries and soft tissues
- assists blood vessels in functioning properly
- helps reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke
Foods HIGH in Vitamin K1 (plant sources):
Foods HIGH in Vitamin K2 (animal sources & fermented foods):
- cheese
- egg yolks
- fermented foods
- kefir
- kimchi
- liver
- miso
- natto
- sauerkraut
Things to KNOW About Vitamin K:
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it's absorbed along with dietary fat and can be stored in the liver and fatty tissues for later use. Consuming foods high in vitamin K along with some dietary fat will increase the absorption of vitamin K.
There are two forms of naturally occurring vitamin K:
Small amounts of vitamin K can also be made in your body by the healthy bacteria living in your gut.
Vitamin K helps transport calcium into the bones where it belongs, instead of into the arteries and soft tissue where it can calcify (create plaque) and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Vitamin K also helps your blood clot when necessary. All newborns in the United State and Europe are given a dose of vitamin K just after delivery to prevent the possibility of hemorrhage, especially in the brain. Newborns are unable to make vitamin K on thier own since they have no healthy gut bacteria while in the womb.
Because vitamin K has blood clotting properties, it can interfere with anticoagulant (blood thinning) medications, such as warfarin. Consult your doctor for proper recommendations if you are taking an anticoagulant.