Vitamin K is vital for bone health, cardiovascular function, and blood clotting. While its deficiency is exceedingly rare, it is possible that taking in less than the daily required quantity could have negative effects on health. In this fast-paced life of ours, we frequently overlook how important it is to have a healthy meal. The least amount of attention is dedicated to vitamins. In addition to another inadequate intake, vitamin K deficiency hits fifty percent of infants in the United States. Consuming foods that are high in vitamin K regularly might be a significant aid in the fight against this. Including in adults, this deficit has the potential to produce stomach ulcers and even hemorrhage at times.
The ability of your blood to coagulate, the strength of your bones, and the prevalence of heart disease are all negatively impacted by a lack of nutrition. Because of this, you need to make sure that you consume a diet that provides you with a sufficient amount of this vitamin. The majority of people should not have a shortage if they consume the recommended daily amount of 120 mcg. The vitamin is most famous for its contribution to the process of blood clotting, which is medically referred to as “coagulation.” The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin K for adult women is 90 micrograms (mcg), whereas the RDA for adult men is 120 mcg.
The following are some foods that contain particularly significant quantities of vitamin K, as well as a few lists broken down by food groups that also contain foods that contain vitamin K.
What are Vitamin K Rich foods?
It is essential for the synthesis of prothrombin, a protein that facilitates the clotting of blood and bone health. Vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, improve cardiovascular health, and inhibit cancer growth. Treatment of vitamin K deficient hemorrhage in babies is perhaps the most crucial use of vitamin K. Until they reach 4–6 months of age when they begin eating solid meals and the intestinal bacteria begin generating vitamin K, all newborns have an increased risk of this illness. Here’s where its shots come in handy. A single injection into a baby’s thigh can protect against the ailment. Accidental death can result from neglecting this. One of the three vitamin K varieties is far superior to the others. Vitamin K1 is a naturally occurring compound in leafy greens. It travels to the liver, where it aids in clotting blood.
Vitamin K2 can be obtained from various sources, including animal and fermented foods, as well as byproducts of your bacterial gut flora. The liver isn’t the only organ that receives this substance; bones, blood vessels, and other tissues do as well. Vitamin K3 is a concentrated derivative of the vitamin that is not advised to be used. vitamin K3 is a concentrated derivative of the vitamin that is not advised to be used. K2 is the most potent form of vitamin K. Even at 500 times the RDA, it is safe because it is a natural substance. Both our bodies and fermented foods are sources of vitamin K2. One of the most secure and efficient ways to combat vitamin K2 deficiency is to increase one’s consumption of the vitamin.
Regular consumption of vitamin K (vitamin K1 or K2) can improve health in several ways.
Following are the Vitamin K Rich Foods
Kale
Because it allows your body to manufacture proteins that are essential to the process of blood clotting, vitamin K is an essential component in the process. Clotting is essential as it helps keep your body from losing too much blood, which is why it’s so crucial. Kale is the undisputed champion of it. It’s considered to be a “superfood” by many people. To a justifiable degree, as it is abundant in a wide variety of micronutrients, including iron, potassium, and folate, amongst many others.
Collard Greens
It is essential for bone formation in addition to playing a part in the clotting process. A lack of vitamin K in one’s diet has been linked in some research to the growth of osteoporosis, which is characterized by brittle bones that are prone to breaking easily.
Spinach
Spinach is loaded with a wide variety of beneficial nutrients, such as magnesium, folate, and iron, in addition to vitamins A, B, and E. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A. Single meal of raw spinach provides an adequate amount of vitamin K for one day, while a quarter cup of heated spinach has almost three times the amount of vitamin K that one cup of raw spinach does.
Turnip Greens
In the southern region of the United States, famous side dishes often include turnip greens as an ingredient. Calcium, which contributes to stronger bones, can also be found in plenty of turnip greens. Also, the quantities of it in beetroot greens and swiss chard are quite high. The subterranean bulbous section of the turnip, which is also edible, contains a lot of nutrients.
Broccoli
Broccoli can be prepared in a wide variety of different ways. Canola oil and olive oil both contribute to taste and vitamin K in foods when they are used in cooking. If you want to increase the vitamin K content of your dish, learn how to cook it with canola oil or olive oil. Each has roughly 10 micrograms of vitamin K packed into a tablespoon’s worth.
Asparagus
About forty micrograms of vitamin K can be found in just four stalks of asparagus. If you add a little olive oil to it, you will get around half of the daily amount that is considered enough. Bear in mind that consuming a large number of foods high in it in a single day will not benefit you for a prolonged time. Vitamin K from meals is not very well absorbed by the body, and it is expelled from the system very rapidly.
Lettuce
Lettuce is likely the most often consumed source of vitamin K in the diets of Americans. It can be found in a variety of preparations, including flower petals, and bibb lettuce, at salad bars and supermarkets all around the United States.
Soybeans
There are two primary forms of it, which are referred to as vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin K-2 (menaquinones). K-1 is naturally present in plants, while K-2 can be found in smaller levels in foods derived from animals and fortified foods like cheese. K-1 is found in plant-based diets. Moreover, the K-2 variety can be found in greater quantities in beans and soybean oil.
Pickles
Pickles are a whole other highly nutritious method to get your vitamin K fixed. They contain almost no calories (five in a kosher pickle), making them almost calorie-free. Although the body does manufacture a little amount of vitamin K-2 on its own, adequate amounts can only be obtained by the consumption of food.
Pine nuts
Pine nuts are a great option for providing a satisfying crunch to salads. If you’re not in the feeling for a salad, try one of these other types of nuts instead: Cashews that have been dry charred increase 10 micrograms of vitamin K per ounce.
Blueberries
The term “superfood” is frequently applied to blueberries. This fruit, despite its diminutive size, packs a powerful nutritional punch. They may assist in decreasing hypertension, preventing cardiovascular diseases, improving memory, assisting in the healing process after a workout, and many other benefits. Blueberries are a tremendously popular, delicious, and highly nutritious fruit. It has a vitamin K content that is equal to 24% of the DV. They are also roughly 85% water, and a full cup has only 84 calories and 21.5 grams of carbohydrates in it. In addition, they are low in sugar. Because of this, they are a good provider of several essential nutrients despite having a very low caloric content. One of the most well-liked kinds of berries is the blueberry. It has a low-calorie count while yet providing a good amount of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
How can you ensure that you’re getting enough vitamin K?
Vegetables with a dark green leafy appearance are the best places to receive vitamin K1. For instance, only a single half-cup (65 grams) serving of boiled kale has 443% of the daily value. If you want to maximize your intake of the vitamin that is included in cabbage and other green vegetables, you should think about eating them with some kind of fat like butter or oil. This is because vitamin K is a low-saturated vitamin, which means that it may be more readily absorbed when paired with fat. Only meals derived from animals and other fermented dishes are known to contain vitamin K2. Your intestinal flora also contributes a negligible amount to the production.
One of the very greatest sources of vitamin K2 is found in natto, a traditional Japanese food that uses fermented soybeans. Beef, pork, and cheese are three other excellent sources of this nutrient. There is some proof that indicates that the activities and metabolism of vitamins K1 and K2 are somewhat distinct from one another; however, this is not completely understood. There is currently no differentiation made between the two in dietary recommendations; nonetheless, it is likely an excellent idea to have both kinds of foods in your diet.
The Bottom Line
Even though our bodies can produce vitamin K2, the amount that is produced is not sufficient to fulfill the daily required levels. Consuming foods that are high in vitamin K, such as mayonnaise, mutton, meat, liver, and other similar foods, is therefore the greatest solution to this problem. Because newborns do not consume the kinds of foods that adults do, they typically have vitamin K deficiencies; therefore, a dose of this micronutrient is required to avoid bleeding caused by vitamin K1 insufficiency. In addition to this, it improves bone and cognitive performance, and it lowers the likelihood of developing malignancy, cardiovascular illness, and arthritis. To fulfill the necessities of the body, those over the age of 19 who are male or female should aim to consume 120 mcg or 90 mcg of vitamin K2, accordingly.
Several plant and animal foods both include vitamin K in their ingredients. Even though vitamin shortages are uncommon, it is still necessary to make sure that you are getting a sufficient amount of this vitamin from the foods you eat. This vitamin is extremely abundant in dark leafy greens; in fact, a single serving of many different kinds of dark leafy greens provides well over 100% of the daily value. Several kinds of liver make for good sources. There is no better way to increase your consumption of vitamin K than by eating more of the foods that are included on this list. What about one more well-known source of vitamin K? Multivitamin pills or a vitamin K capsule. Even if you get your vitamins from the drugstore, you should still make it a point to discuss adding them to your routine with your primary care physician.
Sirisha B