There are three types of Vitamin K:
- Vitamin K1: Phylloquinones
- Vitamin K2 MK-4: Menaquinone-4
- Vitamin K2 MK-7: Menaquinone-7
What is the best vitamin K?
The 20 Best Vitamin K-Rich Foods
- Ground Beef. Who doesn't love a good burger? ...
- Grapes. Grapes are a great choice when you're looking for a sweet and healthy snack that's easy to eat on the go.
- Olive Oil. ...
- Raw Carrots. ...
- Cashews. ...
- Canned Vegetable Juice Cocktail. ...
- Blueberries. ...
- Iceberg Lettuce. ...
- Pine Nuts. ...
- Okra. ...
What foods contain vitamin K?
These foods are rich in this essential nutrient.
- Green Beans. Green beans, string beans, snap peas should be included in your regular dinner regime because they are good sources of vitamin K.
- Kiwi. Subtly sweet kiwi packs a punch when it comes to nutrients. ...
- Cheese and Butter. It tastes great and comes loaded with vitamin K. ...
- Fruit Juice. ...
- Cruciferous Vegetables. ...
- Avocado. ...
What vegetables contain vitamin K?
- Turnips (raw or cooked) — 0.1 micrograms
- Beets (raw or cooked) — 0.3 micrograms
- Sweet Corn (raw or cooked) — 0.5 micrograms
- Onion (raw or cooked) — 1 microgram per 1 medium onion
- Rutabagas (raw or cooked) — 0.5 micrograms
- Pumpkin (cooked) — 2 micrograms
- Winter squash (cooked) — 2 micrograms
- Summer squash (cooked) — 3 micrograms
Is vitamin K the same as vitamin K2?
What are the similarities between Vitamin K and K2? Vitamin K and vitamin K2 are naturally occurring forms of vitamin K. Both vitamins contain a hydrocarbon chain and an isoprenoid ring Both are hydrophobic. Both are fat soluble. Both vitamins are yellow to orange in colour.
Which form of vitamin K is best?
Vitamin K and Heart Health Several observational studies have suggested that vitamin K2 is better than K1 at reducing these calcium deposits and lowering your risk of heart disease ( 18 , 19 , 20 ).
How many types of vitamin K are there?
twoThere are two main forms of vitamin K: vitamin K-1 and vitamin K-2. K-1 primarily occurs in leafy green vegetables, and it is the main dietary source of vitamin K. However, the body absorbs K-2 more readily, particularly the K-2 subtype MK-7.
What is the difference between vitamin K1 K2 and K3?
The key difference between vitamin K1 K2 and K3 is that vitamin K1 is abundant in leafy green vegetables, and vitamin K2 is abundant in fermented foods and some animal products, whereas vitamin K3 is an artificial form of vitamin K. Vitamin K is an important vitamin to our body and has a major role in blood clotting.
What are the three forms of vitamin K?
Several forms of vitamin K are used in dietary supplements, including vitamin K1 as phylloquinone or phytonadione (a synthetic form of vitamin K1) and vitamin K2 as MK-4 or MK-7 [18]. Few data are available on the relative bioavailability of the various forms of vitamin K supplements.
Which vitamin K is best for blood clotting?
Prothrombin is a vitamin K-dependent protein directly involved with blood clotting.
Is there a difference between vitamin K and vitamin K2?
The main difference between vitamin K and K2 is that the vitamin K is a group of vitamins having a well-known role in blood clotting, heart health, and bone health whereas vitamin K2 is one of the two main forms of vitamin K, which is most abundant in fermented foods and some animal products.
Can Too Much vitamin K2 be harmful?
There are no known serious side effects from taking too much vitamin K2.
Can Too Much vitamin K2 cause blood clots?
Too Much Vitamin K As long as someone isn't taking blood thinner medication, eating more of the vitamin doesn't cause too much blood clotting or other dangerous conditions (2).
Which vitamin K is good for bones?
Vitamin K2Vitamin K2 appears to protect the bones more than Vitamin K1, but too little of either is bad for the bones. Studies have shown that poor Vitamin K intake is linked to low bone mass, osteoporosis and fracture risk. Women who consumed less than 109 mcg of Vitamin K per day were found to be more likely to break a hip.
What is the another name of vitamin K?
Phytonadione (vitamin K) is used to prevent bleeding in people with blood clotting problems or too little vitamin K in the body. Phytonadione is in a class of medications called vitamins.
What happens if you take too much vitamin K?
A sudden change in the amount of vitamin K you get can cause dangerous bleeding (if you consume less) or blood clots (if you consume more).
How much vitamin D3 and K2 should I take daily?
100 mcg vitamin K2 per day: for healthy people under the age of 50, who do not take any additional vitamin D3. for all people, who take up to 2500 IU vitamin D per day.
What is the another name of vitamin K?
Phytonadione (vitamin K) is used to prevent bleeding in people with blood clotting problems or too little vitamin K in the body. Phytonadione is in a class of medications called vitamins.
What is the brand name for vitamin K?
BRAND NAME(S): Mephyton. USES: Vitamin K is used to treat and prevent low levels of certain substances (blood clotting factors) that your body naturally produces. These substances help your blood to thicken and stop bleeding normally (e.g., after an accidental cut or injury).
What is vitamin K3 used for?
What is vitamin K3? Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone health. It may also prevent dangerous buildup of calcium in tissues, organs, and blood vessels of people with or at risk of certain conditions like kidney disease, heart disease, and diabetes ( 1 , 2 , 3 ).
How much vitamin D3 and K2 should I take daily?
100 mcg vitamin K2 per day: for healthy people under the age of 50, who do not take any additional vitamin D3. for all people, who take up to 2500 IU vitamin D per day.
What is vitamin K?
Vitamin K isn’t one vitamin, but a group of structurally similar molecules. These molecules belong to a chemical family called quinones.
Is Potassium Vitamin K?
People often confuse Vitamin K with potassium. This is because K is the chemical symbol for potassium on the periodic table of elements.
What do Vitamin K2 MK-4 and MK-7 do?
The two types of vitamin K2 have similar but different roles, which are concerned with the transport of fat-soluble vitamins in the body.
What is the most misunderstood vitamin in human history?
The vitamin K molecules will go down as the most misunderstood nutrients in human history. Vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 are very different and come from different sources.
What is the role of vitamin K1 in plants?
In plants, vitamin K1 acts as an activator and may play a role in photosynthesis and cell messengers.
What is the role of vitamin K1 in animal blood clotting?
The most well-known function of Vitamin K1 in animals is as a blood clotting agent in the liver, where it forms blood clotting factors such as prothrombin (II), VII, IX and X.
How many types of vitamin K are there?
There are three types of Vitamin K:
What forms of vitamin K are there?
Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin K2 (menaquinone) are essentially the only two types of vitamin K. These two forms of vitamin K are significantly different from a chemical perspective, but all MK-type vitamin K supplements are derivatives of vitamin K2.
Why is vitamin K in MK-7 form better?
The only tricky part is making sure that the vitamin K you eat is easy to convert to MK-4, which is the specific form that menaquinone takes in the body.
How many chains does menaquinone have?
Depending on how many chains menaquinone has, it is assigned a particular “MK number.”. MK-4 is menaquinone with four chains, MK-7 is menaquinone with seven chains, and so on. Due to difficulties with formulation, menaquinone and its derivatives have not been commonly used in supplements until recently.
What is the bioavailability of vitamin K1?
However, vitamin K1 has a bioavailability score of 20% or lower, which means that the liver and organs filter out almost all of this nutrient before it can be put to any use. Supplements with low bioavailability also usually cause side effects because they put unnecessary strain on the body’s filtration mechanisms.
How much of the vitamin K1 is made up of menaquinone?
Even though stable menaquinone supplements like MK-7 have been on the market for some time now, some estimates suggest that vitamin K1 still makes up over 90% of the global vitamin K supplement supply.
Is MK a derivative of vitamin K2?
These two forms of vitamin K are significantly different from a chemical perspective, but all MK-type vitamin K supplements are derivatives of vitamin K2. Menaquinone has a unique chemical structure with varying numbers of repeating chains at the end.
Is vitamin K1 good for coagulation?
Vitamin K is a finicky essential nutrient. If the levels of vitamin K in your body aren’t exactly right, you might experience coagulation issues. Vitamin K1, however, throws your body out of whack with its poor bioavailability.
Why did the FNB not establish ULs for vitamin K?
The FNB did not establish ULs for vitamin K because of its low potential for toxicity [ 3 ]. In its report, the FNB stated that “no adverse effects associated with vitamin K consumption from food or supplements have been reported in humans or animals.”
What is the risk of vitamin K deficiency in newborns?
Vitamin K transport across the placenta is poor, increasing the risk of vitamin K deficiency in newborn babies [ 3 ]. During the first few weeks of life, vitamin K deficiency can cause vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), a condition formerly known as “classic hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.”.
What are the symptoms of vitamin K deficiency?
Thus, bleeding and hemorrhage are the classic signs of vitamin K deficiency, although these effects occur only in severe cases.
What foods contain phylloquinone?
Food sources of phylloquinone include vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and some fruits. Meat, dairy foods, and eggs contain low levels of phylloquinone but modest amounts of menaquinones [ 4 ]. Natto (a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans) has high amounts of menaquinones [ 1, 13 ]. Other fermented foods, such as cheese, also contain menaquinones. However, the forms and amounts of vitamin K in these foods likely vary depending on the bacterial strains used to make the foods and their fermentation conditions [ 14 ]. Animals synthesize MK-4 from menadione (a synthetic form of vitamin K that can be used in poultry and swine feed) [ 15 ]. Thus, poultry and pork products contain MK-4 if menadione is added to the animal feed [ 1, 4, 14 ].
How much Vitamin K is excreted?
Vitamin K is rapidly metabolized and excreted. Based on phylloquinone measurements, the body retains only about 30% to 40% of an oral physiological dose, while about 20% is excreted in the urine and 40% to 50% in the feces via bile [ 2, 11 ].
What is vitamin K?
“Vitamin K,” the generic name for a family of compounds with a common chemical structure of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and is available as a dietary supplement [ 1 ]. These compounds include phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and a series of menaquinones (vitamin K2) [ 2 ]. Menaquinones have unsaturated isoprenyl side chains and are designated as MK-4 through MK-13, based on the length of their side chain [ 1, 2 ]. MK-4, MK-7, and MK-9 are the most well-studied menaquinones.
Why is it important to take calcium and vitamin D?
Consuming adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, especially throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, is important to maximize bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis [ 27 ]. The effect of vitamin K intakes and status on bone health and osteoporosis has been a focus of scientific research.
What is the name of the molecule that synthesizes vitamin K?
coli and Bacteroides species) also synthesize various forms of vitamin K, previously termed (as a group) vitamin K2, but now generally called menaquinones. Menadione , an entirely synthetic molecule with vitamin K activity, was developed in the 1940s and called (at the time) vitamin K3.
What is the natural source of vitamin K?
Dr. Wright: The natural, plant-synthesized dietary source of vitamin K is called phylloquinone, though it’s still frequently referred to as vitamin K1. Intestinal bacteria (including normal E. coli and Bacteroides species) also synthesize various forms of vitamin K, previously termed (as a group) vitamin K2, but now generally called menaquinones. Menadione, an entirely synthetic molecule with vitamin K activity, was developed in the 1940s and called (at the time) vitamin K3.
Is phylloquinone water soluble?
Both phylloquinone and the menaquinones are fat-soluble and absorbed along with other dietary fats. Menadione (vitamin K3) is water-soluble. Phylloquinone has no known toxic effect; high doses of menadione, however, on rare occasions have caused hemolytic anemia (easily breaking blood cells) and liver toxicity.
What is the role of vitamin K in hemostasis?
The carboxylation of vitamin k-dependent proteins is known to be involved in hemostasis, bone metabolism, and cellular growth. Menaquinone (K2) have side chains made of isoprene residues of varying length, most of which unsaturated.
What is the name of the isoform of K2?
The number of isoprene residues determines the names of the menaquinone isoform: from MK-4 (four isoprene residues) to MK-10 (ten isoprene residues). Since MK-4 can be synthesized from K1, MK-4 can be found in meat as well. However, meat and dairy foods contain low levels of vitamin K2 as well.
What foods contain K2?
What foods contain K2? Well, first of all, the most concentrated food item is Natto. Have you ever heard about it? Natto is a traditional Japanese food, made of soybeans fermented with the probiotic Bacillus subtilis. Natto is usually consumed with rice, spring onions, and karashi mustard. Unfortunately, its sticky texture makes it difficult to accept by Wester consumers (including me!).
How many isoforms does vitamin K have?
First of all, let me clarify that vitamin k exists in three isoforms:
What is the name of the compound formed during the commercial hydrogenation of plant oils?
Dihydrophylloquinone, which is formed during the commercial hydrogenation of plant oils.
Who is Gianluca Tognon?
Gianluca Tognon is an Italian nutrition coach, speaker, entrepreneur and former associate professor at the University of Gothenburg. He started his career as a biologist and spent 15 years working both in Italy and then in Sweden. He has been involved in several EU research projects and has extensively worked and published on the association between diet, longevity and cardiovascular risk across the lifespan, also studying potential interactions between diet and genes. His work about the Mediterranean diet in Sweden has been cited by many newspapers worldwide including the Washington Post and The Telegraph among others. As a speaker, he has been invited by Harvard University and the Italian multi-national food company Barilla.
Does vitamin K help with coagulation?
But vitamin K’s functions are not solely related to coagulation, there’s much more to discover about it!
Why do people take vitamin K?
Low levels of vitamin K can raise the risk of uncontrolled bleeding. While vitamin K deficiencies are rare in adults, they are very common in newborn infants. A single injection of vitamin K for newborns is standard. Vitamin K is also used to counteract an overdose of the blood thinner Coumadin.
What is the main form of vitamin K?
Vitamin K1 is the main form of vitamin K supplement available in the U.S.
What foods contain vitamin K?
Good natural food sources of vitamin K include: 1 Vegetables like spinach, asparagus, and broccoli 2 Legumes like soybeans
What is the purpose of vitamin K?
Tips for Taking Blood Thinners . Vitamin Kplays a key role in helping the blood clot, preventing excessive bleeding. Unlike many other vitamins, vitamin K is not typically used as a dietary supplement. Vitamin K is actually a group of compounds.
What drugs interfere with vitamin K?
Interactions. Many drugs can interfere with the effects of vitamin K. They include antacids, blood thinners, antibiotics, aspirin, and drugs for cancer, seizures, high cholesterol, and other conditions.
Can you take Coumadin with vitamin K?
Risks. You should not use vitamin K supplements unless your health careprovider tells you to. People using Coumadin for heartproblems, clotting disorders, or other conditions may need to watch their diets closely to control the amount of vitamin K they take in. They should not use vitamin K supplements unless advised to do so by their health careprovider.
Where does vitamin K1 come from?
The most important of these compounds appears to be vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is obtained from leafy greens and some other vegetables. Vitamin K2 is a group of compounds largely obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs, and synthesized by bacteria.
What foods are good sources of vitamin K2?
Dairy foods and eggs are decent sources of vitamin K2.
What is the richest source of vitamin K1?
The richest sources of vitamin K1 are dark, leafy green vegetables. For example, just half a cup of kale provides about 443% of the daily value.
How to get the most out of kale?
To get the most out of the vitamin K in kale and other plant foods, consider eating them with some fat or oil. This is because vitamin K is fat-soluble and may be better absorbed when combined with fat. Vitamin K2 is only found in animal-sourced foods and certain fermented dishes.
What is the role of vitamin K in the body?
Vitamin K is an important nutrient that plays a vital role in blood clotting and bone and heart health. While vitamin K deficiency is rare, less than optimal intake may impair your health over time. Inadequate intake may cause bleeding, weaken your bones and potentially increase your risk of developing heart disease ( 1.
Where is vitamin K found?
Vitamin K1, the most common form of vitamin K, is mainly found in plant-sourced foods, especially dark, leafy green vegetables.
Is vitamin K2 in animal sources?
Information on the vitamin K2 content of animal-sourced foods is incomplete, but a few studies have been done ( 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ).
Do fruits have vitamin K1?
Fruits generally do not contain as much vitamin K1 as leafy green vegetables, but a few provide decent amounts.
Why is Vitamin K important for blood clotting?
Clotting is important because it helps prevent your body from bleeding too much.
How much vitamin K is in spinach?
Spinach is filled with all sorts of nutritional goodness, including vitamins A, B and E, plus magnesium, folate, and iron. A half cup of cooked spinach contains about three times as much vitamin K as a cup of raw spinach does, but one raw serving is still plenty for one day.
What are turnip greens?
Turnip greens are used in popular side dishes in the Southeastern United States. Turnip greens are also high in calcium, which helps strengthen bones. Mustard greens and beet greens also contain high levels of vitamin K. The bulbous part of the turnip that grows underground is nutritious, too.
How many calories are in a cucumber dill pickle?
They make for a nice, crunchy snack when you and add some light salt and pepper. 12. Pickles. 25 mcg per cucumber dill or kosher dill pickle. Pickles contain nearly 0 calories (5 in a kosher pickle), making it another very healthy (and crunchy) way to get a vitamin K fill.
What is the best source of vitamin K?
Lettuce is probably the most popular source of vitamin K in American diets. It’s available at salad bars and grocery stores across the country in different varieties, including iceberg, romaine, green leaf, and bibb.
What is vitamin K?
Vitamin K is a necessary nutrient. It helps build and maintain healthy bones. The vitamin’s biggest claim to fame is its role in helping blood clotting, known as “coagulation.”. In fact, the “K” comes from the German word for blood clotting, koagulation.
Does vitamin K help with bone growth?
In addition to its role in clotting, vitamin K helps in bone growth. Some studies. Trusted Source. have also linked low vitamin K intake to the development of osteoporosis, which results in fragile bones that can break easily.
