GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Vitamin K can be found in yogurt, kefir, acidophilus
milk, alfalfa, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, pork liver, lean meat, peas, carrots,
soybeans, potatoes, and egg yolk.
ROLE IN ANTI-AGING:
Vitamin K is essential for the formation of several proteins, called ‘clotting
factors’, that regulate blood
clotting within the body. Vitamin K is also required for the
formation of some proteins that are important for
proper bone mineralization
and healthy teeth. Vitamin K
has been beneficial to people with Crohn’s disease and
gastrointestinal disorders.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
Dietary deficiencies of vitamin K are rare,
because vitamin K is normally manufactured by bacteria present in the intestine. However, symptoms may include: hypoprothrombinemia (condition
in which the time it takes for the blood to clot is
prolonged), hemorrhages, bloody urine and stools,
nosebleeds, miscarriages; deficiency in newborn babies
results in bloody stools or vomiting (fairly common
since newborns have no intestinal bacteria). Recent studies suggest that many men and women aged
18 to 44 regularly consume less than the RDA of vitamin
K.
THERAPEUTIC DAILY AMOUNT:
Most vitamin and mineral supplements do not
contain vitamin K as it is readily available in the diet and synthesized in the body. Consult your
physician for further information on this vitamin. RDA for
women is 65mcg; 80mcg for men.
MAXIMUM SAFE LEVEL:
known
SIDE EFFECTS/CONTRAINDICATIONS:
People taking any over-the-counter or prescribed
medicines, especially salicylates and anticoagulants, and pregnant or breast-feeding women,
should consult their doctor before taking supplementary
vitamin K.
SOLUBILITY:
soluble
