Vitamin K Benefits

What are the Vitamin K benefits?

Vitamin K helps the blood to clot, therefore allowing it to repair any injuries. Whenever you bleed, vitamin K is what stops the bleeding and allows you to heal.

Vitamin K exists in three different forms. The first variant, vitamin K1, is known as phylloquinone. Phylloquinone is found in various different types of plant foods. Plant foods are the primary source of vitamin K. Another form of vitamin K, vitamin K2, is menaquinone. Menaquinone is formed by helpful intestinal bacteria. The final form of vitamin K, vitamin K3, is menadione. It is a completely synthetic form of the K vitamin. Regardless of the type, all K vitamins eventually meet in the liver where they are turned into the substances which clot your blood.

Undoubtedly, leafy green vegetables are the best natural source of vitamin K. An example of one such vegetable is spinach. Because a lot of it can be produced internally, it is almost unheard of for someone to have a vitamin K deficiency. Very few people actually need vitamin K supplements.

Aside from the aforementioned clotting process, vitamin K, particularly vitamin K1, is integral in the building of bones. Vitamin K helps to evenly distribute and retain calcium in the bones.

Though it is extremely rare, there are some groups of people who are prone to a vitamin K deficiency. Because they are somewhat lacking on intestinal bacteria, newborn babies may have vitamin K deficiencies. In most developed countries, newborn babies are given an injection of vitamin K to keep their levels high enough until full fledged natural production begins.

Aside from immediately after birth, most people will never need a vitamin K supplement. The only exception is after taking antibiotics for an extended period of time. As antibiotics kill intestinal bacteria, vitamin K production will be greatly slowed. A vitamin K supplement would likely be given in this case.