Which Foods Contain Vitamin K?

Vitamin K plays a role in blood clotting and the differentiation of cells that make up bone tissue. But what foods contain it?

Vitamin K plays an important role in controlling blood clotting, which in turn stops excessive bleeding when we suffer a cut or injury. However, if you’re taking certain medications, it’s important to limit how much vitamin K you get. In this article, we’ll have a look at which foods contain Vitamin K.

We’ll also look at why this vitamin is so important for the human body. That way, you can make sure that you avoid complications and keep your body healthy.

What does vitamin K do?

As we mentioned, the main role of vitamin K is in the blood clotting process. However, a study published by Biomedical Research International and other studies also claim that it can play a part in bone metabolism and help strengthen bones.

If you suffered a cut and didn’t have any vitamin K in your body, you’d simply keep bleeding uncontrollably. In fact, you’d probably need medical treatment straight away.

However, as it happens, there are people with medical conditions who take anticoagulants to stop a build-up of plaque within the arteries. In such cases, it’s important to reduce your vitamin K intake so as not to work against the medication, according to a study in the  European Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Foods that contain vitamin K

Vitamin K is normally found in green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, parsley, lettuce, and chard. You can also find it in broccoli, and juices such as carrot juice or pomegranate juice.

Normally, it’s not very common to suffer from a vitamin K deficiency. Nor is it really known what would happen in a case of overdose since it’s so unusual.

So, getting enough vitamin K really shouldn’t be a problem. Vitamin deficiencies as a general rule tend to be more associated with other vitamins, such as vitamin D.

What should I do if I’m taking anticoagulants?

If you’re currently receiving anticoagulant medication, you should try to reduce the amount of vitamin K in your diet. Otherwise, your medication could be less effective and you’ll increase the risk of suffering cardiovascular problems.

However, reducing the amount of vitamin K in your diet also could lead to a deficit of antioxidants. To make sure that you get enough antioxidants, you’ll need to increase your intake of other foods, such as spices such as turmeric.

If you do suffer from cardiovascular problems, another good idea could be to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. These have anti-inflammatory properties which can be good for the heart.

Vitamin K is an important nutrient

Despite not being as well-known as other vitamins, vitamin K plays a very important role in the human body. Not only does it play a role in blood clotting, but it also has an impact on your bone health. As a result, not getting enough vitamin K could lead to reduced bone density and increased risk of fractures.

This is why it’s so important to include foods that contain vitamin K in your diet, even if a vitamin K deficiency isn’t very common. However, if you’re taking medication to thin your blood, then you may need to reduce your vitamin K intake instead.

Ultimately, this underlines the importance of a varied and balanced diet. If you’re having to reduce your vitamin K intake, you’ll probably have to increase your intake of other food products to ensure that you have enough antioxidants to fight premature aging.

Antioxidants fight free radicals and thus reduce the risk of complex illnesses in the long term. However, if you have any questions, seek advice from a professional. They’ll be able to help you with suggestions for sticking to the right diet according to your needs to keep you in the best possible health.