Benefits of Vitamin K
Posted on | November 1, 2006 | 2 Comments
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it is absorbed most effectively when ingested with dietary fat. It is best known for its role in helping blood clot properly after an injury. Vitamin K is helpful in this situation because it is responsible for making clotting factors in the liver. Vitamin K also plays an important role in bone health.
Vitamin K comes from the foods that we eat. Plus, bacteria that normally reside in the intestines are able to make vitamin K. Antibiotics may interfere with this normal production. Other circumstances that may lead to vitamin K deficiency include:
- Health problems that can prevent the absorption of vitamin K (such as gallbladder or biliary disease which may alter the absorption of fat), cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease
- Ingestion of excessive amounts of mineral oil
- Liver disease
- Use of blood-thinning medications (such as warfarin, see Interactions)
- Ongoing or significant diarrhea (particularly in breast fed infants)
- Long-term use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN; nutrition provided intravenously)
- Continuing hemodialysis
- Serious burns
It is also important to note, that breast fed infants may be at an increased risk for vitamin K deficiency because human milk is not a very good source of this nutrient. Interestingly, though, if a mother eats lots of green vegetables on a daily basis, she can improve the amount of vitamin K in breast milk. In addition, the elderly may also be at an increased risk for vitamin K deficiency they tend take many medications, eat insufficient amounts of vegetables, and may have bacterial overgrowth that impacts vitamin K production in the gut.
Vitamin K deficiency is rare because gut bacteria can produce enough of this vitamin, even if dietary intake is low. Vitamin K deficiency can lead to excessive bleeding (hemorrhage) which may begin as oozing from the gums or nose. Echymoses (bleeding below the skin) and excessive bruising may also be symptoms of vitamin K deficiency.
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