Vitamin K- Deficiency, Prevention, Food sources.

​Vitamin K is generally known as phylloquinone. Another form of vitamin K is made by living bacteria in the Intestine.

 Importance of Vitamin K :

• Vitamin K is an essential vitamin for our body as it plays a crucial role in helping the blood to clot and prevents excessive bleeding.
• It is not used as a dietary supplement and like other vitamins.
• It is actually a group of compounds, and these compounds appear to be Vitamin K1, Vitamin K2. 
• Vitamin K1 is usually obtained from leafy greens and other vegetables.
• Vitamin K2 is mostly obtained from meat, eggs and cheese and by other synthesized bacteria.

The main form of vitamin K supplement is vitamin K1 which is available in the US. Recently few of the people have looked into vitamin K2 for treating osteoporosis and steroid-induced bone loss, but their search is conflicting.
 So, there is not enough data to recommend to use vitamin K2 for treating osteoporosis.

 Why do people take Vitamin K? 
Deficiency of Vitamin K increases the risk of uncontrolled bleeding.This deficiency is very rare in adults, but it is common in newborn infants.

​ Deficiencies of Vitamin K :

• One must be at higher risk if one has a disease that affects absorption in the digestive tract such as celiac disease.
• Vitamin K deficiency patients are severely malnourished.They drink alcohol heavily.
  
• Vitamin K deficiency patients even take drugs that interfere with Vitamin K absorption, and in such cases, doctors provide vitamin K supplements.

 Uses of Vitamin K: 
Vitamin K is used for treating cancer, for the symptoms of morning sickness and for the removal of spider veins.
​ Sources of Vitamin K:
 Vitamin K is richly found in the following :

• Legumes like green beans, eggs, strawberries, meat like liver.
• Vegetables such as spinach ,asparagus and broccoli.

Post by Masarath Afreen