function for vitamin k

what is the function for vitamin k? ... what are vitamin k foods?

Vitamin k is the important blood coagulation and blood clotting vitamin, and is absolutely essential for repairing your injuries.

When you have a wound that bleeds, it's wonderful k vitamin which enables your wound to heal, and for the bleeding to stop.

three different types of vitamin k

Vitamin k comes in three different forms:

vitamin k1 - or phylloquinone - the main dietary form of vitamin k
vitamin k2 - or menaquinone - formed by bacteria in your intestine
vitamin k3 - or menadione - an artificial form

All three will eventually end up in your liver, where they'll be used to create blood-clotting substances.

Vitamin k1 not only helps with coagulation though.

It also plays an important part in building your bones, where it's needed to retain and redistribute calcium in your bones.

foods high in vitamin k

What are the vitamin k foods?

Good natural sources include:

leafy green vegetables - especially spinach and kale
brassica
avocado
kiwi
fresh parsley

vitamin k deficiency

Not only do you receive vitamin k from suitable food sources in your diet ... "friendly" bacteria in your intestine also makes a form of vitamin k.

For this reason, deficiency is fairly rare.

Having said that, deficiency can occur in people with disturbed intestines.

Also, Warfarin and other coumadin drugs suppress the efficiency of vitamin k.

At one time, newborn babies were given vitamin k injections to tide them over until their little intestines could produce sufficient of the "friendly" bacteria.

Nowadays, however, this practise is not so popular.

Follow Popeye's example! ... eat plenty of spinach, and your blood will clot really well!