Vitamin K – Who Knew?
by GiGi
Vitamin K has been known as the forgotten vitamin – just check your current multivitamin bottle – is Vitamin K listed? Probably not.
Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin, known as the blood clotting vitamin and is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables.
A deficiency in Vitamin K was thought to be very rare and conventional wisdom thought you could get all you needed from your diet.
Recent studies have proved otherwise. Not only that, most foods thought to be rich in vitamin K have shown to have less vitamin K than previously thought.
Although it’s a fat soluble vitamin, it is not stored in the body the way Vitamins A,D and E are. That means we need to replenish it daily. Plus, scientists have discovered that most foods thought to be rich in Vitamin K actually have less than they thought.
There are 3 forms of Vitamin K: K1, K2 and K3. K1 is the form from vegetables. K2 is the one with surprising benefits. Unfortunately, you get that from fermented food products like cheese and natto. It’s also synthesized from Vitamin K1 by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract. People with gastrointestinal tract problems are likely to be deficient in Vitamin K as are people on extended treatments of antibiotics.
New Benefits From Vitamin K2
According to some new research from Longevity Medicine Review, K2 may be shown to:
- help prevent varicose veins
- regulate energy metabolism
- improve glucose tolerance
- improve insulin sensitivity
- regulate calcium in the bones and arteries
- prevent calcification of skin’s elastin, possibly preventing wrinkles
Issues To Be Aware Of
Those who have experienced stroke, cardiac arrest, and those prone to blood clotting should not take Vitamin K2 without first consulting their physician.
Vitamin K2 may react adversely with anticoagulation drugs, and therefore should not be taken by those on blood-thinning medications.
Vitamin K is essential to build strong bones and helps promote heart health. For several years, evidence has shown that most people don’t get enough vitamin K to protect their health through the foods they eat.
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I never thought about vitamin k and certainly never really heard of it. Great tip-thanks for sharing!
i get that from fermented food products like cheese and natto. It’s also synthesized from Vitamin K1 by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract. People with gastrointestinal tract problems are likely to be deficient in Vitamin K as are people on extended treatments of antibiotics.
Interesting article, I never would have known about vitamin k… thanks for sharing!