Why do we need vitamin k1

Folic acid supplements are generally safe — unless you take too much. Here are 4 folic acid side effects you should know about. Women over the age of 50 have increased needs for several vitamins and minerals. Here are the 10 best multivitamins for women over Taking certain dietary supplements may be beneficial for lung health. See which vitamins our registered dietitian recommends as the best for…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Vitamin K is well-known for its role in blood clotting.

What Is Vitamin K? Share on Pinterest. Food Sources of Vitamin K1. Kale: 1, mcg Collard greens: 1, mcg Spinach: mcg Turnip greens: mcg Broccoli: mcg Brussels sprouts: mcg Summary: Vitamin K1 is the main type of vitamin K in the human diet. It is most commonly found in leafy green vegetables. Food Sources of Vitamin K2. Food sources of vitamin K2 vary by subtype. Differences Between K1 and K2 in the Body. Summary: Differences in absorption and transportation of vitamin K1 and K2 in the body may lead to differences in their effects on your health.

Health Benefits of Vitamin K1 and K2. Vitamin K and Blood Clotting Several proteins involved in blood clotting depend on vitamin K to get their job done. Vitamin K and Bone Health Many experts believe vitamin K activates proteins required for bone growth and development 2.

Vitamin K and Heart Health In addition to blood clotting and bone health, vitamin K also seems to play an important role in preventing heart disease. Summary: Vitamin K1 and K2 are important for blood clotting, bone health and possibly heart health.

Further research is needed to clarify if K2 is better than K1 at performing any of these functions. Vitamin K Deficiency. For this reason, it is important you get the appropriate amount of vitamin K your body needs.

Summary: True vitamin K deficiency is characterized by excessive bleeding and is rare in adults. How to Get Enough Vitamin K. Below are some tips on how to do this. Try natto: Natto is a fermented food that is extremely high in vitamin K2. Eat more eggs: Eggs are fairly good sources of vitamin K2 that can easily be added to your daily breakfast.

Vitamin K1 is found primarily in green, leafy and cruciferous vegetables. Vitamin K2, which is predominantly produced by bacteria, is further divided into subgroups named MK4 to MK Vitamin K2 may have more of a protective effect on bone than vitamin K1. However, deficiencies of both K1 and K2 appear to have a negative effect.

Several observational studies have found that inadequate intake of vitamin K is linked to low bone density and increased risk for fractures. A study of participants both men and women in the large Framingham Heart Study also showed a link between low vitamin K intake and increased risk of hip fractures.

This study also showed an association between low dietary intake of vitamin K and low bone density in women. An adequate intake of vitamin K is considered to be mcg for men and 90 mcg for women. A true vitamin K deficiency, which is marked by an inability of blood to clot normally and easy bruising, is rare. While many people prioritize vitamins B12, C, and D, vitamin K is too often an after-thought.

The key benefit of vitamin k resides in its ability to activate proteins responsible for three critical functions -. If you have ever experienced major fundamental health problems, the chances are you are already aware of what vitamin k brings to the table, the fundamentals.

Without vitamin k coursing through our veins, our lifespans would not be what they are today. Despite vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 being very different in how our bodies source, absorb, and transport the vitamins, both K1 and K2 can complete the protein activation task. It's important to know that both K1 and K2 have their strengths in terms of benefits. Although vitamin K1 and K2 are both fat-soluble and share similarities in structure, they function very differently in how the body uses them.

Vitamin K serves as a stand-alone supplement on over-the-counter shelves worldwide and continues to gain notoriety, especially with the elderly community looking to take full advantage of the bone density benefits. For people, ages 20 and up, the adequate intake for vitamin K is mcg for men and 90 mcg for women[ 2 ]. Vitamin K1 is known as phylloquinone and is contained naturally within leafy-green vegetables and other plant foods.

Vitamin K2, on the other hand, is not found in leafy green plants but rather in animal products fats and is predominantly made by food fermentation. The bacteria in our gut produce our primary source of vitamin K2; however, the exact details of vitamin k2 synthesis from bacteria microbiota seem to elude many scientific studies.

Both vitamin K1 and K2 share a standard ring structure referred to as a menadione. This commonality between the vitamin k group structure is why vitamin K1 and K2 share similar metabolic pathways in their activation of the benefit-creating proteins that go to work on our bodies for the better.

The only differentiation between vitamin k1 and k2 resides in the length and degree of saturation of the side chains called isoprenoid residues. As the isoprenoid residues grow in number, the length of the side chains grow which gives meaning to the nomenclature MK-4 to MK These vitamin K2 structures represent the most common.

Vitamin K1 and K2 are absorbed into your tissues differently from one another. Vitamin K1 in leafy-green form isn't absorbed by the body very efficiently at all. The body only uses a small percentage of the vitamin K1 it sources from the consumption of plants.

Phylloquinone is tightly bound to the plant's chloroplasts, making its bioavailability minimal. When it comes to vitamin K2 absorption, the science community doesn't quite understand how the body absorbs Vitamin K2; other than that, most of it found in the body seems to come from the body's production.

Fun Fact: The MK-4 vitamin K2 conversion process utilizes phylloquinone vitamin k1 and does not involve bacteria going to work as the other versions of vitamin K2. Both Vitamin K1 and K2 end up with the liver, ultimately used in the construction of lipoproteins.

Although K1 is likely to stay with the liver and pay most homage to the blood clotting benefits, K2 will end back into the bloodstream to carry out its work on bone health and calcium build-up prevention due to its longer side-chains. While your body might use K1 for a few hours 8 hours before the body consumes the shorter vitamin half-life, K2 may linger for a few days, depending on its side-chain length.

MK will last longer than Mk-4, providing much more stable concentrations of K2 present in the circulating blood supply. The answer is YES if you can find the right balance. By taking Vitamin K2 with calcium, it may seem like you are pulling on opposite ends of the same rope; however, by finding that sweet spot, you can capture the benefits of both.

As discussed above, the benefits received from Vitamin K2 result from its longer side-chains than K1. The molecular structure endemic to vitamin K2 allows for a more consistent supply of the vitamin in the bloodstream. It is the main type of dietary vitamin K. A lesser source is vitamin K2, or menaquinone, which occurs in some animal-based and fermented foods.

Phylloquinone, also known as vitamin K1, is found in plants. When people eat it, bacteria in the large intestine convert it to its storage form, vitamin K2. It is absorbed in the small intestine and stored in fatty tissue and the liver. Without vitamin K, the body cannot produce prothrombin, a clotting factor that is necessary for blood clotting and bone metabolism. Most Americans are not at risk of a vitamin-K deficiency. It is most likely to affect newborns and those with a malapsorption problem, due, for example, to short-bowel syndrome, cystic fibrosis , celiac disease , or ulcerative colitis.

Newborns normally receive a vitamin K injection to protect them from bleeding in the skull, which could be fatal. The recommended adequate intake for vitamin K depends on age and gender. Women aged 19 years and over should consume 90 micrograms mcg a day, and men should have mcg. There appears to be a correlation between low intake of vitamin K and osteoporosis. Several studies have suggested that vitamin K supports the maintenance of strong bones, improves bone density and decreases the risk of fractures.

However, research has not confirmed this. Increased blood levels of vitamin K have been linked with improved episodic memory in older adults.