Vitamin K

Vitamin K does not do as much for the body as some other vitamins, but with that being said it does serve a purpose. Many people tend to overlook what vitamin K is all about because they have never heard of it before. Everybody knows about more common vitamins such as B, C, and D, but when it comes to vitamin K they are a bit clueless. Luckily, you should never have to worry too much about vitamin K. As long as you get what you need you will be on the right track.

Functions of Vitamin K

The main function of vitamin K is to help blood clotting. Many people refer to vitamin K as the clotting vitamin. The reason for this is that without vitamin K your blood would not be able to clot correctly. And as you can imagine, if you blood does not clot you can run into some major problems. It has also been shown that vitamin K can help promote strong bones in the elderly.

Food Source

The main food source of vitamin K is leafy green vegetables. The most common are spinach, cabbage, and cauliflower. In addition to these vegetables, soybeans and some cereals also offer vitamin K. And unlike many other vitamins, the human body can produce vitamin K. The bacterium that is found in the gastrointestinal tract has been shown to make vitamin K.

Deficiency Problems

Vitamin K deficiency is very rare. There are only two times when vitamin K deficiency comes into play. First off, this can be a problem if the intestinal tract is not absorbing the vitamin. Also, taking oral antibiotics for an extended period of time can lead to vitamin K deficiency. If you are vitamin K deficient you will notice that you bruise and bleed more easily.

Now do you see why vitamin K is so important to the human body? Without vitamin K your blood would not be able to clot. The good thing about all of this is that since your body can produce vitamin K you never have to worry too much about deficiency problems.