All vitamins are needed by the body since each of them carries specific roles. These roles are very important in maintaining the overall wellness of our body. Without these essential vitamins, our bodies would grow weak, which would eventually succumb to death. Although we considered each vitamin to be vital, one of the most important is probably vitamin K. What is vitamin K? Vitamin K is one of the four fat soluble vitamins found in the body along with vitamins A, D and E. This type of vitamin is made up of a group of compounds called naphthoquinones. But what does vitamin K do for the body?
Vitamin K is actually divided into two forms, the vitamin K1 or phytonadione and the vitamin K2, which is the menaquinones. The former type of vitamin K is considered the natural form and is found mostly in plants, which provides human intake through dietary consumption. The latter on the other hand are made by bacteria in the human gut that provides smaller vitamin K requirement. This means that vitamin K is a very essential component in our system that cannot be entirely produced by the body alone. In fact, only 1/3 of the required vitamin K amount in the body is produced inside the system and the rest are supplied through diet.
Vitamin K was first discovered in the year 1929, which acts as a blood clotting agent. It was a Danish scientist who was able to discover that chicks who lack the said vitamin have exhibited bleeding or hemorrhage. This is because their blood form clots too slowly, which is related to the lack of vitamin K. This is the reason why newborn babies are automatically given a shot intramuscularly on the thighs with vitamin K. This is in relation to the immature vitamin K production in the baby’s body, which can causes severe bleeding or hemorrhage. Another important use of vitamin K is its effects on our bones. This particular vitamin basically helps in strengthening the bone since it creates a certain protein that helps in binding calcium. This is why vitamin K is also recommended among individuals who are suffering from bone problems such as osteoporosis. This vitamin is also advised for women who are undergoing heavy menstrual flow since it helps in stopping the continuous bleeding. However, taking in vitamin K must be approved by a physician or a doctor since too much intake of vitamin K can actually cause harm in our bodies.
Some of the good sources of vitamin K are the green and leafy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, turnips, lettuces and spinach. Asparagus and peas are also considered to be one of the good sources of this vitamin along with green tea and some animal products such as beef, chicken and pork liver. Milk and as well as eggs are also recognized as foods high in vitamin concentration. So in case we lack vitamin K in our diet, then we should always make sure that we supplement it with our diet. However, severe form of vitamin K depletion must already seen by a doctor.