Vitamin K is an essential fat-soluble vitamin. A deficiency in vitamin K is very serious and can lead to heart disease, weakened bones, tooth decay and cancer. Vitamin K is involved in blood clotting, bone mineralization therefore preventing osteoporosis, helps to maintain brain function, a healthy metabolism, reduces inflammation, protects against cancer, and stimulates the production of mitochondrial energy.
Symptoms Linked to Vitamin K Deficiency:
- When the body lacks enough vitamin K, it goes into emergency mode, keeping up only the critical functions needed for immediate survival. The result is that the other vital processes break down and leave the body vulnerable to weak bones, cancer development, heart problems and infectious diseases such as pneumonia.
- Deficiency occurs when the body cannot properly absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract.
- Warning signs of a vitamin K deficiency is bleeding & bruising easily. This bleeding can begin as an oozing from the gums or nose.
- Arterial calcification, cardiovascular disease and varicose veins
Vitamin K Deficiency Contributors:
- Poor Diet
- Prolong Antibiotic Use
- Suffering from intestinal problems such as chronic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease
- Vitamin K is produced by healthy bacteria in the gut, therefore, any disruption in the intestines- like leaky gut syndrome- can result in a decreased ability of the body to absorb or produce enough vitamin K
- Taking cholesterol lowering medications
- *Taking blood thinners such as anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs
- Dealing with long-term hemodialysis
- Suffering from a serious burn
- Gallbladder or biliary disease
- Liver disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease
- Crohn’s Disease
*If taking blood thinners, one should NOT supplement with vitamin K because it inactivates medication. Intake of green leafy vegetables like salad, kale, spinach, asparagus and any other vitamin K rich veggies should be kept very, very steady or else it will reduce anticoagulant levels.
Health Problems Associated to Vitamin K Deficiency:
- Estrogen – Inhibits estrogen activity by binding to estrogen receptors. Lowers the ratio estradiol (strong estrogen) to estrone (weaker estrogen).
- Gastrointestinal Health – Synthesized by intestinal bacterial. Deficiency common in chronic GI disorders. Bone demineralization that occurs with inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s, etc) is caused by vitamin K deficiency since it is a required cofactor for bone formation.
- Testosterone – Deficiency in vitamin K reduces testosterone production because the rate-limiting enzyme for testosterone synthesis (Cyp l l a) is Vitamin K dependent.
- Weight Management – Poor vitamin K status linked to excess fat tissue. Vitamin K helps metabolize sugars.
How to Acquire Vitamin K2:
- Dandelion Greens
- Mustard Greens
- Turnip Greens
- Swiss Chard
- Kale
- Spring Onions (Scallions)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Cucumbers
- Cauliflower
- Green Tea
There are three types of Vitamin K:
- Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) is found naturally in plants, especially green vegetables. K1 goes directly to your liver & helps you maintain healthy blood clotting.
- Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is made by the bacteria that line your gastrointestinal tract. K2 goes straight to your blood vessel walls, bones, and tissues other than your liver.
- Vitamin K3 (menadione) is a synthetic form. It is important to note that toxicity has occurred in infants injected with this synthetic vitamin K3.
Vitamin K2 is the preferred vitamin to take because it is natural & not toxic, even at 500 times the RDA. The food highest in natural K2 is natto, which is a form of fermented soybeans consumed in Asia. Fortunately, it has no toxic effects even in very high doses – that is, it will not cause excess clotting of the blood. As for it being made from natto, the vitamin K is concentrated & any traces of the dietary glutamate from the soy are far too small to be of any consequence. (Dietary excitotoxins such as glutamate can produce widespread inflammation in many tissues.)
