Vitamin K and its Benefits

Vitamin K has various health benefits. Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble vitamins that the body needs. It is important for your bone and heart health. The body requires vitamin K for mineralization of bones and blood clotting. It is also the vitamins that aid in maintaining healthy metabolism, brain function and protect the body against cancer.

Types of Vitamin K

There are two main kinds of natural vitamin K.

1. Vitamin K1 or phylloquinone. This vitamin is found in highest amount in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli and cabbage.

2. Vitamin K2 or menaquinone. This is found in dairy products like eggs and is naturally produced by the bacteria in the intestinal tract.  The synthetic type of vitamin K is vitamin K3. It is water-soluble and used for treatment.

Not enough in vitamin K in your body would usually result in an improper absorption of vitamins coming from the intestinal tract. It is found to weaken bones that would lead to osteoporosis. Vitamin K is the vitamins that activates protein for forming blood clots. Deficiency of vitamin K impair blood coagulation and would result to uncontrolled bleeding. Blood clotting prevents excessive bleeding both inside and outside the body. People that take anticoagulants, are taking antibiotics and have the condition of fat malabsorption are at high risk of vitamin K deficiency.

Benefits of Vitamin K

-Supports Heart Health

It can help prevent heart attacks. It protects the cells that line blood vessels, both the veins and arteries thus reducing inflammation. It also maintains blood pressure and decreases the chances of cardiac arrest.

-Improves Bone Density

Vitamin K is needed by the body to use calcium to build bones. It reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Vitamin K can also reduce the risk of bone fractures, helps prevent sprained ankles and help in the healing of broken bones.

-Helps with Bleeding and Menstrual Pain

Vitamin K regulates the function of your hormones helping in the reduction of PMS cramps and menstrual pains. The blood clotting function of vitamin K helps with the excessive bleeding during menstruation.

-Helps Fight Cancer

Vitamin K is effective in alleviating the risk of different cancers. Prostate, oral cancers, stomach, nasal and colon. It also improves the liver function and stabilize liver cancer.

-Helps Blood Clotting

Vitamin K helps stop bleeding, aids in fast healing of bruises and healing of cuts. Vitamin k is essential for infants to prevent or safely remove Haemorrhagic disease of newborns (HDN).

-Improve brain function

Vitamin K is involved in sphingolipid metabolism which are present in brain cell membranes and acts in building and supporting the brain.  The anti-inflammatory activity of vitamin K can protect brains against oxidative stress or from free radical damage that leads or develops into cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and heart failure.

-Helps Maintain Healthy Gums and Teeth

Vitamin K together with fat-soluble vitamins A, C, D and minerals help kill harmful bacteria in the mouth that destroy tooth enamel that results to tooth decay, and harmful bacteria that produces teeth damaging acids.  It also provide teeth the minerals needed to keep it strong.

A diet of high green leafy vegetables and natural supplements can alleviate deficiency in vitamin K.