patrick's stuff
Vitamin K is a very important nutrient. It is vital for proper blood clotting and may play a role in maintaining bone structure by activating at least three proteins. Until recently, it appeared that most Americans got several times the recommended daily allowance (80 micrograms/day for adult men and 65 micrograms/day for adult women), but it is not as plentiful in the diet as previously thought. Less than half of most adults get the RDA.
In fact, the RDA may not even be sufficient to take full advantage of vitamin K’s role in bone structure, although exactly how much is needed is not clear. Older people benefit particularly from vitamin K.
The main sources of vitamin K include green leafy vegetables, cereal, soybeans, and fortified oils. Benevolent bacteria in the intestinal tract also produce it. Although most people do not get enough to maximize its efficiency, deficiency is very rare. Deficiency usually occurs because of an inability to absorb it in the intestinal tract; it can also occur after prolonged use of oral antibiotics.
The symptoms of vitamin K deficiency are very easy bruising and bleeding, as vitamin K plays a vital role in blood clotting. Those taking blood-thinning medications must be careful not to intake too much vitamin K, as it can reduce the effectiveness of the medication.
Michael's stuff
Vitamin K is a vitamin that helps clot blood and, in some studies, help prevent osteoporosis in the elderly. The substances that need Vitamin K in the liver are prothrombin, which is almost completely consumed in coagulation and is heat stable, proconvertin, which is heat labile and quickly disappears from the blood system, antihemophilic B factor, which has a half-life of about a day and is stable at about 4ºC, and Stuart factor, which can be stable for up to two months when stored at 4ºC. One should take up to 500 micrograms per day for therapy. If a person has a deficiency in Vitamin K or a liver dysfunction, their blood clotting system will be defected or it can produce coagulation disorders. In newborns, there is a hemorrhagic disease. An infant has a deficiency of Vitamin K for 2 to 5 days. Therefore, an injection may be necessary before delivery. Increased risk for a deficiency in Vitamin K is possible if you have chronic pancreatis or diarrhea, liver disease, or an intestinal bypass.
Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and also in foods like cauliflower, carrots, green beans, asparagus, eggs, strawberries, avocados, peapods. Vitamin K is also formed by bacteria in the liver, so the deficiencies are rare.
Before taking a supplement of Vitamin K, consult with your physician if you are taking blood-thinning drugs. Vitamin K supplements can negate or reverse the effects of these medicines. The drug coumarin impairs the synthesis of Vitamin K-deficient coagulation factors.Supplementation of Vitamin K may also prevent, correct deficiencies caused by, or be helpful with heart disease, bruises, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, osteoporosis, and ulcerative coalitis.
