Vitamin K is KEY

Not much emphasis is usually given to vitamin K, even by the wellness experts. Vitamin K is unique among the vitamins as it is the only vitamin that can be produced within the human body. By definition, a vitamin is a substance that cannot be produced by human cells.

It is one of the fat-soluble vitamins and needs a healthy liver and gall bladder function for its absorption. Unlike vitamins A, D and E, the other fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin K is not stored up in the body's fat and this makes vitamin K deficiency all too common. People can develop a vitamin K deficiency in as few as seven to 10 days of a vitamin K deficient diet. Scientists are now suggesting that vitamin K is needed in larger quantities than previously thought, especially in the elderly.

Sources of Vitamin K

Healthy bacteria in the human intestines may produce up to 75 per cent of our daily vitamin K supply while the rest comes from the diet. Vitamin K is found mainly in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprout. Two tablespoons of parsley contain one and a half times the daily requirement of vitamin K. Some green coloured fruits like avocado, kiwi fruit and green grapes are also high in vitamin K. The vitamin is also found in meat, eggs, and dairy products and in fermented soybeans foods like natto.

Regulation of Blood Clotting: The clotting system is one of the body's most tightly regulated systems. Blood must remain liquid flowing through miles of blood vessels each day, yet must also be capable of forming a solid clot immediately any break occurs in the system, such as a laceration or other injury. If the blood fails to clot reliably, fatal haemorrhage can result. But if the blood clots just a little too easily, blood vessels become blocked resulting in rapid damage to tissue and organs.

Vitamin K deficiency encourages bleeding and adequate levels are critical to this delicate balance of clotting called coagulation. Newborn babies are given vitamin K by injection as their digestive tracts have not yet developed the bacteria necessary to make the vitamin and thus they run the risk of bleeding.

Effects on Bones: For a long time vitamin K was regarded as just the 'clotting vitamin' and only recently has its importance in other major bodily processes been recognised. An adequate intake of vitamin D and calcium is required to prevent osteoporosis or thinning of the bones. However, neither vitamin D nor calcium can produce healthy bones without vitamin K. Low intake of vitamin K is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis.

Compelling medical evidence now supports the use of vitamin K in preventing and treating osteoporosis and the combination of vitamins K and D may substantially reduce bone loss in those prone to osteoporosis

Healthy blood vessels: Hardening or stiffening of the walls of blood vessels by calcium being deposited there is an unhealthy sign that signals atherosclerosis. This movement of calcium from the bones to be deposited in the arteries has been called the 'calcification paradox'. This double-jeopardy situation occurs frequently in postmenopausal women and older men. Scientists have studies vitamin K's role as a anti-atherosclerosis agent and found that people with above-average intake of vitamin K had a reduced risk of dying from coronary heart disease.

Cancer prevention: New research reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the association between vitamin K intake and the risk of developing or dying from cancer. People with higher intakes of vitamin K seem less likely to develop or die of cancer, particularly lung or prostate cancers, than those who eat little vitamin K containing foods, the study concluded. Vitamin K was also shown to have anti-leukaemia effects

Vitamin K reduces bruising: According to a study from the University of Miami School of Medicine, topical application of vitamin K may help speed up the healing of bruises.

Drugs that destroy Vitamin K: The most important form of vitamin K 'deficiency' in adults is not related to diet but rather to the use of vitamin K antagonist drugs such as warfarin (Coumadin). Warfarin is a commonly used drug for many conditions requiring short- and long-term anticoagulation. Long-term warfarin use, however, carries significant risks such as bleeding, bone fractures and vascular problems because it creates a chronic vitamin K deficiency.

By destroying the healthy bacteria in the colon, some antibiotics used to treat infections can produce a vitamin K deficiency severe enough to cause bleeding. Alcoholics are also more prone to bleeding because of a lack of vitamin K.

It is, therefore, very important that we consume a vitamin K rich diet while maintaining a health digestive system. Supplementing with healthy probiotic bacteria like lactobacillus will also promote optimal vitamin K levels in your body.

You may email Dr Tony Vendryes at tonyvendryes@gmail.com or listen to An Ounce of Prevention on POWER106FM on Fridays at 8 p.m. His new book is available at local bookstores and on the Internet.