Vitamin K keeps paper cuts from being fatal. It's also key for liver function. Taiwanese researchers have found that a synthetic formof vitamin K stopped the spread of liver cancer in lab tests. Your diet is likely K-sufficient, but add some for insurance. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. The body can store fat-soluble vitamins in fatty tissue.
Conditions
- Blood clotting
- Cancer risk
- Liver cancer
Recommendations
- 80 mcg daily
- Natural sources: Vitamin K is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables. Vitamin K is also made by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract.
Interactions & Side Effects
- Blood thinners. May reverse the effects. Vitamin K deficiency is very rare. It occurs when the body can't properly absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract. Vitamin K deficiency can also occur after long-term treatment with antibiotics. Individuals with vitamin K deficiency are usually more likely to have bruising and bleeding.