Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that requires bile and pancreatic juices to be absorbed. Vitamin K exists in at least 3 different forms-phyloquinone (vitamin K1) in green plants, menaquinone (vitamin K2) in the gastrointestinal tract obtained from bacteria, and menadione is a synthetic compound found in nutritional supplements. None of these forms can be found in appreciable amounts in food and they all are fairly resistant to heat.

Nutrition And Vitamins

Functions In the liver, vitamin K serves as a cofactor for carboxylase reactions for glutamate residues. This is the only known function and it is to add in the synthesis of gamma-glutamic acid (GLA) residues with specific calcium-binding proteins. The GLA reside has 2 negative charges, and is thus a very effective binder of calcium. These GLA proteins are very important in the blood clotting process.

Nutrition And Vitamins

Glutamate-protein + O2 + CO2 + vitamin K gamma-glutamate-protein (GLA) + vitamin K

An absence of this vitamin can result in hemorrhages because nonfunctional clotting factors are produced which essentially serve no purpose in the blood clotting process.

GLA protein found in bone tissue helps to regulate the amount of calcium that is in the blood and GLA proteins found in the kidneys help to reabsorb and bind calcium in the kidney cortex. Both the bone and kidney GLA proteins are regulated by vitamin D. There are also vitamin K-dependent enzymes (the epoxidase and epoxide reductase) are found in many tissues other than those that synthesize the above proteins. It is thought, therefore, that there are many GLA-containing proteins are yet to be discovered.

Deficiency A deficiency of vitamin K, in adults, is very rare. A normal diet usually contains 2 to 3 times the amount of vitamin K that is recommended. Although a deficiency is rare, several populations are at risk for developing a vitamin K deficiency. These populations include: individuals with liver damage, those who have lipid malabsorption or destruction of intestinal bacteria because of prolonged use of antibiotics, newborn infants who have undeveloped microbial flora, and also individuals on anticoagulant drug Dicoumerol because it's a structural inhibitor of vitamin K.

Sources Vitamin K naturally occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. It can also be found in high qualities in:

o kiwi
o liver
o leafy vegetables
o spinach
o kale
o cabbage
o broccoli

Diet & Nutrition - Vitamin K

Nutrition And Vitamins

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