Vitamin K acts primarily in blood clotting, where its presence can make the difference between life and death.
Vitamin K is essential for the activation of several proteins. When any of the blood clotting factors is lacking, hemorrhagic disease (uncontrolled bleeding) results.
Vitamin K also participates in the metabolism of bone proteins, most notably osteocalcin.
Without vitamin K, osteocalcin cannot bind to the minerals that normally form bones, resulting in poor bone mineralization.
Vitamin K is stored in the liver.
Vitamin K Source
Plant foods as phylloquinone (K1).
Bacteria in the lower intestine can synthesize vitamin K as menaquinone(K2), which is absorbed by the body.
Pregnancy. Vitamin K has not been reported tocause birth defects or other problems in humans.
However, the use of vitamin K supplements during pregnancy is not recommended because it has been reported to cause jaundiceand other problemsin the baby
As a supplement it is used to treat
certain bleeding disorders.
warfarin overdose
vitamin K deficiency.
