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It is essential for the body because it provides nutrients that help maintain proper blood coagulation and strong bones.
Reduces the risk of cancer and improves heart health.
It can also be applied on the skin to eliminate scars, bruises, stretch marks, burns, and even spider veins that form with age.
Vitamin K is so essential to the body that it is used to reverse the effects of anticoagulants when used in excess or as a treatment for bleeding caused by medications.
On the other hand, the deficiency of this nutrient in the organism can be dangerous when causing hemorrhages, weak or weakened bones, bruises, and even decay.
Types
Vitamin K is a composition of nutrients, and within this family, there are two primary and essential types for human consumption:
Vitamin K1:
It is known as ” phylloquinone ” produced by plants, green leafy vegetables, and vegetables, which helps maintain good coagulation.
Vitamin K2:
Better known as “menaquinone,” it comes mainly from meats, cheeses, eggs, and bacteria in the small intestine.
It works as part of the treatment to attack osteoporosis or the bone loss generated by steroids, but it is not the main component nor determines its cure, and a medical specialist must prescribe it.
Are foods rich in Vitamin K?
If you intend to have a balanced diet so that you can enjoy the benefits provided by Vitamin K, these are the foods that you should consume regularly:
- Spring onion or onions.
- Cabbage.
- Prunes.
- Soja fermentada o natto.
- Brussels sprouts.
- Broccoli.
- Dry basil
- Cucumbers
- Dairy products.
- Asparagus.
- Spinach
In general, the deficiency of Vitamin K in the body due to a healthy diet and a balanced diet is rare.
On the other hand, if the eating habits are inclined towards processed foods or with high levels of refined sugar, the adsorption of Vitamin K is inefficient. It has negative consequences in the short or long term.
Benefits
It brings multiple benefits to the body regardless of age. In the case of newborn babies who have to bleed, a dose is given orally or intramuscularly to prevent future diseases linked to internal bleeding.
People with hemorrhagic diseases must ingest Vitamin K1 orally to improve the prothrombin deficiency in the protein that serves to clot the blood efficiently.
Some studies indicate that Vitamin K consumed in food or through treatments prescribed by medical specialists via oral or intramuscular can reduce cancer risk.
This vitamin can prolong the health of the bones due to the number of nutrients that it supplies to the skeletal metabolism of the body, also reducing the probability of severe fractures.
Helping with correct blood clotting can prevent heart attacks and improve heart health by decreasing the calcification of the arteries in the elderly.
Recommended dose
All people must maintain an active diet in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins to maintain a healthy life.
If there is a particular interest in supplying the body with this vitamin, a medical check must be made beforehand to determine if it needs it. However, the recommended intake is as follows:
- Babies between 0 to 6 months of life should consume two micrograms daily.
- Babies between 7 to 12 months of age should consume 2.5 micrograms daily.
- Children between 1 to 3 years of age should consume 30 micrograms daily.
- Children between 4 to 8 years of age should consume 55 micrograms daily.
- Children between 9 to 13 years of age should consume 50 micrograms daily.
- Adolescents between 14 to 18 years of age should consume 75 micrograms daily.
- Women between 19 years of age and older should consume 90 micrograms daily.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consume 90 micrograms daily or as indicated by the attending physician.
- Men between 19 years of age and older should consume 120 micrograms daily.
Side effects
They are rare in the body when the proper dose is ingested. However, it can cause allergies, paleness, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, or muscle stiffness.
If you are taking supplements that contain Vitamin K and have any of the symptoms mentioned, stop using them and contact your treating doctor.
Caution
It is essential to consider that when suffering from some diseases such as kidney or liver, it is not advisable to take supplements with Vitamin K since it can be harmful to the body when receiving dialysis or lose its effectiveness and worsen coagulation problems.
If you are currently taking an anticoagulant, you should moderate the consumption of foods containing Vitamin K and, for no reason, can take supplements where its main component is this vitamin because it can be harmful to health.