Food sources of vitamin K
Vitamin K is made in the gastrointestinal tract by the billions of bacteria that normally reside there. Once synthesized, vitamin K is absorbed and stored in the liver.
However, the body cannot make enough vitamin K to meet all of its needs. The best dietary sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, green cabbage, tomatoes and broccoli.
Other foods such as milk, eggs, wheat cereals, and some fruits and vegetable contain small amount of vitamin K.
Vegetables such as iceberg lettuce and green beans provide smaller amounts of vitamin K. Only one rich animal food source of vitamin K exists: liver.
Deficiency of vitamin K prolongs clotting rime and may result in excessive bleeding after injury. Babies do not have reserves of vitamin K art birth therefore routine practice to give vitamin K to the expectant mother to prevent excessive bleeding at child birth.
The vitamin K requirements for men is 120 micrograms a day; women require 90 micrograms.
