All about vitamin K: role, benefits and deficiency

Vitamin K is not a star of micronutrition, yet it plays an essential role in the prevention of osteoporosis , the proper maintenance of cardiovascular tissues and of course in blood clotting .

Its importance should therefore not be underestimated and adequate daily intake should be ensured.

In this article, we present the main characteristics of vitamin K, its benefits and where to find it .

The role and forms of vitamin K

Vitamin K is a vitamin that was identified in the 1920s/1940s.

Its discovery also earned the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1943 for the two researchers who were able to isolate and synthesize it (Dam and Doisy).
This vitamin exists in several molecular forms with equivalent properties, all belonging to the Quinone group.

• Vitamin K1: or phytometadione is produced by plants.
• Vitamin K2 : or menaquinone which is synthesized by bacteria.

Both forms are fat-soluble: soluble in oils, but not in water.

It is also necessary to mention vitamin K3, a synthetic form (menadione) which is no longer used in human nutrition because it frequently causes undesirable side effects (nausea, etc.).

What are the benefits of vitamin K?

Vitamin K is essential for the blood clotting process .

Its name is derived from the word "Koalution" as it was called in the first German publication on its discovery.
Until the early 1960s, it was not known to have any role other than in blood clotting.

Advances in research have gradually brought to light the much more important and broader properties of Vitamin K.

We know that it is now essential for cell growth and renewal and is particularly involved in the prevention of osteoporosis (bone fragility). It is also involved in good cardiovascular health, no less!

Vitamin K intake requirements

Vitamin K is necessary on a daily basis for the proper maintenance of body tissues and, logically, daily requirements are directly proportional to body weight.

The Sufficient Intakes defined by ANSES are thus:

• 5 micrograms (µg) for newborns - up to 6 months.
• 30 to 45 micrograms (µg) from age 4 through adolescence.
• 75 micrograms (µg) in adults.

Vitamin K is absorbed in the intestine in the presence of bile salts.
The body's reserves do not last more than a few days, which explains the need for regular intake.

It is important to note that there is no risk of overdosing vitamin K; excess amounts are easily eliminated by the body.

These intakes only concern vitamin K1 requirements because vitamin K2 intakes are more difficult to estimate: see below.

What vegetables and sources contain vitamin K?

• Vitamin K1 can be obtained through diet and supplementation.

It is found mainly in green vegetables (kale, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, etc.) and soybean oil. It withstands cooking temperatures well and, being insoluble in water, does not dilute in cooking water.

• Vitamin K2:

It is found in certain fermented foods such as sauerkraut and unpasteurized cheeses. It is also found in animal storage tissues such as liver, bone marrow, and fat.
It can also be synthesized by E.coli bacteria in the intestinal microbiota, in proportions that are always difficult to estimate.

Risks of vitamin K deficiency

Despite its presence in many foods and its good resistance to cooking, it is surprising to observe frequently too low intakes of vitamin K in Western populations.

Maastricht University in the Netherlands, which is at the forefront of this issue, nevertheless estimates that 40% of the Dutch population has insufficient vitamin K intake.

Biochemist Cees Vermeer even considers that a third of adults have worrying deficiencies, as harmful " as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day" .

This clearly illustrates the increasingly recognized role of vitamin K in the proper maintenance of cardiovascular tissues.

An acute vitamin K deficiency will be noticed mainly by bleeding (especially frequent nosebleeds), linked to non-coagulation of the blood.
Sub-deficiencies (intakes of less than 50 µg in adults) are undetectable by clinical signs: only a blood test can establish this.

It is these long-term deficiencies that must be prevented in the general population, including children.

The origin of the deficiency can be an unbalanced diet , poor in plants and fermented natural products or, more rarely, absorption disorders:

• Medical treatment, including antibiotics
• Pancreatic dysfunction, etc.

Vitamin K in Argalys formulas: Multivitamins

Vitamin K1 is very logically found in our Argalys Essentials Multivitamins and Minerals formula, designed to facilitate and secure the intake of micro-nutrients for everyone (from 8 years old) and for all diets.

One capsule of our Multivitamin and Mineral supplement provides 75 µg of vitamin K1, or 100% of the RDA.
This is one more reason to add our formula to your daily routine!

Our Essentials rich in vitamin K1: