Vitamin K

Overview:

Vitamin K is required by the liver to produce several clotting factors, which is why deficiency prolongs clotting times, and it is also involved in proteins that regulate calcium in bone. Vitamin K1 comes mainly from green leafy vegetables, while a second form, K2, is produced by gut bacteria and found in some fermented foods. Deficiency is uncommon in adults but occurs with fat malabsorption, prolonged antibiotic use and liver disease, and newborns are routinely given vitamin K because they are born with low stores. Warfarin works by interfering with vitamin K, so intake affects treatment.

Categories:

Vitamins & Nutrients

Biomarkers:

1 biomarker