Vitamin K Definition And All About

When blood is difficult to freeze after injury, there could be something wrong with the blood clotting protein called prothrombin. In a broader sense, it is likely we are to experience conditions of deficiency of vitamin K in the body. You see, this vitamin is responsible for the proper functioning of some of the blood clotting protein in the body. This vitamin can be produced in the gut and there are two natural forms, namely K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone). The first comes from the plant while the latter is synthesized by bacteria in the colon. Form of synthetic or man-made vitamin is called menadione.

Vitamin K belonged to the fat-soluble vitamins. This vitamin can be found in many foods, such as spinach, broccoli, soybeans, wheat cereal, and vegetable oils. Adequate intake of vitamin K plays an important role in the process of blood clotting and bone health. Vitamin K deficiency can occur at any age, but babies have a higher risk to experience it. This deficiency can lead to bleeding that is difficult to stop. Prevention and handling is done by giving supplements of vitamin K.

Vitamin K deficiency is very rare since this vitamin is synthesized in the intestine. People who increased risk of vitamin K deficiency include those suffering from liver damage, people with cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease or those who just had surgery. Some of the vitamin K deficiency symptoms such as heavy bleeding due to bleeding continues and in extreme cases can suffer from anemia.

If vitamin K is not contained in the body, the blood can not clot. This can cause bleeding or hemorrhagic. However, vitamin K deficiency is rare, because most people get it from bacteria in the gut and from food. But shortages can occur in infants because their digestive system is sterile and does not contain bacteria that can synthesize vitamin K, breast milk contains only small amounts of vitamin K. For that babies are given a vitamin K at birth.

In adults, a deficiency can occur because of the lack of consumption of vegetable or antobiotik taking too long. Antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria in the gut which produce vitamin K. Sometimes vitamin K deficiency caused by liver disease or digestive problems.

What does Vitamin K do

Below are some of vitamin K function:

Helps in blood coagulation: Vitamin K helps the function of a protein that helps blood clot. Without the blood clotting mechanism may be due to a small injury can experience prolonged bleeding. Also, when too much blood clot (even when not injured), a blood clot can block the blood vessels that serve the opposite. Vitamin K freeze the blood at the right level.

Protect the heart: Calcium causes the tissue to harden and stops functioning properly. Arteriosclerosis showed hardening of the arteries due to the deposition of calcium in the lining of blood vessels occupied cholesterol. People may menderia heart attack due to arterial calcification. Vitamin K keeps calcium out of the arteries and prevent the progression of the condition.

Strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis: Vitamin K as an essential nutrient for bone health. Vitamin K helps bone to bind calcium. Some research suggests vitamin K indirectly regulate calcium binding capacity osetocalcin, a protein needed to bind calcium bone matrix. The amount of vitamin K are not sufficient to lower bone density and strength. If this continues vitamin deficiency, which can lead to osteoporosis is characterized by bone fragility. A study showed that a diet low in vitamin K may be associated with higher rates of hip fractures and osteoporosis in the elderly and in postmenopausal women.

Daily doses of Vitamin K

In general, the dose for treating vitamin K deficiency in adults is 10-40 mg per day. Determination of the dose depends on the severity of the patient's deficiency and the body's response to supplemental doses of vitamin K. For infants and children, ask your doctor. The dose of vitamin K in handling the bleeding will be determined by the doctor who handled the case at the hospital.

Below are recommended Vitamin K intake based on nlm.nih.gov:

Infants

• 0 - 6 months: 2.0 micrograms per day (mcg/day)
• 7 - 12 months: 2.5 mcg/day

Children

• 1 - 3 years: 30 mcg/day
• 4 - 8 years: 55 mcg/day
• 9 - 13 years: 60 mcg/day

Adolescents and Adults

• Males and females age 14 - 18: 75 mcg/day
• Males and females age 19 and older: 90 mcg/day

Sources of vitamin K

To meet the needs of vitamin K is quite easy because besides the amount is relatively small, our digestive systems contain bacteria that are able to synthesize vitamin K, which is partly absorbed and stored in the liver. But once the body also needs to get extra vitamin K from food (read at vitamin K foods).

Identify Side Effects and Dangers of Vitamin K

If consumed with the recommended dose, vitamin K supplements generally do not cause side effects. In some minor cases, the consumption of excessive vitamin K supplements can lead to anemia and jaundice. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms that indicate one of the disease. Be sure to read the ingredients contained in each medicine. Do not take more than one supplement containing vitamin C at the same time to avoid overdose.

Warning:

• Women who are trying to become pregnant, have just given birth or are breastfeeding should ask a doctor before taking supplements of vitamin K.
• Ask dose for infants and children to the doctor.
• Please be careful taking supplements of vitamin K when using anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin, suffering from vitamin E deficiency, deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), renal impairment, and liver disorders.
• In case of allergy or overdose, immediately consult a physician.

List Of Best Vitamin K Foods From Vegetables

Vitamin K is an essential nutrient to improve your bone health and prevent bleeding. Vitamin K is also able to support the body's overall health because it can strengthen muscles and tissues of the body. Although currently produced vitamins that contain vitamin K, but it would be nice if you eat healthy and fresh food that contain this vitamin.

In chemical structure, there are three forms of vitamin K1 (filoquinon), vitamin K2 (menaquinon), and vitamin K3 (menadione). An important function of vitamin K is against diabetes and also prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin K is also useful slow down the formation of cancer cells in the lungs and liver. So that vitamin K is very useful in the body. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. Another main vitamin K benefits is to assist the body's blood clotting process is currently injured. Because this is a fairly specific function, Vitamin K is not required in large quantities every day, except if the body is injured.

Vitamin K is produced in the body precisely in the intestines. Because it is produced from bacteria in intestines, so it is not specifically required daily consumption of food containing vitamin K. However, it is advisable to keep it meet the needs of Vitamin K daily through food. Below the list of vitamin K foods that you can consume.

Lettuce: Nutrient content in lettuce leaves per 100 grams each dose is 128 mcg. Lettuce is usually used for vegetables. If you've ever eaten in a restaurant such as fuel-burnt, it will get this lettuce leaf. Unfortunately certainly not up to a dose of 100 grams for every dish in the house to eat. If you want, you can buy your own.

Spinach: Spinach is a green vegetable that grows to a height of 1000 meters above sea level. The content of vitamin K in spinach per 100 grams is 89 mcg.

Cauliflower: Vitamin K in cauliflower every 100 grams is 125 mcg.

Broccoli: Broccoli is a plant that was first grown and found in Italy. But now, more broccoli produced in China and India. The content of vitamin K in broccoli itself in per 100 grams is 200 mcg. Large enough to meet the needs of vitamin K you. There are 3 types of broccoli is green Italian broccoli, broccoli romanesco broccoli yellowish and purple.

Potatoes: Potatoes were brought to Europe in the 1500s. But it does not explain the potato itself comes from where. Since the plant's roots, once believed to carry diseases such as leprosy in Europe. Later in the era of the 1800s potato became popular especially in the United States because it can be used to make fries. The content of vitamin K in the potato itself is only 2 mcg per 100 grams of potatoes. Consume too much can lead to obesity.

Asparagus: Asparagus is a plant grass. Grew most in the continental United States. Because these plants are best suited to grow with a temperature of 15-25 degrees Celsius. Was sufficiently long that their harvest between 8 months to 1 year. This plant is the most widely used vegetable in Chinese cuisine. The content of vitamin K in 100 grams of asparagus is 57 mcg. The asparagus is a diuretic so it could be drugs on urinary tract disorders or kidney problems.

Cabbage: As for the cabbage, per 100 grams contains half of the daily requirement of vitamin K.

Mustard Greens: The content of vitamin K in mustard quite high compared to other vegetables. That is 419.3 mcg per one cup. Due to the high content of vitamin K, you simply consume cabbage every day as much as one-time period it will be fulfilled the requirement of vitamin K you should consume on a daily basis without further supplementation of vitamin K. Benefits arising when consuming mustard is able to ward off various cancers, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and bladder cancer. The research will benefit mustard has been developed in the United States and unsubstantiated able to reduce the risk of breast cancer by 40%.

Vitamin K Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin K deficiency is rare because most people get it from bacteria in the gut and from food. However, deficiencies can occur in infants because their digestive systems are sterile and contain no bacteria will synthesize vitamin K, while the breast milk contains only small amounts of vitamin K. For the infants were given a vitamin K at birth. In adults, deficiency can occur due to lack of vegetable consumption or antobiotik taking too long. Antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria in the intestines that produce vitamin K. Sometimes vitamin K deficiency caused by liver disease or digestive problems and a lack of bile salts.

Diagnosis of vitamin K deficiency is the onset of symptoms, including hypoprothrombinemia, which is a state of deficiency of prothrombin in the blood. In addition, also seen bleeding subcutaneous and intramuscular.

To meet the needs of vitamin K is quite easy, because in addition to the amount is small, the human digestive system already contains bacteria that are able to synthesize vitamin K, which is partially absorbed and stored in the liver. However, the body still needs to get extra vitamin K from food (read at vitamin K foods article).

Although most sources of vitamin K in the body is synthesized by bacteria in the digestive system, but vitamin K is also contained in foods such as liver, vegetables, green leafy cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables (cabbage) and milk. High concentrations vitamin K is also found in soy milk, green tea, milk cows, as well as beef and liver. The types of probiotic foods, such as yogurt containing active healthy bacteria, can help stimulate the production of this vitamin.

Symptoms 

The main symptoms of vitamin K deficiency include bleeding, such as bruises on the skin, bleeding from the nose, stomach or intestinal bleeding, or bleeding from the wound. Blood can be found in the urine or stool (feces). In newborns, can be life-threatening hemorrhage due to brain hemorrhage. Liver disorders can increase the risk of bleeding due to clotting factors made ​​in the liver. Vitamin K deficiency can also cause bones to become brittle. 

7 vitamin K deficiency symptoms

1. Heavy menstrual bleeding: Vitamin K deficiency is also a factor women experience heavy menstrual person. For that, of the many causes of this it is better to consult a doctor first. Usually performed laboratory tests to check for bleeding time, checking thyroid function, and complete blood count. 
2. Bleeding gums: Apparently, bleeding gums can be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. Usually only a trigger factor. Because plaque on the teeth are not cleaned cause tartar. Thus causing gums hurt and bleeding of the gums. It could also be because when the doctor cleans tartar, an untruth in cleaning it.
3. Easy bruising: The need vitamin K for adult men is 120 mcg per day and women 90 mcg per day. This deficiency is usually rare. Easy bruising can also be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. In principle, when a person deficient in vitamin K, then protombin as enzymes to help blood clot would be reduced. When someone is having an impact, or scratches on the skin, the blood out of the body would be difficult to freeze. So bleeding difficult to stop.
4. Fever in newborns: Fever is a symptom common in infants, especially if the baby is sick. Ask your doctor to give you at least a range of vitamins in infants, after one hour of birth. Usually babies will cry one hour after birth, or if the baby cries to squeaky baby signifies a lack of vitamin K. Symptoms of fever that does not go down the heat. It's a lot to consider when childbirth because through breastmilk babies vitamin K requirement is not fulfilled.
5. Blood in urine: Blood in the urine is a strong indication that someone is experiencing a deficiency of vitamin K. In infants can also be demonstrated especially well the stool contains blood. Although in this case means the deficiency is severe. Because intestinal injuries due to food is not digested form of vitamin K2 which makes the process protombin happen. For that if the symptoms of a sore at the moment better passing urine immediately consult a doctor for further examination.
6. Blood clot dificulties: If this happen, then you have to take vitamin K. Vitamin K Injections can help you in the process of blood clotting. Injections you requested can include vitamin K3 or synthesis of vitamin K or vitamin K1. Enzymes protombin is what will make or dilute the blood to coagulate blood clotting function. Also the presence of fibrinogen which fine fibers wound closure can be formed. Blood difficult to freeze can be resolved soon, but not the way short because vitamin K is not a medicine. Because Vitamin K may be out of the body at any time, so that therapeutic administration of vitamin K needed routines.
7. Ovarium bleeding: Bleeding can occur due to excessive menstruation as described at the beginning. Where the menstrual phase usually 4 to 6 days. But there is also up to 8 days still experience but countless still normal. Usually blood can dilute or concentrated. A blood clot in the ovary depends on the local fibrinolytic in the ovary itself. If it can be seen that the administration of vitamin K are required for women. Irregularity of the menstrual cycle can result in vitamin K deficiency bleeding and the presence of ovarian happen if only the menstrual period was too long. So that needs to be noted that the monthly cycle when there is an abnormal cycle can consult a doctor.

Diagnosis 

Allegations of vitamin K deficiency occurs when there is abnormal bleeding in people with risk conditions. Blood tests to measure how quickly the blood clot can be done to help diagnose. Besides knowing how large amounts of vitamin K consumption can help to interpret the results of blood tests.

Vitamin K Benefits & Function For Human Health

Vitamin K has a function to help the process of bone growth, especially for infants, children and adolescents. Besides this vitamin can also accelerate the process of blood clotting in case of injury in the body and bleed. So that when we are exposed to injury and rapid flow of blood is not frozen, it is often used as a sign when we are deficient in vitamin K. And if the bleeding can often occur due to another cause, namely the lack of blood or anemia.

Other benefits of vitamin K is to treat cancer. Several health research results show, when the dose of vitamin K consumed more than needed by the body, will lead to other effects that the healing process of certain types of cancer could be faster.

Vitamin K is important in blood clotting and also plays an important role in the process of bone formation with calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin K deficiency can cause blood clotting disorders that cause bleeding that is difficult to freeze. Newborns are very susceptible to bleeding because the digestive system of newborns is sterile and does not contain bacteria that can synthesize vitamin K, while breast milk contains only small amounts of vitamin K. Therefore, infants were given a vitamin K at birth to prevent deficiency of vitamin K.

Vitamin K is also known as coagulation. These vitamins include vitamins are soluble in fat. A daily dose of vitamin K is 2 mcg per 1 kg of body weight. Symptoms of vitamin K deficiency is abnormal blood clotting. Vitamin K deficiency is rare in adults, but it often occurs in newborns. Symptoms of excess vitamin C can occur, such as nausea, vomiting, anemia, diarrhea, and skin rash. Below are some vitamin K benefits for human health.

1. Blood clots: As we already know that the function to aid blood clotting. If vitamin K is not met then the process will be disrupted blood clotting. Logically, if a knife cuts due to the small size of the wound can be healed within 1 day (full recovery), in people who lack vitamin K in the body will have more than 1 day to (heal total).


2. Bone growth and prevent osteoporosis: Other studies have also proved that in addition to diabetes, vitamin K can also increase bone density to form a strong skeletal structure of the body. Particularly in women, vitamin K can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis. In bone, vitamin K will help osteocalcin compounds that play a role in the absorption of minerals to form strong bone structure. Osteoklasin itself is produced by osteoblasts, the bone-forming cell collection. 


3. Preventing diabetes: Researchers at Tufts found that vitamin K, especially K1, may reduce the risk of insulin resistance and thereby help fight diabetes. The findings were published in Diabetes Care. In addition, this vitamin also helps in the body's metabolism associated with insulin resistance compound.


4. Prevent hemorrhagic disease: In the newborn hemorrhagic disease will experience bleeding. To prevent the baby should be given vitamin K intake through breast milk (breast milk). That is, the Mother who must consume foods rich in vitamin K. 


5. Prevent bleeding heart: In the body, vitamin C also can suppress the bleeding hearts that often arise due to the use of aspirin or antibiotic compounds to excess. 


6. Preventing cancer: Through the same mechanism, vitamin K can slow down the formation of cancer cells in the liver and lungs.