What is vitamin K best used for?

Vitamin K refers to a group of fat-soluble vitamins that play a role in blood clotting, bone metabolism, and regulating blood calcium levels. The body needs vitamin K to produce prothrombin, a protein and clotting factor that is important in blood clotting and bone metabolism.

Is vitamin K prescription only?

The most common form of vitamin K is over-the-counter and is called water soluble chlorophyll. Vitamin K is available in tablet, capsule and liquid forms. Prescription forms of vitamin K are available as injectables and given in cases of extreme need.

What are 3 benefits of vitamin K?

People commonly use vitamin K for blood clotting problems or for reversing the blood thinning effects of warfarin. It is also used for osteoporosis, athletic performance, breast cancer, diabetes, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these other uses.

Is vitamin K and K2 the same?

Vitamin K is actually a group of compounds. The most important of these compounds appears to be vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is obtained from leafy greens and some other vegetables. Vitamin K2 is a group of compounds largely obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs, and synthesized by bacteria.

What are the symptoms of low vitamin K?

The main symptom of vitamin K deficiency is bleeding (hemorrhage)—into the skin (causing bruises), from the nose, from a wound, in the stomach, or in the intestine. Sometimes bleeding in the stomach causes vomiting with blood. Blood may be seen in the urine or stool, or stools may be tarry black.

Can you buy vitamin K tablets?

Where can I get vitamin K supplements? You can get vitamin K supplements from high street pharmacies and health food shops. Just make sure you speak to a healthcare professional before you start taking them, and remember to choose one that doesn’t contain too high a dose – no more than 1mg (or 1,000mcg) of vitamin K.

Which form of vitamin K is best?

Vitamin K likely plays an important role in blood clotting and promoting good heart and bone health. Some research suggests that K2 may be superior to K1 in some of these functions, but further research is needed to confirm this. For optimal health, focus on increasing food sources of both vitamin K1 and K2.

What is the best vitamin K to take?

Vitamin K1 is the most common form of vitamin K found in the diet, so the recommended daily intake (RDI) for vitamin K (120 mcg daily for men and 90 mcg daily for women) is based mainly on vitamin K1.

How much vitamin K do I need daily?

Adults need approximately 1 microgram a day of vitamin K for each kilogram of their body weight. For example, someone who weighs 65kg would need 65 micrograms a day of vitamin K, while a person who weighs 75kg would need 75 micrograms a day. A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg).

Which disease is caused by lack of vitamin K?

What is vitamin K deficiency bleeding? Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) is a bleeding problem that occurs in some newborns during the first few days of life. VKDB was previously called hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.