Vitamin K (Quinones)
K1-Phytonadione - from plants
K2-Menaquinone - from bacteria in intestines
K3-Menadione - synthetic
Requirements:
Daily Optimal Intake:
Supplement Forms:
- Widely available in foods and made by the intestines - no
supplement is usually necessary unless a malabsorption or medical
problem
Labs:
- Abnormal prothrombin antigen assay
Food Sources:
- Asparagus 4 med. spears (34 mcg.)
- Beef liver 3 oz. (78 mcg.)
- Broccoli, cooked 1 med. stalk (360 mcg.)
- Cabbage, cooked 1/2 cup (91 mcg.)
- Cheese 2 oz. (20 mcg.)
- Green beans 1/2 cup (9 mcg.)
- Green tea 4 tsp. (72 mcg.)
- Lettuce, chopped 1 cup (71 mcg.)
- Peach 1 med. (15 mcg.)
- Peas 1/2 cup (15 mcg.)
- Oats, cooked 1 large bowl (30 mcg.)
- Spinach, chopped raw 1 cup (49 mcg.)
- Turnip greens, cooked 1/2 cup (471 mcg.)
- Watercress, chopped 1/4 cup (18 mcg.)
Signs and Symptoms of Deficiency:
- Easy bleeding
- In children, spontaneous nose bleeds
- Osteoporosis symptoms
Causes of Deficiency:
- Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn
- Osteoporosis
- Sterilization of intestines
Adverse Effects and Toxicity:
- Generally well tolerated at usual doses
- Menadione (K3) may produce hemolytic anemia and jaundice in
infant at large doses
Drug/Nutrient Interactions:
- Dilantin interferes with vitamin K functions
- Lactobacillus acidophilus may inhibit the growth of E. coli,
which synthesizes vitamin K in the large intestines
- Vitamin E may interfere with absorption and utilization of
vitamin K
- Neomycin decreases vitamin K absorption
- Vitamin K helps prevent newborn hemorrhage of mothers on anticonvulsants
- Phenytoin decreases absortpion of vitamin K
- Oral contraceptives increases absorption or bioavaliability of vitamin K
- Vitamin K interferes with the therapeutic effect of
coumadin
- Mineral oil long term can cause fat soluble vitamin deficiency, including vitamon K
- Corticosteroids require more zinc
- Colestipol decreases vitamin K absorption
- Anticoagulants and vitamin K taken together can cause increased urinary calcium loss
- Cholestyramine decreases absorption of vitamin K
- Vitamin K interfers with warfarin therapeutic effect
- Cephalosporins antagonizes vitamin K, leading to coagulation disturbances
Biochemical Functions:
- Needed for modification of glutamic acid residues to
carboxyglutamic acid
- Needed for synthesis of a glycoprotein made in the kidney
which helps to decrease formation of kidney stones
- Needed for synthesis of clotting factors II, VII, XI, X
- Needed for synthesis of osteocalcin, a protein in bone needed
for normal bone formation
Clinical Indications:
Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).