Article

1. Top 10 Vitamin K Foods & Benefits of
Foods High in Vitamin K
Ready for yet another reason to eat your veggies? Leafy greens and
vegetables like broccoli and cabbage are loaded with vitamin K, an
important nutrient that’s been associated with improved insulin
sensitivity, a reduced risk of cancer and improved heart health. Not
only that, but vitamin K foods can also promote proper blood clotting
and keep your bones strong. Oh yes, they also help keep vitamin K
deficiency at bay.
Vitamin K isn’t just found in vegetables, though. It can also be found in
certain types of fruit, meat, dairy and fermented foods and is even
produced inside your own body by your good gut bacteria.
Getting enough of this vitamin is integral to health, and a deficiency
can result in a long list of health problems. Keep reading to find out
what you need to know about vitamin K and how you can ensure that
you’re getting enough in your diet.

2. What Is Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is an important nutrient that plays a role in everything from
bone metabolism to blood clotting.
It’s broken down into two main types: vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and
vitamin K2 (menaquinone). Vitamin K1 is the most common source of
vitamin K present primarily in plant foods like leafy vegetables. Vitamin
K2, on the other hand, is found in animal products and fermented
foods. Foods high in vitamin K2 include meat, dairy and natto.
Vitamin K2 is also produced by the beneficial bacteria in your
gut microbiome.
On a healthy, well-balanced diet, a deficiency of vitamin K is rare. This
is because it’s plentiful in whole foods, like vegetables. Ultra-
processed foodsand refined sugars, on the other hand, are foods low
in vitamin K. If these nutrient-poor foods make up a large part of your
diet, it could mean you may not be getting enough vitamin K.
Vitamin K deficiency is very serious and can result in easy bruising,
bleeding, tooth decay and weakened bones. For this reason, it’s
crucial to ensure you’re including a serving or two of vitamin K-rich
fruits and vegetables with each meal.
Top 10 Vitamin K Foods
Looking for a list of foods that contain vitamin K? This essential
vitamin is found primarily in green vegetables, fruits, fermented foods
and animal products, which makes it easy to meet your needs through
a healthy and well-balanced diet. Here are a few of the top vitamin K
foods:
1. Green leafy vegetables, such as kale — ½ cup: 444
micrograms (over 100 percent DV)
2. Natto (fermented soy) — 2 ounces: 500 micrograms (over 100
percent DV)

3. 3. Spring onions (scallions) — ½ cup: 103 micrograms (over 100
percent DV)
4. Brussels sprouts — ½ cup: 78 micrograms (98 percent DV)
5. Cabbage — ½ cup: 82 micrograms (over 100 percent DV)
6. Broccoli — ½ cup: 46 micrograms (58 percent DV)
7. Dairy (fermented) — ½ cup: 10 micrograms (10 percent DV)
8. Prunes — ½ cup: 52 micrograms (65 percent DV)
9. Cucumbers — 1 medium: 49 micrograms (61 percent DV)
10. Dried basil — 1 tablespoon: 36 micrograms (45 percent
DV)
Vitamin K Benefits and Benefits of Vitamin K Foods
1. Fight Cancer
Some evidence has found that vitamin K could help kill off cancer cells
and may even reduce the risk of cancer. In one study from the
Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine at the
University of Toronto, 440 postmenopausal women with weakened
bones were supplemented with vitamin K1 for two years. Interestingly
enough, taking vitamin K1 was associated with a 75 percent reduction
in cancer incidence. (1)
Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutritioncomprising 24,340 participants showed that a higher intake of
vitamin K2 was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. (2)
Furthermore, many foods high in vitamin K also make the list of top
antioxidant foods as well. Vitamin K foods like leafy greens are jam-
packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants, which help prevent damage
from free radicals and decrease the risk of cancer — making vitamin K
foods some of the best cancer-fighting foods.
2. Build Strong Bones
Getting enough vitamin K in your diet is key to maintaining healthy
bones. It is involved in bone metabolism and increases the amount of

4. a specific protein that is required to maintain the calcium in your
bones.
Several studies have found that increasing your intake of vitamin K
can help reduce the risk of bone fractures. The study from
the University of Toronto published in the journal PLoS
Medicine mention above, for example, showed that supplementing
with vitamin K1 cut the risk of fractures in half.
Another study out of the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture
Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in
Boston demonstrated that a low intake of vitamin K foods was
associated with reduced bone mineral density in women. (3)
For this reason, many women at risk for osteoporosis often
supplement with vitamin K. Other natural treatments for
osteoporosis include weight training a few times per week, getting
daily sun exposure and eating plenty of foods rich in omega-3 fatty
acids.
3. Ensure Healthy Blood Clotting
Perhaps the most well-known vitamin K function is its role in
promoting the formation of blood clots. Blood clotting is an important
process that helps stop excess bleeding as a result of injury. In fact,
one of the first warning signs of a vitamin K deficiency is bleeding from
the gums or nose along with easy bruising.
For this reason, those on blood thinners like coumadin are
recommended to moderate their vitamin K intake. Coumadin works
against vitamin K to help slow blood clotting. Dramatic increases or
decreases in vitamin K intake can interfere with and lower the effects
of these medications.

6. 4. Promote Heart Health
Besides ensuring healthy blood clotting, eating plenty of foods high in
vitamin K may improve your heart health in other ways as well.
In a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition with 388 participants, vitamin K1 was found to slow the
progression of coronary artery calcification in older adults. (4) Other
studies have also confirmed the beneficial effects of vitamin K1 on
vascular calcification, a condition in which calcium deposits build up in
the arteries and cause blood vessels to lose elasticity. (5)
Coronary calcification is believed to be a strong predictor of coronary
heart disease. (6) Increasing your intake of vitamin K foods can help
prevent its progression to keep your heart healthy and strong.
5. Improve Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the
bloodstream to the tissues where it can be used as energy. When you
have a diet high in sugar and carbs, your body tries to produce more
and more insulin to keep up. Unfortunately, sustaining high levels of
insulin can lead to a condition called insulin resistance, which
decreases its effectiveness and results in high blood sugar.
Upping your intake of vitamin K may help with insulin sensitivity to
help maintain normal blood sugar levels. A study published in the
journal Diabetes Care showed that 36 months of vitamin K
supplementation helped reduce the progression of insulin resistance
in older men. (7)
In addition to including plenty of vitamin K foods in your diet,
increasing your physical activity, keeping your carb intake under
control and eating plenty of protein- and fiber-rich foods can also help
stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent insulin resistance.

7. 6. Boost Brain Function
Vitamin K plays an important role in the nervous system and is also
believed to support healthy brain function. It is involved in the
metabolism of sphingolipids, a class of compounds found in brain cell
membranes that control motor and cognitive behavior. (8)
It also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps protect the brain
against oxidative stress caused by free radical damage. Oxidative
stress can damage your cells and may even lead to the development
of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. (9)
Related: Top 10 Benefits of Romaine Lettuce Nutrition (+
Recipes)
Vitamin K Foods Recipes
Ready to start incorporating more vitamin K-rich foods into your diet?
Head over to the kitchen and give these delicious recipes a try:
 Kale Chips
 Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
 Cucumber Salad
 Baked Brussels Sprouts
 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Lamb
You can also try a recipe with any number of other foods that provide
a good amount of vitamin K, such as turnip greens, mustard greens,
collards and spinach. Enjoy a leafy green salad, greens cooked with
other veggies, a raw spinach salad, kale cooked as a side dish, or any
other types of dishes that help you reach your daily vitamin K needs.

8. Vitamin K Supplements and Dosage
Although vitamin K is abundant throughout the food supply, it can also
be found in supplement form as well. Vitamin K tablets are available
and are often combined with other vitamins and nutrients, such as
calcium, magnesium or vitamin D. It is also usually present in most
multivitamins as well.
Vitamin K supplements commonly use synthetic forms of vitamin K1 or
vitamin K2. Studies show that these are well-absorbed in the body, but
MK-7, the synthetic form of vitamin K2, has a longer half-life and
remains active in the body for longer. (10)
If you do decide to take a vitamin K supplement, the amount you need
may vary based on your age and gender. Here are the current
established adequate intakes for vitamin K according to the National
Institutes of Health: (11)
Infants
 0–6 months: 2 micrograms/day
 7–12 months: 2.5 micrograms/day
Children
 1–3 years: 30 micrograms/day
 4–8 years: 55 micrograms/day
 9–13 years: 60 micrograms/day
Adolescents and Adults
 14–18 years: 75 micrograms/day
 19+ years: 120 micrograms/day for males, 90 micrograms/day
for females

10. History of Vitamin K
Vitamin K was first discovered in 1929 by Danish scientist Henrik
Dam. He was performing a study investigating the role of cholesterol
and found that feeding chicks a completely fat-free diet resulted in
uncontrolled bleeding under their skin.
Thinking that the bleeding must be related to the absence of dietary
cholesterol, he gave them a form of purified cholesterol, which did
nothing to help. Finally, he was able to isolate the specific fat-soluble
nutrient that was responsible for the coagulation of blood. Because it
requires fat for absorption, the chicks had become deficient on the fat-
free diet. He named it “vitamin K,” abbreviated
from Koagulationsvitamin, which translates to “coagulation vitamin” in
German.
American biochemist Edward Doisy continued Dam’s work and went
on to uncover the chemical structure of vitamin K as well as the
complex role that it plays in the body.
Both Doisy and Dam received the Nobel prize in 1943 for their work.
In the years that have followed since, we have only just begun to
unearth the wide range of functions vitamin K plays in the body, from
boosting bone strength to improving heart health.
Research also shows vitamin K3 combined with vitamin C can fight
parasites that attack the liver and the ensuing inflammation reactions
that occur. (12)
Vitamin K Precautions
Although vitamin K supplements are considered safe for most people,
those who are pregnant and breastfeeding should avoid vitamin K

11. supplements that provide an amount of vitamin K higher than the
recommended daily allowance.
Additionally, if you have a history of stroke, cardiac arrest or issues
with blood clotting, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin K.
If you are on blood thinners, you should not take a vitamin K
supplement and need to moderate your vitamin K intake. Vitamin K
and coumadin can interact, causing a decrease in the effectiveness of
your medications. Consult with your doctor or dietitian if you have any
concerns or need to discuss any vitamin K foods to avoid while on
coumadin.
Vitamin K side effects are uncommon but can include a decrease in
appetite, paleness, muscle stiffness or difficulty breathing. Discontinue
use and talk to your doctor immediately if you experience any of these
side effects.
Finally, keep in mind that too much vitamin K can also be harmful. For
best results, stick to food sources of vitamin K and use
supplementation only as directed to avoid adverse side effects.
Final Thoughts on Vitamin K Foods
 Vitamin K is an important vitamin that plays a central role in
many aspects of health.
 There are two main types of vitamin K: Vitamin K1 is commonly
found in plant foods as well as vegetables while vitamin K2 is in
animal products and fermented foods like meat, dairy and natto.
 Including a serving of vitamin K food with each meal can help
you easily meet your needs. Supplements are also available to
boost intake if needed as well.
 Vitamin K has been shown to improve bone strength, promote
heart health, increase insulin sensitivity, fight cancer, boost brain
function and ensure healthy blood clotting.