Vitamin K is an essential vitamin for bones and blood clotting. The needs are normally covered by food. Yes, but as long as you choose the right vegetables, fruits, meats, oils and cheeses.
Vitamins of the K group (vitamin K1 called phylloquinone and K2 called menaquinone) are essential to ensure good blood clotting And good bone health. Normally, “1/5 of vitamin K is synthesized by our intestinal microbiota and 4/5 is provided by food” indicates Dr Chicheportiche Ayache, nutritionist in Paris. As long as you make the right choices. The foods richest in vitamin K1 are more of plant origin (fruits, vegetables and oils), and foods rich in vitamin K2 are rather certain parts of meats and certain cheeses.
The green vegetables
Spinach, salad, endive, green cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, white cabbage, asparagus, celery root, parsley, watercress, fennel, edadame… Green vegetables are excellent sources in vitamin K. The cress (250 µg per 100g, sources: Ciqual table of Anses) and the Brussels sprouts (140 µg per 100g) are the vegetables which contain the most. THE parsley (1220 µg per 100g) also contains a lot of it so it is interesting to sprinkle it regularly in your dishes.
Blueberry
Red fruits are good sources of vitamin K. For example, blueberries contain 19.3 µg of vitamin K per 100g. It is the fruit that contains the most, ahead of grapes (14.6 µg per 100g) and strawberries (11 µg per 100g). We consider that 100g of blueberries corresponds approximately to 2 handles. Blueberry season is between the beginning of July and the end of September, but frozen blueberries (found all year round) are a good alternative.
The count
So-called fermented cheeses as the Comté, Beaufort, Gruyère and Emmental are good sources of vitamin K. For a 30g serving of Comté, there is approximately 1 microgram of vitamin K1 and 2 micrograms of vitamin K2.
Rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil contains 71 µg of vitamin K per 100 g, which makes it an excellent source. Rapeseed oil can replace butter in a cake preparation but also in a vinaigrette. it is recommended to consume 2 tablespoons per day (alternating with olive oil for example).
Pork liver
Organ meats are excellent sources of vitamin K2 (or menaquinone) notably animal livers as pork liver (500 micrograms per 100g of meat) and beef liver (150 micrograms per 100g of meat). This type of vitamin K plays an essential role in calcium metabolism and helps maintain good bones.
What is the recommended dose of vitamin K each day?
“Vitamin K requirements are 1 mcg per kilogram of body weight per day. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined a nutritional reference value (average for an adult) equivalent to 70 mcg (micrograms) per day” indicates the nutritionist. The vitamin K needs by age group are as follows:
- 10 mcg for infants aged 7 to 11 months
- 12 mcg for children aged 1 to 3 years
- 20 mcg for children aged 4 to 6 years
- 30 mcg for children aged 7 to 10 years
- 45 mcg for children 11 to 14 years old
- 65 mcg for adolescents aged 15 to 17
- 70 mcg for adultsincluding the pregnant and breastfeeding women.
THE Vitamin K deficiencies are rare in adults. “However, they may appear during chronic bowel diseases associated with malabsorption syndromeof liver cirrhosis or during prolonged intake antibiotics” indicates Dr Chicheportiche-Ayache. Chronic alcoholism or one treatment with vitamin K antagonists (oral anticoagulants) can also lead to vitamin K deficiency.”The consequences on the production of coagulation factors lead to a failure of the latter resulting in risk of bruising, epistaxis (nosebleeds), menorrhagia (heavy periods)“ she explains.