Dante Carrillo
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that aids in blood clotting, building strong bones, and regulating blood pressure. While deficiencies are rare, it is important to ensure you are getting enough of this vitamin through your diet. The best sources of vitamin K are dark, leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collard greens. Vitamin K can also be found in soybean oil, canola oil, nuts, and certain animal products, such as meat, liver, and cheese. To increase vitamin K in your diet, consider adding more of these vitamin K-rich foods to your meals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Role of Vitamin K in the body | Aids in blood clotting, building strong bones and regulating blood pressure |
| Recommended daily intake | 90 micrograms for women and 120 micrograms for men |
| Sources of Vitamin K1 | Dark, leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, soybean oil, canola oil, beets |
| Sources of Vitamin K2 | Animal foods, fermented plant foods, fatty meats, liver, cheese, natto |
| Tips to increase absorption | Eat vitamin K-rich foods with a bit of fat, such as butter or oil |
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What You'll Learn
Eat dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale and collard greens
Eating dark, leafy greens is a great way to increase your vitamin K intake. Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that helps your blood clot and supports bone growth and heart health. Most diets contain enough vitamin K, but you can always add more leafy greens to your meals to boost your intake.
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens are excellent sources of vitamin K. For example, half a cup of cooked kale provides 561 micrograms of vitamin K, while raw kale provides 250 micrograms in the same serving size. Spinach is also a good option, with 75 micrograms of vitamin K in a half-cup serving. If you're looking for a creative way to include spinach in your diet, try spinach noodles or add it to a salad or smoothie.
Vitamin K is also fat-soluble, so consider eating your leafy greens with butter or oil to enhance absorption. For example, you can cook your kale or collard greens in soybean or canola oil, as these oils are also rich in vitamin K. Additionally, pine nuts, cashews, and mixed nuts can give you an extra boost of vitamin K and are great additions to a meal or as a snack.
Not only are leafy greens rich in vitamin K, but they also provide other health benefits. They are a good source of vitamins A and C, fibre, and calcium. So, incorporating a variety of leafy greens into your diet can offer multiple nutritional benefits.
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Consume fermented soybeans, or natto
Natto, a traditional Japanese dish, is a great source of vitamin K. It is made by fermenting soybeans with Bacillus natto, a subspecies of Bacillus subtilis. The fermentation process not only adds unique flavours but also boosts the nutritional value of soybeans.
Natto contains a large amount of menaquinone-7 (MK-7), a type of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an essential role in blood clotting and bone health. Studies have shown that consuming natto is associated with increased bone mineral density and reduced bone loss, especially in postmenopausal women and elderly men. This is due to the high content of vitamin K in natto, which helps to prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of hip fractures.
In addition to its vitamin K content, natto also contains an enzyme called nattokinase, which is created during the fermentation process. Nattokinase has been found to promote healthy blood circulation and maintain healthy blood pressure. It also supports a healthy inflammatory response and protects against oxidative stress.
You can easily incorporate natto into your diet by purchasing it from Asian markets or making it at home. If you're making it yourself, start by rinsing and soaking soybeans overnight. Then, cook them until soft and transfer them to a yogurt maker with natto bacteria. After a full day, cover them and refrigerate for at least two days before seasoning and consuming. Keep in mind that natto has a distinct gooey texture and strong flavour that may take some time to get used to.
By including natto in your diet, you can significantly increase your vitamin K intake and reap the associated health benefits, such as improved bone health and blood clotting.
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Snack on nuts like cashews, pine nuts and mixed nuts
While vitamin K deficiency is rare, insufficient intake may, over time, impair blood clotting, weaken your bones, and increase your risk of heart disease. To prevent this, you should include plenty of vitamin K in your diet.
Nuts are a great snack option, and some nuts are high in vitamin K. Pine nuts, for example, contain 73 micrograms of vitamin K per cup, which is about 81% of the daily value for women and 61% for men. Cashews are another good option, with 1 ounce containing 9.7 micrograms of vitamin K, or about 11% of the daily value for women and 8% for men. Other nuts that contain vitamin K include pistachios, chestnuts, raw pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, pecans, walnuts, and coconut.
To get the most out of the vitamin K in nuts, consider eating them with a source of fat, such as butter or oil, as vitamin K is fat-soluble and may be better absorbed when combined with fat.
In addition to nuts, there are other foods that are rich in vitamin K. The best sources are dark, leafy green vegetables, such as cooked kale and beet leaves. Small amounts of vitamin K are also produced by your gut bacteria, and some is present in animal foods and certain fermented dishes, such as the Japanese dish natto, made from fermented soybeans.
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Eat vitamin K1-rich fruits
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in two forms. The main type is vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone, which is found in green leafy vegetables. The recommended daily value for vitamin K is 120 micrograms, 90 micrograms for women, and 120 micrograms for men.
Vitamin K1-rich fruits include kiwifruit, which can be eaten raw or added to dishes such as salads and smoothies. Another option is to opt for cooked okra (boiled and drained) or cooked green beans, which also contain vitamin K1.
Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary vitamin K. In particular, green leafy vegetables like collard greens, kale, and spinach are packed with vitamin K1. For instance, cooked kale provides 561 micrograms of vitamin K in a half-cup serving, while raw kale offers 250 micrograms in the same serving size. Spinach, whether cooked or raw, is also a great source, providing around 75 micrograms of vitamin K per half-cup serving.
In addition to these vitamin K1-rich fruits and vegetables, other foods can also boost your vitamin K intake. For instance, soybean oil and canola oil are rich in phylloquinone, with a tablespoon of soybean oil containing approximately 25 micrograms of vitamin K, while the same amount of canola oil has about 10 micrograms. Nuts, such as cashews, mixed nuts, and pine nuts, also provide an extra boost of vitamin K to your diet.
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Try oils like soybean and canola oil
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that helps your blood clot and your bones grow. It also helps prevent osteoporosis and protects against heart disease. While vegetables are the best source of dietary vitamin K, you can also get it from certain oils.
Soybean oil is much higher in vitamin K than other oils. A tablespoon of soybean oil contains about 25 micrograms of vitamin K. Boiled, fermented soybeans, called natto, are also a great source of vitamin K. Just 3 ounces of natto give you 850 micrograms. However, it is important to note that natto contains a high amount of vitamin K, which may interact with certain medications such as warfarin. If you are taking any medications, it is always a good idea to consult with your doctor about the appropriate levels of vitamin K for you.
Canola oil is also a good source of vitamin K, specifically the phylloquinone form. A tablespoon of canola oil contains about 10 micrograms of vitamin K. The amount of vitamin K in canola oil can vary depending on factors such as the oil's origin, refining processes, and retail display conditions.
In addition to soybean and canola oils, you can also find vitamin K in other plant-based oils. For example, olive oil and safflower oil contain smaller amounts of vitamin K.
By incorporating these oils into your diet, you can increase your vitamin K intake and reap the associated health benefits.
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Frequently asked questions
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and beet leaves are great sources of vitamin K. Other vitamin K-rich foods include nuts, fruits, meat, liver, cheese, and fermented soybeans (natto).
Frozen foods that are cooked tend to have more vitamin K than raw foods. This is because frozen vegetables lose some of their water content, concentrating the vitamins. Vitamin K is also fat-soluble, so it may be better absorbed when combined with fat.
Vitamin K helps with blood clotting, building strong bones, and regulating blood pressure. It may also help prevent osteoporosis and protect against heart disease.
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