Health Benefits of Vitamin K

Vitamin K is found in a variety of leafy green vegetables. However, most people don't eat enough of these vegetables to reap the full benefits of the vitamin. Incorporating more vegetables into your diet or supplementing your diet with vitamin K pills are two ways to increase the level of vitamin K in your body. The FDA recommends that adults have 60 to 80 micrograms of vitamin K per day.

Heart Disease

One of the leading causes of heart disease is hardened arteries. Vitamin K helps prevent this condition, which makes it a good weapon against heart attacks and heart failure.

Calcium Absorption

Vitamin K helps the body to absorb calcium. As such, vitamin K is useful in treating and preventing osteoporosis and other bone-density-loss problems.

Digestive Tract

People with ulcerative colitis or other diseases of the digestive tract will experience more severe flareups when Vitamin K levels are low. This is because vitamin K increases blood flow to the digestive tract.

Menstrual Pain Relief

Vitamin K helps to regulate hormones. This makes it ideal to help diminish menstrual pain and cramping, because these are caused by hormone fluctuations.

Blood Clotting

The main use of vitamin K is to regulate blood clotting in the body. For this reason, people who use Coumadin or other blood thinners should limit or eliminate vitamin K from the diet.

Resources

• Information on vitamin K