Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is available from the diet but is also made in gut by ?friendly bacteria?. This vitamin is essential for the process of blood clotting. A point of interest: many rat poisons work because they actually counteract vitamin K. This causes rats to bleed to death.

In addition to blood clotting, vitamin K also has a role in the prevention of osteoporosis. A study from Harvard Medical School found that middle ages women whose diets contained the most vitamin K-at least 109mcg/day- well above the RDA had a 30% lower risk of hip fracture. The thinking behind the former recommendation of 65-80 mcg/day was adequate for blood clotting when coupled with the vitamin made by the ?friendly bacteria.? To get the extra mileage needed for bone health you need to eat lots of vitamin K foods.

Good food sources of vitamin K are kale, spinach, green cabbage, leaf lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, liver, lean meat. Egg yolk, whole wheat and strawberries also have some vitamin K. There is seldom a need to supplement unless you have a medical condition leading to malabsorption.

If you are on anticoagulant therapy e.g. Coumadin your diet should be low in vitamin K. The purpose of this drug is to thin the blood.

Donna Tinnerello, MS, RD, CD/N.

Donna Tinnerello MS, RD,, CD/N is registered dietician with more than 10 years experience in HIV and nutrition. She works at Cabrini Medical Center in lower Manhattan,in private practice and the community.Her subspecialties are cardiovascular, renal, and gastrointestinal disease, diabetes and weight loss. Donna is available for private consultation by referral only.