Monday, May 23, 2011

Low Vitamin K Diet

Vitamin K plays several important roles in your body. It aids in blood clotting, which is essential for stopping bleeding when you have an injury. Vitamin K can also help you maintain bone mass and prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin K also works as an antioxidant to protect your body against damage from free radicals. Only attempt a low vitamin K diet if your doctor instructs you to do so due to a medical condition or drug regimen.


RDA


The recommended daily allowance of vitamin K for adult women is 90 mcg and for adult men it is 120 mcg.


Significance


If you are taking the medication warfarin, also known as Coumadin, your doctor will tell you to consume only low to moderate amounts of vitamin K.


Vegetable Sources


Some vegetable sources of vitamin K include raw spinach, turnip greens, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.


Other Sources


Other sources of vitamin K include milk, eggs, beef liver, soybean oil and wheat germ.


Deficiency


While a deficiency in vitamin K is rare, it may occur due to a disease such as liver disease or an intestinal disorder. Some medications may lower your body's vitamin K levels, such as antibiotics (long-term use) and cholesterol lowering medications.

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