Are you a bleeder? Perhaps that's an inelegant way of diagnosing,
but if you have a penchant for bloody noses or bruises easily, you may need
a boost of vitamin K. Sitka chiropractic patients' hearts and
bones may well gain, too!
Vitamin K
Now, vitamin K isn't a "famous" vitamin, but it's a vital
vitamin when it comes to blood clotting. If you had no vitamin K, blood wouldn't coagulate or clot. Some research now also show that it’s influential in keep bones strong in older individuals, too. (1) We'll talk some about that here, too. So
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka thought we'd share some facts about vitamin K that may enhance your chiropractic treatment plan.
What is Vitamin K?
It's a fat-soluble vitamin that the body stores in fat
tissue and the liver. You can get it from eating leafy green foods or from the production
of vitamin K by the bacteria in your intestines. If you take antibiotics, you
may kill off the bacteria which in turn lower your vitamin K stores. So contemplate
eating more chlorophyll-filled foods like broccoli, kale, spinach, asparagus, and
dark green lettuce. Chlorophyll gives plants their green color and provides
vitamin K. (2)
There are three forms of vitamin K:
- K1 (phylloquinone/natural form or
phytonadione/synthetic form) - naturally found in vegetables
- K2 (menaquinone) - produced by bacteria in the
intestines
- K3 (menaphthone or mendione)
K1 is the only one available as a supplement (in
multivitamins or solo tablets). (2) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka touts dietary intake and
sometimes supplementation. We work with our Sitka chiropractic patients
to make it easy and convenient for them and their lifestyles to balance their nutrition.
Uses
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka reviews the total health of our Sitka
chiropractic patients, so your heart and bone health is important to us, too.
- Blood-clotting – K1
- Heart disease prevention – K2
- Vitamin K2 is growing in recognition for its heart
disease prevention. (3)
- In the 10 year Rotterdam study of 4800 persons, those
consumed the most vitamin K2 reports have a 50% reduced risk of arterial
calcification and 50% reduced risk for cardiovascular events. (4)
- Another 16,000 person study reports a 9%
reduction in coronary heart disease for every 10 mcg vitamin K2 consumed. (4)
- Bone Health – K2
- K2 is also gaining notoriety for protecting
against osteoporosis. (5)
- Vitamin K2 menaquinone is essential for the
binding of calcium to the bone matrix. (4)
Barriers to Vitamin K Absorption
Gallbladder disease, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn’s
disease may prevent enough absorption of vitamin K. (umm) Multivitamin supplements
or vitamin K shots may work better for them. (2) And if you are on anticoagulant
therapy, be careful of your intake of vitamin K through food or
supplementation. It may affect how this therapy works. (1)
Since the average vitamin K intake is only 75 to
125 mcg
(4), chat with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka about your intake or lack thereof of vitamin
K and your risks for deficiency.
Call Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka to set up your next Sitka
chiropractic appointment today!