Vitamin K in a Vegan Diet

In every lifestyle one should always find a balance and be attentive to what they are eating.  From a young age we are educated to always eat fruit and vegetables because of the vitamins and nutrients they provide.  With this being said, vitamin K is essential for our body and should be taken every single day.  The “K” comes from the German word for blood clotting, koagulation.

One should take Vitamin K as it keeps the bones strong.  Many people now know that vitamin D contributes towards good bone health as it helps us absorb calcium. Studies show that vitamin K may also help increase bone mineral density and reduce the risk of fracture.  Vitamin K is also required for wound healing and blood clotting.  

There are 2 types of vitamin K and these are K1 and K2.  K1 is found in leafy greens such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, turnip greens, lettuce, asparagus and many more.  While K2 is found in small amounts in animal-based foods such as meat and eggs.  It is also found in kombucha, a fermented black or green tea which is high in vitamins A, E and K.  In addition, plant oils are also a rich source of Vitamin K.

If one has a healthy diet and eats fresh greens on a daily basis, one will obtain more than the recommended amount of this vitamin.  This is because the intake of this vitamin has to be one microgram a day for each kilogram of their body weight.  As an example, I weigh 60 kilograms so I need to take 6 micrograms a day, however I am sure I exceed that number as my lifestyle contains of mostly salads and homemade soups.  

Low levels of Vitamin K have a high risk of having arthritis which is a joint disease and also osteoporosis which is a condition that weakens bones.  Also one will have the risk of blood clotting and this leads to easy bruising and bleeding.  Vitamin K may help keep blood pressure low by preventing mineralisation where minerals build up in the arteries.

In conclusion,  having a vegan lifestyle or any other lifestyle one should always have a balance.  Specifically written on the vitamin K, if one takes either a cup of spinach with their lunch or even having a salad with fresh lettuce it should be a good intake per day.  At the end it is better to have a balanced diet so there will not be a need for any supplements.