Everyone knows about vitamin A, it is found in carrots and it’s good for your eyes. Vitamin C is found in citrus products like oranges and lemons, and it is good for preventing colds. What about vitamin K?
Vitamin K is not one of the most recognized vitamins, but it is essential. Deficiency can result in real problems. This vitamin is in charge of blood coagulation. We need blood coagulation to prevent bleeding to death from a simple cut. Vitamin K also provides blood with a consistency for adequate blood flow. It is also needed for the metabolic pathways to function at optimum levels. This vitamin may not be as famous as some of the others, but it is certainly important and essential in our diet.
The foods richest in vitamin K are, unsurprisingly, leafy green vegetables, which are inexpensive and easy to find, although people don’t like to eat them. Besides that, there are other vitamin K rich food sources that are widely available.
Vegetables are Best
For many years of study, from the wide array of fruits, vegetables and other food groups, the dark and green vegetables are the ones that made a mark. Studies have shown that intake of such kinds of vegetables are adequate enough to suffice the daily recommended dose of vitamin K. In order to gain and maintain adequate amounts of this essential vitamin, alternating these different vitamin k sources is the best practice.
Here is a list of the most common food sources of vitamin K.
- Kale
- Collard Greens
- Spinach
- Brussel sprouts
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Okra
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Asparagus
Non-vegetable Sources of Vitamin K
Apart from the dark, green leafy vegetables, vitamin K can be obtained from other food sources, which contain a lesser amount. Eggs, noodles and plums are recognized to be good vitamin K sources, besides the other nutrients they provide. Blueberries are also a decent source. For smaller amounts, you can eat bananas, tomatoes, apricots, carrots, oats, peaches, apples and grapes. Which is great, because those things are tasty.
In addition, bread crumbs, coleslaw from fast food chains and pie crusts or graham crackers have been found to contain a significant amount of vitamin K, despite the belief that these types of food are actually considered “junk food” and harmful.
You Need Fat
An important note: don’t buy into the hype in demonizing fat. It’s a vital part of your diet, and in order for your body to properly utilize Vitamin K (along with vitamins A, D, and E), you need it. Yes, even saturated fat is good for you.
The Problem of Fast Food
Nowadays, a wide array of fast food chains and restaurants has become widespread in almost all parts of the world. From the cheapest price to the most expensive ones, modern people have found it more convenient than home cooked meals.
However, fast foods cannot adequately suffice the body’s need of vitamins and minerals. Thus, it is vital that adequate intake of foods rich in vitamin K as well as other vitamins and minerals be incorporated into one’s diet and be practiced on a daily basis.
