Go green to get daily dose of vitamin K

[Islander]

Friday, Oct. 08, 2010
By Mimi Honeycutt
Houston Chronicle

The real special K is not a breakfast cereal, but a vitamin.
Vitamin K affects everything from blood clotting to calcium absorption. Some scientists even believe it fights cancer. Vitamin K has several types: vitamin K1, found in plants; vitamin K2, created by bacteria in your intestines; and vitamins K3, K4 and K5, which are synthetic.
Why do we need it?
Without vitamin K, the blood loss from a paper cut could be on par with a knife wound. Vitamin K also plays a part in bone mineralization and stopping osteoporosis. A Belgian study, first published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, even showed vitamin K to help destroy cancer cells.
Where can we find it?
If it's green, there's a good chance it's packed with vitamin K. Leafy green vegetables all have high levels of vitamin K, according to the USDA. You also can find it in certain vegetable oils, such as olive and canola. Soybeans and soy products are also very high in vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it is better absorbed with fat -- so drizzle your broccoli with a little olive oil, and you'll be a vitamin K powerhouse.
How much do we need?
The USDA recommends at least 120 micrograms of vitamin K per day for men, 90 micrograms for women and 60 micrograms for children. However, the National Institutes of Health warns that people taking blood-thinners such as Warfarin might need to monitor their vitamin K intake and consult their doctors.

http://tinyurl.com/3a4keg6 (http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/10/08/2532296/go-green-to-get-daily-dose-of.html?form_372.replyids=2&form_363.replyids=2&form_346.userid=215&form_346.replyids=8504#tvg#ixzz12GJ92eg6)

[Katee]

Leafy green vegetables all have high levels of vitamin K, according to the USDA.

Ok, good info, but i'm going to take exception to this:



You also can find it in certain vegetable oils, such as olive and canola. Soybeans and soy products are also very high in vitamin K.



Olive oil & grapeseed oil are fine. Just about any other vegetable oil out there is highly processed & not the "health food" that it has touted to be. I personally think that canola & soy oils are creations of the devil! Soy is also not a health food.

I'm not trying to tear apart the article, just saying that i'd check some of their recommendations.

[mellowsong]

Live lacto-fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir and even good yogurts are also excellent sources of Vitamin K (including K2). Raw milk and butter from grass fed animals, especially when the grass is growing quickly are also excellent sources. In fact, the mysterious factor X Weston A Price talked about in butter seems to be K2.

To much to go into here, but you need to be aware that plant sources only provide Vitamin K1 which the body must convert to K2. While K1 has a major role in clotting, K2 is the one with the benefits to the cardiovascular system among many other benefits.

[Islander]

Right, I just harvest these articles and depend on you members to rip them to shreds. Many, like this one, contain both beneficial and harmful information; sometimes I take a few minutes to comment, more often I leave it to others. (Thank you, Others).

When we convert to updated software, I intend to post a footer on the home page that will be an overall disclaimer.