There are many great foods out there which serve as a great source for vitamin K. Vitamin K is a “fat soluble” vitamin, which means that although vitamin K foods will always provide those vitamins, the impact of the vitamins are best when ingested with fat. Vitamin K is an extremely important vitamin to have in your system, especially after an injury, during the recovery stage.

Before we get to the specific vitamin K rich foods, let’s review why vitamin K is so important and what it is most well known for. Vitamin K, while not one of the better known vitamins in the body, is a vital component of good health and is especially noticeable when the body needs to perform certain health functions, like heal from a cut. Vitamin K helps in blooding clotting, protects the human heart, and also assists and helps to build strong bones.

While it is strongly recommended that you eat foods rich in vitamin K, this one is really unique in that the body produces it naturally, and we can go long periods of time without eating foods with this vitamin and still be fine. The body produces this vitamin from bacteria inside of us that usually resides in the intestines. Even with that being so, it’s still a good idea for health purposes to eat a good variety of foods with Vitamin K.

And by far and away, the biggest and most common major source of Vitamin K is green leafy vegetables like collards, spinach, and turnip greens. People whose bodies aren’t producing enough Vitamin K, whether it’s because of a natural deficiency or a body’s increased need for it, can increase their supply drastically by eating these green leafy foods.

If you do have a deficiency of vitamin K in the body, there are several possible causes that may need to be addressed before you see drastic improvement. Some of the most common include:
o Antibiotics from medication interfering with the bacteria
o Health problems, especially those involving the gall bladder, cystic fibrosis, and Crohn’s disease
o Taking excessive amounts of mineral oil
o Liver disease or damage
o Chronic diarrhea
o Serious burns

All these factors could explain any deficiency of vitamin K in the body, as well as any extended time period where you are fed via IV instead of through regular food. A normal healthy body can usually produce all the vitamin K that is needed, but sometimes a little boost to help out is just what the doctor ordered.

So make sure to stock up on the green leafy vegetables that bring large amounts of this fantastic, if little recognized, vitamin into your system. You may not notice a lagging amount of vitamin K during your day to day activities the way you might instantly notice a lack of vitamins A, B, or C, but when you’re injured and need to heal, you’ll know the difference between a body that is full up on K, and one that isn’t. So stay healthy and have some greens – next time you need them your body will thank you.

By: Guido Nussbaum