The Forager's Journal

Your body needs vitamin K to perform a number of functions that support your everyday health. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin—along with vitamins A, D, and E—which means it’s best absorbed in dietary fat and stored in your body’s fatty tissues.   Vitamin K was discovered in the 1920s when Danish researcher Henrik Dam observed that it could help prevent chickens fed a fat-free diet from bleeding to death. Dam named it the “koagulation vitamin” based on the German spelling of the word, and from there, it became known as vitamin K.  Not getting enough vitamin K can have negative health effects, so it’s important to understand where to find it in your diet. What is vitamin K good for, how much do you need, and should you consider vitamin K supplements? Let’s dive into everything you should know about vitamin K.     Vitamin K Functions   Vitamin K acts as a coenzyme for numerous critical processes to occur within the body.   First off, this is the vitamin mostly required for blood coagulation. Vitamin K acts as a coenzyme in the synthesis of proteins involved in forming blood clots or coagulation. In other words, this helps blood clot so your body can form a scab and heal a wound.   Vitamin K also plays a role in maintaining your bone health. It helps to strengthen bones by producing osteocalcin, a protein hormone that helps prevent low bone density and reduces the risk for fractures. Some research suggests that vitamin K2 helps enhance the ability of calcium and vitamin D to do their job in supporting bone metabolism.     Vitamin K1 vs. Vitamin K2    While you’ve probably heard of vitamin K, this is a generic name for a family of two compounds called phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and a series of menaquinones (vitamin K2).   - Vitamin K1 is the predominant form found in foods we regularly eat, making up most of our dietary intake. One of the best places to find it is leafy green vegetables .-Vitamin K2 originates from bacteria. This is found in certain animal-derived foods as well as fermented foods. If you’re wondering where vitamin K is produced in the body, most menaquinones are also made by bacteria living in our digestive tract. It’s uncertain how much we actually get from vitamin K produced this way, but it’s presumed that it meets at least some of our daily needs.    How Much Vitamin K Do You Need?   While many nutrients have a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), vitamin K has an Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). This is the average daily amount of vitamin K estimated to meet the requirements of 50% of healthy people. The EAR for vitamin K is as follows:   - Birth to 6 months: 2 mcg   - 7–12 months: 2.5 mcg   - 1–3 years: 30 mcg   - 4–8 years: 55 mcg   - 9–13 years: 60 mcg   - 14–18 years: 75 mcg  - 19+ years, males: 120 mcg   - 19+ years, females: 90 mcg    Vitamin K Deficiency   Most people in Western countries like the United States get enough vitamin K from their diet alone, and true vitamin K deficiency reports are rare. It’s most likely to occur in the event of severe malnutrition.   Still, there are certain groups of people who are considered to be at a higher risk for developing vitamin K deficiency. Two of the highest risk groups include infants not given the standard vitamin K1 supplement at birth and individuals with malabsorption disorders that can prevent optimal nutrient absorption.   True vitamin K deficiency can contribute to excessive bleeding, poor bone development, and an increased risk of heart problems.    Getting Too Much Vitamin K   Excessive intake of fat-soluble vitamins can be concerning because of how they are stored in the body. Unlike excess water-soluble vitamins, which are excreted in the urine, fat-soluble vitamins accumulate in the fatty tissues and organs.  This can have toxic effects in some cases, particularly when overconsumption is due to the use of supplements. However, there is no established Upper Limit—the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse health effects—for vitamin K due to its low potential for toxicity from foods or supplements.      Vitamin K Foods    Vitamin K is found in a wide variety of foods, which explains why not getting enough of this nutrient is uncommon for most people. It’s likely found in several foods you already eat and others you might consider adding to your diet. Let’s take a look at food sources of vitamin K1 and vitamin K2.     Some food sources of vitamin K1 include:    - Leafy greens, such as spinach, arugula, lettuce, collards, and turnip greens  - Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale  - Roasted soybeans  - Carrot juice  - Okra  - Canned pumpkin  - Blueberries  - Grapes  - Cashews    Find vitamin K2 in the following foods:     - Natto, a sticky Japanese fermented soybean dish  - Chicken breast  - Eel  - Certain cheeses, like cheddar, Munster, and aged Gouda  - Beef liver  - Sauerkraut and kimchi  - Fermented pickles  - Egg yolk  - Tempeh    Should You Take a Vitamin K Supplement?    Most people do not need to take a vitamin K supplement to meet their daily needs if they regularly consume some of the foods listed above.   However, some people may benefit from a vitamin K supplement that contains both K1 and K2 if their diet is lacking, such as Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin K-Complex Capsules. Plus, many daily multivitamins include 100% of the daily value of vitamin K, which may be helpful for some people like post-menopausal women and athletes.   Always speak to your healthcare provider before adding any new supplement to your routine to ensure it’s safe and appropriate.     Potential Interactions    Because of vitamin K’s involvement in blood clotting, it’s important for individuals taking anticoagulant medications, such as Warfarin (Coumadin®), to be aware of their intake of the nutrient. These types of drugs have the opposite effect of vitamin K, which can interfere with their effectiveness.  Maintaining a consistent intake of vitamin K—meaning not making significant changes in existing vitamin K intake habits—when on anticoagulant medications is key. For instance, if you’re prescribed this medication, it’s not a good time to start eating a big bowl of spinach every day if you haven’t been doing that already. If you take these types of drugs, work with your doctor or registered dietitian to ensure your dietary vitamin K intake is stable.     Tips for Increasing Your Vitamin K Intake    If you’re not sure whether you’re eating enough vitamin K in your diet, here are some ways you can incorporate the vitamin K foods above:  - Try natto on top of steamed rice for lunch  - Enjoy a mixed green salad or add leafy greens to sandwiches and wraps  - Add greens to homemade pesto sauce tossed with noodles  - Sauté collards or turnip greens alongside your meal  - Use canned pumpkin in homemade muffins and pumpkin bread  - Toss blueberries in oatmeal or smoothies  - Enjoy a glass of carrot juice in the morning  - Try sauerkraut on sandwiches, burgers, or with Buddha bowls    Takeaway   Vitamin K is an important nutrient involved in many aspects of health, including keeping your bones strong and allowing your blood to form clots when necessary. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are found in a variety of plant, animal, and fermented foods that can be easily incorporated into your diet. While most people meet their daily needs for vitamin K through food, some may consider a vitamin K supplement to help fill in the gaps, with the guidance of their healthcare provider. 

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If you’ve landed here, you probably already know the vital role that vitamin K plays in the body including supporting blood clotting, bone strength, and heart health. Vitamin Code Raw K-Complex is whole food nutrition, specifically formulated to deliver 230mcg of whole food K-Complex, featuring vitamin K2 as MK-7, along with vitamins K1 and K2 as MK-4. Fat-soluble vitamin K is delivered in a whole food base of cold-pressed omega-rich flaxseed oil, which works as a lipid delivery system to promote absorption. The 23 fruits and vegetables plus 75 alkalizing trace minerals add supporting antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrient cofactors. Vitamin Code Raw K-Complex capsules are Non-GMO Project Verified, Certified Vegan, and Star K Kosher Certified.  What’s Inside:  120mcg vitamin K1  100mcg vitamin K2 as MK-7  10mcg vitamin K2 as MK-4  23 powdered fruits & veggies  75 alkalizing trace minerals  300mg cold-pressed flax seed oil The Vitamin Code Difference Vitamin Code supplements are delivered in a whole food base of fruits and vegetables. These supplements are raw, which not only means that they are produced without high heat, but also means that these nutrients come with their natural cofactors, along with live probiotics and enzymes, just like raw foods! It also means that Vitamin Code raw powders are delivered in capsules without any binders, fillers, artificial flavors, sweeteners, or additives—everything you want and nothing you don’t want. Lipid Delivery System 300mg cold-pressed omega-rich flaxseed oil works as a lipid delivery system of K vitamins to promote absorption Raw No high heat, retaining natural cofactors, just like raw foods  Raw Fruit & Vegetable Blend Over 20 organically grown fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrient co-factors

What Sets Them Apart Empowering Extraordinary Health® is not just a mission statement to be used on our website or advertisements. The sole purpose of Garden of Life is and always will be to empower you, our consumers, with the tools necessary to achieve extraordinary health. And, at the same time, ensure that we are offering clean, traceable, clinically studied ingredients in the most sustainable way possible. Our process is not the same as many nutritional supplement companies out there. We believe in whole food ingredients, in traceability, in third-party certifications, and in accountability. As fanatical as we are over what goes into our products, we are even more obsessed about the things we keep out of them. You won’t find synthetic ingredients, artificial flavors or colorings, binders or fillers. We’re uncompromising about your health. That’s what we are all about. Four Principles That Guide Our Process at Garden of Life® The Science of Whole Food Your body was created to eat, process, and derive its nutrition from food—real, healthy food.  So, when we create our products, we start by looking at food. What is the “good stuff” in the highest quality food that we are missing in our diets? Which of those foods have the greatest potential to impact—and empower—extraordinary health? Traceability Traceability is key to what makes Garden of Life’s® products so special. Traceability starts with knowing where each and every ingredient in our products comes from and getting to know each and every source: where it’s grown; the farming practices; how they pay and treat the farm workers—everything. Just look at our formulas. Our mykind Organics line, co-founded with Alicia Silverstone, is made with Organic fruit and herbs—every single product in this line is Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Verified by the Non-GMO Project. It’s so important to start with fruits and vegetables that are grown without harmful chemicals. We want to get the good stuff from foods that are grown without any of the bad stuff. We do it because it’s the only way we know to deliver on our promise of Empowering Extraordinary Health®. Clean is Healthy We start with what goes IN our products—true, whole food ingredients. But we don’t stop there. We also pay very close attention to what we keep OUT of them. And once again, we look at food—real nutrition food. When was the last time you picked up an apple, turned to read the ingredients, and saw a list of chemicals? If it’s not in your food, then we don’t want it in our supplements. We use the following third-party (never self-affirmed) certifications to prove we are clean! Carbon Neutrality We are extremely proud to have reached Carbon Neutrality in June of 2021—the first vitamin and supplement brand to be Certified Carbon Neutral. Certified Carbonfree® by CarbonFund.org, Garden of Life has been committed to sustainability since its inception. Making a Difference With your help, we’re both making a difference. Every time you, our valued customer, purchase certain Garden of Life products, you not only are supporting your health, you are also supporting various charities specially chosen for their outstanding work.