This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Vitamin K

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble organic compounds:

  • vitamin K1 - phylloquinones: present in green vegetables and fruit
  • vitamin K2 - menaquinones: synthesized by bacteria within the gut

Vitamin K plays an essential role in blood clotting by acting as a cofactor for the post-translational carboxylation of glutamate residues in clotting factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX and X by the liver.

Bile salts and fat are required for absorption, and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins seem to be the major carriers of vitamin K in the plasma. Vitamin K is stored in the liver and spleen.

Dietary sources include leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and cauliflower, certain legumes, and some vegetable oils such as rapeseed and soya bean oils.

 

Reference

  1. Kory Imbrescia; Zbigniew Moszczynski. Vitamin K. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Jan 2024.

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.