Vitamin K and Vegetarians

Posted by: Sina Ghaboussi | Feb 04, 2010

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin and is essential in the functioning of several proteins involved in blood clotting. Vitamin K is also a cofactor necessary for some calcium-binding proteins. There are two naturally occurring forms of vitamin K. Plants synthesize phylloquinone and bacteria in adult intestines synthesize a range of vitamin K known as vitamin K2.

Vitamin K is found in many foods including green leafy vegetables and multiple vegetable oils (soybean, cottonseed, canola and olive oil to name a few). Vitamin K deficiency is uncommon in healthy vegetarian adults because vitamin K is widely found in multiple foods and because bacteria in the large intestines synthesize vitamin K2. Adults at risk of vitamin K deficiency are generally those taking anticoagulant drugs (warfarin), individuals with significant liver damage or disease or with disorders of fat malabsorption.
Vitamin K deficiency results in easy bruising and bleeding that may be manifested as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, blood in the urine, blood in the stool, tarry black stools, or extremely heavy menstrual bleeding. The body stores little vitamin K, and its stores are rapidly depleted without regular dietary intake. Experts now advise a reasonably constant dietary intake of vitamin K that meets current dietary recommendations (90-120 mcg per day) for patients on vitamin K antagonists like warfarin.

Infants are a different matter. Infants of vegetarians (and non-vegetarians) who are exclusively breast-fed are at increased risk of vitamin K deficiency due to low levels of vitamin K in breast milk. Also infants whose mothers are on anti-seizure medication are at increased risk of vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin K deficiency in infants can lead to bleeding within the skull. Vitamin K deficiency can be life-threatening in infants, although it can be easily prevented. Therefore the American Academy of Pediatricians, along with similar international organizations, recommend a vitamin injection to be given to all newborns. For anyone who has had a baby, this is one of the injections given in your baby’s foot before they leave the hospital.

You should consider, especially for exclusively breast-feed infants, giving your child a multi-vitamin with vitamin K.

The adequate intake for vitamin K is 2 micrograms per day from birth to 6 months old. For infants 7 to 12 months old is 2.5 micrograms. Children 1 to 3 years old is 30 micrograms, and from 4 to 8 years old is 55 micrograms. Children 9 to 13 years old is 60 micrograms and for 14 to 18 years old it’s 75 micrograms. Adult males require 120 micrograms per day while adult women, pregnant women and breast-feeding moms require 90 micrograms per day.

Article Source: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminK/

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