Foods High In Vitamin K Recipes Food Cooking International
Guide
Foods High In Vitamin K To Meet Your Daily Requirements
By Julia Taylor-Fernandez
Foods high in Vitamin K include leafy green vegetables like kale
and spinach. Cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli are also high in
vitamin K. You can grow your own vegetables in your garden, or
purchase them from your local grocery or health food store. When
you purchase these vegetables, they should be fresh and tender,
but if you grow them in your garden, and include them in your
meals on the same day they are picked, then you know they are
genuinely fresh.
You can include these vegetables in your cooking as part of a
balanced meal, so that you do not have too much of one vitamin
in your system, but have a balanced supply of vitamins and minerals
your body needs to stay healthy. Eating a healthy meal, allows
your body to maintain your body systems and processes and help
avoid illness and disease.
If your medical doctor advises you need to increase the vitamin
K levels in your system, then he may advise you on the vitamin
K supplements you may need and confirm the type of foods with
high vitamin K for a balanced meal. You may even be referred to
a dietitian to help plan your meals, to ensure you obtain the
amount of vitamin K in your system to meet your daily requirements.
Eating Your Greens To Meet Daily Requirements
When your mother told you to eat your greens, she was giving
good advice. Leafy green vegetables are one of the foods high
in Vitamin K, particularly the dark green varieties such as kale
and spinach. The human body needs this vitamin for blood coagulation
and for bone metabolism. Brassica, including cauliflower, cabbage,
broccoli, and sprouts are another important source. Watercress
and lettuce also supply the vitamin.
The body doesn’t store the vitamin in substantial amounts, so
a daily intake is necessary. The recommended daily amount is 80
micrograms for male adults and 65 micrograms for female adults.
Foods high in Vitamin K also include kiwifruit, avocado and parsley.
Dairy products, including milk and eggs, and cereals are another
source. Alfalfa is high in Vitamin K and is often used in herbal
medicine. It also contains Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. Lesser
quantities are found in oils such as Soybean Oil.
The Merits Of Vitamin K
Vitamin K activates three proteins that are advantageous to bones.
Every age group can benefit from the vitamin, from growing children
to the elderly. Since its discovery in 1939 by scientists from
Denmark, there are have been many studies into the merits of Vitamin
K, how much we need and its effects on different groups of people.
Elderly people were found to be less prone to bone injuries like
hip fractures when eating foods high in Vitamin K, which strengthens
bones. However, studies have shown that the general population
doesn’t get the recommended amount especially with regard to children
and people from the age of 20 to 40. This perhaps is not surprising
as so many people rely on fast food and ready meals, instead of
preparing meals from scratch, using fresh vegetables.
Redressing The Balance With Foods High In Vitamin K
Some people who take regular doses of anti-biotics or are on
a long-term course of them may develop a Vitamin K deficiency.
Foods high in Vitamin K will help to redress the balance. After
consulting a doctor’s opinion, it may be appropriate to raise
the Vitamin K level with supplementary vitamin tablets or liquid
nutritional supplements. Patients taking Coumadin (Warfarin),
which is an anti-coagulant, should also consult their doctor as
very high levels of Vitamin K can affect the treatment.
The best advice is to eat a balanced diet with everything in
moderation. Vitamins and minerals are a vital part of the dietary
routine and foods high in Vitamin K are so important in achieving
that balance. So, remember to eat your greens!
Your Own Garden With Leafy Green Vegetables
Now that you know which foods contain the levels you need for
your dietary needs, you can now include these foods in your family
meals and the whole family can take advantage of a balanced meal.
A lot of these foods like leafy green vegetables are available
from your grocery store, or better still, grow your own leafy
green vegetables in your garden. If you do not use chemical fertilizers
and chemical pesticides or any other chemicals, then your growing
vegetables will be truly organic and available as fresh ingredients
for your family meals.
If you do not have space for a garden in your backyard, you can
always grow your vegetables in containers. Container gardening
is very popular these days, for people who want fresh vegetables
from their own garden.
So, next time you visit the you local nursery, look for seedlings
and seeds to grow leafy green vegetables in your garden to make
food high in Vitamin K.
About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on food,
cooking and dieting including General
Nutrition, Meal
Plans, Salad
Dressings, Organic
Baby Food, Fruit
Flower Baskets, Fresh
Fruit, Latte
Coffee, Teen
Weight Loss, Nutritional
Information, Teen
Diets, Healthy
Appetizers, Health
Food Store, Food
Packaging.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
What are the kitchen basics I need?
Kitchen basics that every kitchen should have are
pots and pans (in a variety of sizes), measuring cups, measuring spoons,
mixing bowls and an assortment of kitchen gadgets that make life easier.
One of these gadgets is a can opener. Being forced to saw off
the bottom of a can could take a little of the fervor away from
cooking. Also consider keeping whisks, spatulas and tongs as part
of your cooking basics.
Another item basic that is used often is a drainer/strainer.
These can come in the form of bowls or be part of a boiling pan
set. It is used to drain spaghetti water from the pasta or can
be used for anything similar.
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