Why green leafy vegetables help with bleeding gums!

Vitamin K is indispensable for the blood clotting, vessels and the entire organism. We reveal why! In addition, you will learn how to determine a vitamin K deficiency and in which foods vitamin K occurs.

What is vitamin K?

There are basically three different forms of vitamin K - vitamin K1 (phylloquinone), vitamin K2 (menaquinone) and vitamin K3 (menadione). The vitamin K1 is a pure vegetable vitamin and can be absorbed very well over green vegetables. The vitamin K2 is a vital substance that is formed by microorganisms - including our intestinal bacteria. The third form of vitamin K, the K3, does not matter in your diet. It does not occur in its natural form and is even toxic. For this reason, it has been banned in human medicine for many years.

Why does our body need vitamin K?

The vitamin K plays a very important role in the human body, because it is responsible for the condition of the teeth, bones, heart, blood vessels and blood. The vitamin K ensures that blood clotting is regulated and that the calcium does not attach to the inner walls of the vessel. Just like vitamin A or vitamin C, vitamin K is one of the fat-soluble vitamins. So that it can be optimally absorbed by your body, so it needs fat - at best, healthy oils.

What Vitamin K Does for Our Body and What It Protects

The regulation of blood clotting is a major task of vitamin K. If you take too little vitamin K, risking a bad blood clotting and all the associated symptoms, such as bleeding gums, bruises, bleeding on the mucous membranes, etc.

In addition to blood clotting, the prevention of arteriosclerosis is one of the tasks of this vitamin. It extracts excess calcium from the blood and ensures that it can not attach to the arteries or only to a significantly reduced extent. Also, kidney stones - so the deposition of calcium in the kidneys - can be effectively prevented by a sufficient vitamin K intake. It is particularly impressive that a sufficient intake of vitamin K can even partially reverse calcification in the arteries, according to recent studies. In addition, vitamin K in conjunction with vitamin D forms the so-called matrix GLA proteins (MGP), which further reduce the risk of vascular disease.

Thus, one of the most important properties of vitamin K is that it filters calcium out of the blood so it will not be deposited where it can be dangerous. By doing so, vitamin K, in turn, ensures that calcium can be used elsewhere in a positive way, such as for bone build up or on the teeth. A sufficient vitamin K intake is therefore also associated with the osteoporosis prophylaxis.

What is the daily requirement for vitamin K?

According to the German Society for Nutrition e.V. the following estimates for an adequate vitamin K intake are recommended:

Children between 15 and 50 μg / day depending on their age
Women over the age of 19 years 60 μg / day
Men over the age of 19 years 70 μg / day
Women from the age of 51 years 65 μg / day
Men from the age of 51 years 80 μg / day

For breastfeeding and pregnant women, the recommended daily requirement is 60 μg / day according to DGE.

Foods with high vitamin K content

In order to cover your daily vitamin K content, you should not miss the following foods:

* Green Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables, such as various lettuce or spinach are wonderful vitamin K suppliers. They also score with many other healthy features. Tip: If you want to boost your share of green leafy vegetables, fresh, green smoothies are great.

* Leaves of the red beds: The leaves of the red beds are much healthier than the tuber - among other things, because of the high vitamin K content.

* Kale: In addition to kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower are great vitamin K suppliers.

* Herbs: Especially parsley, but also chives and other garden and wild herbs also provide a lot of vitamin K.

* Avocado: avocado can also cover the daily vitamin K content. In addition, the avocado also provides you with important healthy fats - the perfect combination to optimally absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin K.

Vitamin K deficiency: symptoms, causes and help

Lack of vitamin K, known in medicine as K-hypovitaminosis, is unlikely, but not impossible, in healthy people. In an unbalanced diet or certain diseases, a vitamin K deficiency may well occur. To determine if you have a vitamin K deficiency, your doctor will drain your blood and stop you Create a large blood picture in the lab. A typical symptom of vitamin K deficiency is increased bleeding in the event of injuries, bleeding on the mucous membranes and other consequences of insufficient blood coagulation. Even the slightest injury causes large bruises, bleeding gums and nosebleeds are also common. A vitamin K deficiency can be really dangerous if you have a stomach ulcer or similar diseases that can lead to internal bleeding in the case of a vitamin K deficiency.

Triggers a vitamin K deficiency

In addition to a low intake of vitamin K via the diet, there are also some other causes that are much more common triggers for a vitamin K deficiency disease. These include metabolic disorders or various intestinal diseases that inhibit the production of vitamin K2, such as a gluten intolerance, Crohn's disease or irritable bowel. Even alcoholics and former alcoholics often suffer from vitamin K deficiency. In addition, a vitamin K deficiency can also be caused by various drugs that interfere with the intestinal flora - such as antibiotics.

There is also an increased risk of vitamin K deficiency in newborns. Due to the birth stress, a baby has an increased vitamin K requirement. If this is not covered immediately, deficiency symptoms in the form of blood clotting disorders can occur relatively quickly. For this reason, newborns often receive a vitamin K supplement in the first few days after birth.

Vitamin K deficiency - what to do?

Those who suffer from a strong vitamin K deficiency will usually be prescribed a vitamin K supplement or medication by their doctor. High doses ensure that the empty storage is refilled quickly.

In addition to vitamin supplements, it is important in the long term to ensure a balanced diet with plenty of vitamin K suppliers. The best foods have already been presented. Green leafy vegetables, avocado and co. Should definitely take a big place in the future diet and always be consumed with healthy fat to ensure optimal intake.