March 2010 - Vol 5 Issue 3

Vitamin K Foods
How to meet vitamin K needs
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.

As you learned in Why We Need Vitamin K, individuals are rarely deficient in vitamin K. Large quantities of vitamin K can be found in green leafy vegetables. Common foods such as soy, plant oils, and margarine are also good sources of the vitamin.

High Vitamin K Foods

SOURCE: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16.

Vitamin K needs

Vitamin K requirements can be easily met through a well-balanced diet. In addition, since vitamin K is fat soluble and can be stored in the body, along with the fact that our bodies naturally produce vitamin K, we do not need to get the vitamin every day. Overall vitamin K needs are based on age and are set according to what is considered to be “Adequate Intake” levels:

Vitamin K Recommendations*

*SOURCE: The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine(2001).

For more information, see Why We Need Vitamin K.

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