The Vitamin Cure. Monte Lai
Kale
Daily reference value of vitamin K is 80 mcg according to the 2013 FDA food-labeling guidelines.
What Are the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Vitamin K?
| 1–3 years | 30 mcg |
| 4–8 years | 55 mcg |
| 9–13 years | 60 mcg |
| 14–18 years | 75 mcg |
| 19 years and older | 120 mcg |
There is currently no upper intake limit for vitamin K.
Vitamin K Supplements
• Dosage and types. The three major types of vitamin K supplements are vitamin K, vitamin K2, and vitamin K7. Unless stated otherwise, vitamin K refers to vitamin K1 (phylloquinone). The most common dosages of vitamin K supplements are 30–1,000 mcg. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) supplements are more expensive compared to vitamin K1 supplements. Vitamin K7 comes from Japanese natto, a food made from fermented soybeans, and supplements of it are the most expensive. The advantage of vitamin K7 is that its half-life in the body is seven to eight times longer than that of vitamin K1. MK-7 (menaquinone-7) is a form of vitamin K2. The common dosage for MK-7 is in the range of 30–200 mcg.
• Osteoporosis. Vitamin K may mitigate age-related bone loss. Studies from the Netherlands have shown that taking 180 mcg of MK-7 daily reduced the risk of bone loss in postmenopausal women. Vitamin K1 at a daily dose of 500 mcg curtailed the risk of osteoporosis.
• Other diseases. Sufficient dietary intake of vitamin K may further reduce the risk of coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and lung cancer.
Safety Issues
• Side effects. There is no known side effect associated with vitamin K intake from foods or supplements.
• Vitamin A and vitamin E. Taking high doses of vitamin A together with high-dose vitamin E reduces the blood level of vitamin K. High-dose vitamin A decreases the absorption of vitamin K by the intestines, while high-dose vitamin E interferes with the coagulation activity of vitamin K in the bloodstream.
What Types of Drugs May Interact with Vitamin K?
• Anticoagulants. Vitamin K may decrease the efficacy of anticoagulant drugs. Patients who take such drugs should not use vitamin K supplements.
• Other drugs. Antibiotics and anticonvulsant drugs may reduce blood levels of vitamin K.
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are the four big elements that make up about 96% of our bodies. Calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphorus are the five essential elements, while iron, zinc, manganese, copper, molybdenum, iodine, chromium, and selenium are eight essential trace elements in the human body. The body cannot produce essential elements; thus it needs to acquire them from food sources to maintain good health and well-being.
Essential elements are called “minerals” or “dietary minerals.” Minerals exist in rocks and the soil of the Earth’s crust. So far, there are 5,300 known minerals. Nevertheless, it is the pure chemical elements, such as calcium or phosphorus, rather than minerals like limestone or apatite that are needed to maintain optimal health. This book presents a new concept, using the term essential elements to replace minerals.
Calcium is an essential element. The body contains about one kilogram of calcium, of which 99% is stored in the bones and teeth. The remainder is distributed in various organs and tissues. Calcium is involved in a multitude of important functions, such as the release of neural transmitters and muscle contraction. There is a homeostasis between calcium ions in the bones and calcium ions in the bloodstream. Excessive calcium in blood is actively deposited into the bones, and calcium is readily released from the bones when the blood level of calcium becomes too low. Prolonged calcium insufficiency can bring about osteoporosis.
What Are the Major Functions of Calcium?
• Bones and teeth. Bones are in a dynamic state and are constantly being repaired or rebuilt. All the calcium in your bones will be replaced within 8–12 years, but calcium in your teeth will never be replaced once deposited. The interplay between osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) and osteoclasts (bone-removing cells) in the bones is essential for maintaining bone health. Osteoblasts deposit calcium in the bones, and osteoclasts release calcium from the bones. During the growth phase in childhood, osteoblasts are actively adding calcium to the bones, while in patients with osteoporosis, osteoclasts are actively removing calcium from the bones.
• Blood coagulation. Blood coagulation factors require calcium as a cofactor. Binding to calcium enables these blood coagulation factors to adhere to platelets. Without binding to calcium, these blood coagulation factors cannot form blood clots, causing uncontrollable bleeding.
• Neurotransmitters. As the action potential (transporting electrical signals from one cell to the next) arrives, calcium ions stored in the neurons are released, which triggers the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, to the neighboring neurons.
• Muscle contraction. Muscle