Vitamin K foods, that is, foods that are high in vitamin K, are an excellent way to avoid a vitamin K deficiency. Prescription drugs always cause some sort of vitamin deficiency and cholesterol reducing drugs in particular will cause a vitamin K deficiency.
Vitamin K, along with vitamin D, work to promote blood clotting. If you suffer from frequent nosebleeds, increasing your intake of vitamin K foods and getting more sunshine (known to produce the best vitamin D) will be a big help in reducing your nosebleeds.
Vitamin K is fat-soluble and comes in three forms:
- K1 is obtained from vegetables,
- K2 is produced by intestinal flora, and
- K3 is synthesized specifically for therapy and treatment.
The focus here is on the K1 form, found in your favorite (or not so favorite) green vegetables. K2 can be found in eggs, liver, some cheeses and fermented foods.
Vitamin K does not remain in the body for very long and needs to be supplied by a steady diet of Vitamin K rich foods.
Many foods are very rich sources of vitamin K1, so incorporating vitamin K foods in your diet is easy. For example, 1 cup of Swiss chard supplies more than 700% of an adult woman's daily intake requirement for vitamin K1.
How Cooking, Storage, and Processing Affect Vitamin K Foods
While vitamin K is not as easily destroyed during processing as many vitamins are, fresh food sources still offer higher amounts than cooked. Vitamin K naturally occurs as oils which are resistant to heat and moisture, but can be destroyed by light, oxidizers, acid, and base. Therefore, most vitamin K is retained during normal cooking. Low-fat processed foods will have less naturally occurring vitamin K, since it has been removed with the other fats in the product. Freezing can somewhat decrease the vitamin K content of a food . For example, 100 grams of raw spinach may have 483 micrograms of vitamin K. But 100 grams of frozen spinach has about 377 micrograms, or nearly 20% less.
Foods High In Vitamin K
Find some new and delicious foods in the chart below and begin enjoying the goodness and reaping the benefits of vitamin K foods!
| Food Category / Description | Vitamin K per measure µgrams | Weight grams / Common Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Kale, frozen, cooked | 1,147 | 130 / 1 cup |
| Kale, cooked | 1,206 | 130 / 1 cup |
| Collards, frozen boiled | 1,059 | 170 / 1 cup |
| Spinach, frozen, boiled | 1,027 | 190 / 1 cup |
| Spinach, canned | 988 | 214 / 1 cup |
| Spinach, cooked | 889 | 180 / 1 cup |
| Turnip greens, frozen, boiled | 851 | 164 / 1 cup |
| Collards, cooked | 836 | 190 / 1 cup |
| Beet greens, cooked | 697 | 144 / 1 cup |
| Turnip greens, cooked | 529 | 144 / 1 cup |
| Mustard greens, cooked | 419 | 140 / 1 cup |
| Brussels sprouts, frozen, boiled | 300 | 155 / 1 cup |
| Broccoli, cooked | 220 | 156 / 1 cup |
| Brussels sprouts, cooked | 219 | 150 / 1 cup |
| Onions, spring or scallions, raw | 207 | 100 / 1 cup |
| Dandelion greens, cooked | 204 | 105 / 1 cup |
| Broccoli, frozen, boiled | 183 | 184 / 1 cup |
| Spinach souffle | 172 | 136 / 1 cup |
| Lettuce, butterhead,Boston, Bibb, raw | 167 | 163 / 1 head |
| Parsley, raw | 164 | 10 / 10 sprigs |
| Spinach, raw | 145 | 30 / 1 cup |
| Asparagus, frozen, cooked | 144 | 180 / 1 cup |
| Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids | 135 | 236 / 1 cup |
| Lettuce, iceberg,crisp head types, raw | 130 | 539 / 1 head |
| Endive, raw | 116 | 50 / 1 cup |
| Lettuce, green leaf, raw | 97 | 56 / 1 cup |
| Broccoli, raw | 89 | 88 / 1 cup |
| Okra, frozen, cooked | 88 | 184 / 1 cup |
| Cabbage, cooked | 73 | 150 / 1 cup |
| Rhubarb, frozen, cooked | 71 | 240 / 1 cup |
| Okra, cooked | 64 | 160 / 1 cup |
| Cow peas, frozen, boiled | 63 | 170 / 1 cup |
| Cabbage, Chinese (pak-choi), boiled | 58 | 170 / 1 cup |
| Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw | 57 | 56 / 1 cup |
| Celery, cooked | 57 | 150 / 1 cup |
| Broccoli, cooked | 52 | 37 / 1 spear |
| Cucumber, with peel, raw | 49 | 301 / 1 large |
| Peas, edible-podded, frozen, boiled | 48 | 160 / 1 cup |
| Spinach, raw | 48 | 10 / 1 leaf |
| Cabbage, Savoy, raw | 48 | 70 / 1 cup |
| Asparagus, frozen, cooked | 48 | 60 / 4 spears |
| Cow peas, immature seeds, boiled | 44 | 165 / 1 cup |
| Cabbage, raw | 42 | 70 / 1 cup |
Other Sources of Vitamin K Foods
These other good vitamin K foods may surprise you; add them to your diet regularly:
Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Celery, Kelp, Watercress, Green Beans, Cloves, Cauliflower, Tomato, Cucumber, Green Peas, Carrots, Cayenne, Bell Peppers, Summer squash, Avocado, Miso, Cranberries, Pumpkin seeds, Pears, Strawberries, Papaya, Black Pepper, and Kidney Beans.
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