Definition
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting.

Alternative Names
Vitamin K deficiency (malabsorption); Deficiency - vitamin K

Function
Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly.

Food Sources
Vitamin K is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybean, and other vegetables. Vitamin K is also made by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract.

Side Effects
Vitamin K deficiency is very rare. It occurs when there is an inability to absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract, and can also occur after prolonged treatment with oral antibiotics.

Recommendations
Recommended daily allowances (RDAs) are defined as the levels of intake of essential nutrients that the Food and Nutrition Board judges to be adequate to meet the known nutrient needs of almost all healthy persons.

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the food guide pyramid.

Specific recommendations for each vitamin depend on age, gender, and other factors (such as pregnancy).