You need this vitamin for your bones!
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 5, 2019
- 3 min read
Good for Bones & Blood
Vitamin K is an essential vitamin needed for blood clotting and bone growth. Adequate intake of vitamin K protects against heart disease and osteoporosis. In general people who consume a balanced diet have adequate intake of vitamin K.
Eat More Leafy Greens
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, collard and kale are at the top of vitamin K sources. Cooked kale is a vitamin K powerhouse, packing 531 micrograms in one-half cup. Half serving cup of spinach provides 75 micrograms of vitamin K.
Try Other Veggies
Vegetables are good source of vitamin K and you don’t need to choose only leafy greens. Roasted Brussels sprouts and broccoli are chock-full of K, giving you about 110 micrograms per half-cup serving. Other good veggie choices are scallions, frozen asparagus, frozen okra, raw watercress, and green cabbage. One quick vitamin K booster: Add 10 sprigs of parsley to a meal
Have an Apple
Fruit are not rich in vitamin K but some can give you a certain amount of vitamin K. A cup of sliced avocado can give you up to 50 micrograms of vitamin K. One-half cup of stewed prunes nets you about 32 micrograms. Blueberries (14 microgram/half-cup) and grapes (11 micrograms/half-cup) and apples (up to 5 micrograms for one small apple) have lower amounts but are easy to add to a meal on the go.
Cook With Soybean Oil
Soybean and canola oil are rich in vitamin K: phyllo Quinone. A tablespoon of soybean oil has about 25 micrograms of vitamin K while canola oil has about 10 micrograms per same serving.
Go Nuts
They are rich in fibre, protein and healthy fats. They play a role in fighting inflammation and protect your heart. Cashews, mixed nuts, and pine nuts, in particular, give you an extra shot of vitamin K. You can add pine nuts to your paste or have a handful of cashews for a snack.
Put Fish on the Menu
It is recommended to have twice weekly fish like salmon as they are rich in protein, healthy fat, nutrients and they lower blood pressure and protect heart against stroke. Cooked salmon and shrimp have a little vitamin K, but light canned tuna in oil is loaded with 37 micrograms per 3-ounce serving.
Have a Glass of Juice
Juices can pack some vitamin K. Three-quarters of a cup of carrot juice gives you a quick serving of vitamin K about 28 micrograms. If you don’t like orange juiced you may enjoy pomegranate as it provides 19 micrograms per ¾ cup. And some beverages are fortified with vitamin K. Check the label to be sure.
Cook With Spinach Noodles
A half cup of spinach noodles can boost your vitamin K. Add in an equal amount of tomato paste or marinara, and you bump that up a bit more.
Try Fermented Soybeans
Boiled, fermented soybeans, called natto has large amounts of vitamin K. Just 3 ounces give you 850 micrograms. According to studies natto will lower bone losses in women thus lower risk of osteoporosis.
How You Cook Counts
Frozen foods that you cook often have more vitamin K than raw forms. This is probably because frozen vegetables lose some of their water, which concentrates the vitamins. For example, a half cup of boiled frozen turnip greens nets you more than 425 micrograms. But eating raw turnip greens gives much less than that.
It Isn’t Safe for Everyone
If you take warfarin (Coumadin), be careful about the vitamin K in your diet. Talk to your doctor about how much you should be getting. It also can cause issues if you take certain antibiotics, cholesterol medicines, or the weight loss drug orlistat. And always check with your doctor before taking any multivitamins or supplements.
Sources:
Comments