Vitamin K

The RDA ranges from 5 micrograms for infants to 80 micrograms for adult men.

Little is stored in the body.

Too much sugar, over-use of antibiotics, excess vitamin E and too much calcium can all cause decreased absorption of vitamin K.

Where do you get it?

Vitamin K is found in green vegetables, cereals, cheese and liver, and in eggs and beef.

Bacteria in your gut are also an important source.

Actions:

You need vitamin K for blood to clot properly, and for teeth and bones to form correctly.

Too much:

Toxicity is rare, but can happen if large amounts of synthetic vitamin K are taken. Symptoms include flushing, sweating and anaemia.

Too little:

Deficiency is rare in adults unless they suffer from conditions that disrupt absorption such as Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis and ulcerative colitis.

Supplement:

Multivitamin preparations usually contain small amounts of vitamin K; the rest should come from the diet and intestinal bacteria.

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