A vitamin K deficiency can have serious consequences. You should pay attention to three specific symptoms, because they are particularly common in the case of a deficiency. We explain how to recognize a vitamin K deficiency.
Vitamin K: Deficiency occurs more quickly in certain people
Along with vitamins A, D and E, vitamin K is one of the fat-soluble vitamins. The body cannot produce it on its own, so it must be obtained from the diet. A deficiency can lead to blood clotting disorders.
According to the AOK, the vitamin is divided into vitamin K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 must be ingested through food. Intestinal bacteria in the large intestine also produce vitamin K2, but this is only insufficiently absorbed by the body and does not cover the vitamin K requirement overall.
Vitamin K is absorbed into the cells of the small intestine mucosa with the help of bile acid and pancreatic enzymes and then released into the lymphatic vessels. The vitamin is then transported to the liver, where it is repackaged into specific proteins for onward transport in the bloodstream. Vitamin K is found in the liver and other tissues, including the brain, heart, bones and pancreas.
Vitamin K is important for wound closure
The K in vitamin K stands for coagulation. Coagulation means that a blood clot forms in an open wound and the blood can clot. This blood clot causes the wound to close and we don’t bleed to death. Vitamin K activates the necessary coagulation factors for this process. A lack of vitamin K can therefore have serious health consequences and is particularly noticeable through impaired blood clotting.
Fortunately, according to vital.de, a vitamin K deficiency is almost impossible with a balanced diet. However, certain medications, an unbalanced diet or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can cause a vitamin K deficiency.
Vitamin K deficiency also affects newborns because the vitamin is poorly transported across the placenta. This can lead to bleeding in babies in the first few weeks of life, which is why they routinely receive vitamin K drops in Germany.
These 3 symptoms often indicate a vitamin K deficiency
Especially if you suffer from chronic inflammatory bowel disease, you should definitely have a blood test done to determine your vitamin K levels. Furthermore, the following symptoms can indicate an undersupply or deficiency:
1. Bleeding gums or nosebleeds
The most typical and noticeable symptom of a vitamin K deficiency is that you tend to bleed easily. Since blood clotting is disturbed due to the lack of vitamin K, the blood platelets can no longer close wounds sufficiently and bleeding gums or nosebleeds occur more often and even small injuries result in unexpectedly large amounts of blood.
2. Bruises
Vitamin K deficiency can not only promote external bleeding, but also internal bleeding. This bleeding can appear as bruises, i.e. bruises under the skin. If you bruise easily from light touches, this could indicate a vitamin K deficiency or a blood clotting disorder. It becomes dangerous if the deficiency occurs together with a stomach ulcer, for example, since serious internal bleeding can occur.
3. Brittle bones
Vitamin K is doubly important for bone health: together with vitamin D and calcium, it not only promotes the build-up of bone mass, but also inhibits the activity of the so-called osteoclasts. These break down the bone substance and thus promote osteoporosis. In a study of over 72,000 women, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin K had a significantly increased risk of fractures. However, the daily consumption of lettuce and other green vegetables can effectively counteract this danger.
These foods are particularly high in vitamin K:
Kale
spinach
arugula
broccoli
lettuce
cauliflower
sauerkraut
Yoghurt and cottage cheese with a high fat content
chicken meat
beef
Vitamin K is hardly ever stored in the body, but is metabolized quickly. Excess is excreted through the intestines or kidneys.
