Vitamin K was first discovered by humans in 1934 and is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin K activates clotting factors in the body, so when vitamin K is deficient, it can lead to bleeding disorders, which is why it has been used for a long time to treat clotting disorders.

Because vitamin K is widely found in various foods and can be synthesized by commensal bacteria in the human intestinal tract, it is usually not deficient, so vitamin K is a vitamin that is considered “unimportant”. However, in recent years, it has been found that vitamin K not only stops bleeding, but also assists in calcium supplementation and inhibits vascular calcification.

First, there are many kinds of vitamin K. There are two kinds of naturally occurring vitamin K, which are vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Among them, vitamin K1 is widely found in green plants; while vitamin K2 exists in animals, as well as synthesized by bacteria in the intestines. Synthetic vitamin K, there are K3, K4, K5, K7 and so on. However, no matter which kind of vitamin K, ultimately have to be converted to vitamin K2 in order to play a physiological role.

Generally speaking, as long as the diet is normal, the intestinal flora is balanced, there will be no lack of vitamin K. Only infants and young children whose intestines are not fully developed, or who suffer from liver and gallbladder diseases, or who have severe diarrhea that leads to an imbalance in the intestinal flora, or who have been using antibiotics for a long period of time to inhibit the normal flora of the intestinal tract, etc., will lead to vitamin K deficiency.

Second, vitamin K can coagulate the human blood clotting process, in addition to platelet aggregation, a variety of coagulation factors is also an indispensable part. Vitamin K2 can make the liver generated plasminogen, as well as a variety of other coagulation factors activation, if the lack of vitamin K2, blood coagulation will be delayed, coagulation disorders.

So the most important role of vitamin K is to maintain the normal operation of the coagulation function. Commonly used drugs include vitamin K1 tablets with injections, which work after being converted to vitamin K2 in the body after use. However, coagulation factors rely on the liver to synthesize, so coagulation disorders caused by liver insufficiency, only vitamin K supplementation is not effective.

Third, vitamin K can assist in calcium supplementation of the elderly population, especially women after menopause, prone to osteoporosis. However, many people even after supplementing calcium and vitamin D, the effect is not very obvious, this is because the supplemented calcium is not deposited on the bones. Increased weight-bearing exercise can promote calcium deposition, and vitamin K can also be used to help.

Vitamin K2 can carboxylate osteocalcin synthesized by osteoblasts, increase affinity and binding activity with calcium, and combine with collagen to form a mesh structure, providing a site for calcium deposition. And vitamin K2 can induce osteoclastogenesis, prompt osteoblast activation, increase osteoclast function, promote bone formation and maintain bone health.

Fourth, vitamin K can inhibit vascular calcification in the human body there is a vitamin K-dependent extracellular proteins (MGP), widely distributed in the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin and arterial walls.MGP synthesized by the chondrocytes, smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts, in the process of vascular calcification plays an important role.

In related studies, MGP inhibited the development of vascular calcification, but MGP requires vitamin K2 as a coenzyme activation to be active. In people with vascular calcification, if vitamin K2 is insufficient, it will lead to insufficient activation of MGP to inhibit the occurrence of vascular calcification. So supplementation with vitamin K helps to inhibit the occurrence of vascular calcification.

To summarize, vitamin K stops bleeding, replenishes calcium and inhibits vascular calcification. It can be taken with a normal diet, and adults without liver or gallbladder disease or digestive disorders are usually not deficient. Vitamin K supplementation is important for imbalanced flora, older populations, and when vitamin K deficiency occurs in menopausal women. Whichever vitamin K is supplemented, it is eventually converted to vitamin K2 for action.

However, it is important to note that people who are themselves in a hypercoagulable state, such as those taking anticoagulant medications such as warfarin and rivaroxaban, should not take vitamin K supplements.