Vitamin K in VEGAN foods

Vitamin K in VEGAN foods

If we really need vitamin K2 and it's only available in animal foods and supplements, how do populations who don't have access to lots of animal foods or supplements stay healthy? How did our ancestors survive before they even knew about it, when calories were much more difficult to come by than they are now? How is it that some of us on this board have not eaten animal products for years, don't take a supplement, and are feeling great?

My opinion is that K2 is just one more way for the supplementarians to get their mitts on your moolah. It's health terrorism. If they can terrorize us with fears about "crucial" nutrients we can't get from our food, they can frighten us into giving them our money. Don't be seduced, just eat your veggies and fruit.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2051

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitamink

http://veganbodybuilding.blogspot.ca/2012/06/importance-of-vitamin-k2.html

 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=112

http://bembu.com/vitamin-k-foods

Nature's Plus Source Of Life Garden Vitamin K2 - 60 Vegetarian Capsules http://www.luckyvitamin.com/p-114168-natures-plus-source-of-life-garden-vitamin-k2-60-vegetarian-capsules

What is vitamin K?

Vitamin K is not a single chemical substance but rather a family of chemically related substances that go by the general name of "vitamin K." Over the past 20 years, no vitamin family has undergone a greater change in terms of our scientific understanding of its chemistry and function. In the past, members of the vitamin K family have traditionally been referred to as vitamin K1, vitamin K2, and vitamin K3. This terminology is largely being replaced by a different set of terms to describe what has now been determined to be a more complicated set of vitamin K compounds.

All types of vitamin K fall into a large chemical category of substances called naphthoquinones. Within this naphthoquinone category, there are two basic types of vitamin K. The first type, called phylloquinones, is made by plants. The second basic type, called menaquinones, is made by bacteria. (The only exception to this rule involves a special group of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, which make phylloquinones instead of menaquinones.) Contrary to some previous scientific assumptions, we get most of our dietary vitamin K in the form of phylloquinones from plant foods. In fact, up to 90% of our dietary vitamin K comes in this form, and within that 90%, over half comes from vegetables— especially green leafy vegetables. Many different types of bacteria in our intestines can make vitamin K in the form of menaquinones. While this synthesis of vitamin K in our digestive tract can contribute to our vitamin K requirements, this contribution is less than previously thought.

vitamin K

What can high-vitamin K foods do for you?

• Allow your blood to clot normally
• Help protect your bones from fracture
• Help prevent postmenopausal bone loss
• Help prevent calcification of your arteries
• Provide possible protection against liver and prostate cancer

What events can indicate a need for more high-vitamin K foods?

• Excessive bleeding, including heavy menstrual bleeding, gum bleeding, bleeding within the digestive tract, or nosebleeding
• Easy bruising
• Problems with calcification of the blood vessels or heart valves
• Problems with bone fracture or bone weakening

Excellent sources of vitamin K include parsley, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, thyme, romaine lettuce, sage, oregano, cabbage, celery, sea vegetables, cucumber, leeks, cauliflower, tomatoes, and blueberries.

 Within this general category of fermented foods and vitamin K, a very special place must be given to fermented soy foods. Bacillus subtilis is not the most famous micro-organism used in fermentation of soybeans. (That distinction goes to the koji mold, Aspergillus oryzae, that is used in fermentation of many soy pastes, as well as soy miso and soy sauce. But in the context of vitamin K benefits, Bacillus bacteria may be the most important micro-organisms used in soybean fermentation based on their ability to create a K2 form of the vitamin called menaquinone-7 (MK-7). Studies have shown that higher levels of MK-7 in the blood correspond to lower risk of hip fracture in older Japanese women, and that higher MK-7 levels also correspond to increased intake of soy foods fermented with Bacillus bacteria.

One fascinating aspect of Bacillus-fermented soy foods is the potential ability of these bacteria to stay alive in our lower intestine after these foods are consumed and continue providing us with vitamin K2 (in the form of MK-7). We've seen one study in which 1.6-20 million Bacillus bacteria (per gram of feces) were found to remain alive up to 6 days following consumption of natto.