Tag Archives: vitamin K

Things to Know Before You go (to the Hospital) – Vitamin K

As you prepare for the birth of your baby, you are likely to be preparing yourself in many ways for your baby’s arrival. While being prepared may not help you to navigate every possible thing that might happen during and shortly after the birth of your baby, there are a few things that you can think about and plan for ahead of time. One of these things is deciding whether or not to allow your baby to be given a dose of synthetic Vitamin K shortly after birth. Vitamin K is routinely administered to newborn babies in the United States … Continue reading →

What You Didn’t Know About Vitamin K

My dad’s recent illness inspired me to write this blog about a vitamin that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the almighty vitamin C. (More on my dad’s medical condition in a bit.) As you probably know vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, but did you know that vitamin K also aids in the health of bones, blood vessels, brain cells, and eyes? It’s true. Studies show that vitamin K helps bones retain calcium. When it comes to providing cardiovascular health benefits, vitamin K helps your body by preventing calcium accumulation in blood vessels. This helps to avoid … Continue reading →

Why Does My Body Need Vitamin K?

If you think important vitamins stop at the letter E, think again. Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that can’t entirely be produced in our bodies. Only about one third of the vitamin K we need comes from within; the rest must come from your diet. Vitamin K was first recognized in 1929 as a blood clotting agent. A Danish scientist studying chickens found that chicks that lacked a certain factor tended to hemorrhage — their blood formed clots too slowly. The missing piece was identified as vitamin K. Worried about your bones? Vitamin K to the rescue! This vitamin … Continue reading →