Vitamin K and Its Role in Your Body

3. Vitamin K Deficiency

Leading vitamin K researcher Dr. Cee Vermeer believes almost everyone has vitamin K deficiency. While most of us consume enough from our diets to maintain sufficient blood clotting, we do not get enough to protect us from a slew of other health issues. However, clinically significant vitamin K deficiencies are uncommon and typically limited to people who take medications that interfere with metabolization of the vitamin. Individuals with malabsorption disorders are at greater risk of vitamin K deficiency as well. National data indicates that only 25 percent of Americans receive 90-120 mcg of vitamin K, the estimated average requirement (EAR), from what they eat. Deficiency could potentially have far-reaching effects including

• arterial calcification,
• cardiovascular disease,
• varicose veins,
• osteoporosis,
• leukemia and prostate, lung, and liver cancers,
• tooth decay, and
• pneumonia.

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