Active Ingredient Vitamin K

a lipid cofactor that is required for normal blood clotting. several forms of vitamin k have been identified: vitamin k 1 (vitamin k 1) derived from plants, vitamin k 2 (menaquinone) from bacteria, and synthetic naphthoquinone provitamins, vitamin k 3 (menadione). vitamin k 3 provitamins, after being alkylated in vivo, exhibit the antifibrinolytic activity of vitamin k. green leafy vegetables, liver, cheese, butter, and egg yolk are good sources of vitamin k.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: vitamin k

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
deficiency of vitamin k	vitamin k deficiency is rare in adults, but can lead to defective blood clotting and increased bleeding, as well as osteoporosis. people at risk for developing vitamin k deficiency include those with chronic malnutrition (including those with alcohol dependency) or conditions that limit absorption of dietary vitamins such as biliary obstruction, celiac disease or sprue, ulcerative colitis, regional enteritis, cystic fibrosis, short bowel syndrome or intestinal resection (particularly of the	a
hemorrhagic disease of newborn	vitamin k deficiency in infants can lead to hemorrhagic disease of the newborn, also known as vitamin k deficiency bleeding (vkdb). although up to half of newborns may have some degree of vitamin k deficiency, serious hemorrhagic disease with bleeding is rare. because vitamin k given by injection has been shown to prevent vkbd in newborns and young infants, the american academy of pediatrics recommends administering a single intramuscular injection of vitamin k1 to all newborns. oral dosing is	a
malignant neoplasm of liver primary	infection with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) may lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc), a form of liver cancer. so far, the results from clinical studies are unclear and do not indicate any beneficial effects of vitamin k in preventing hcc recurrence.	d
osteoporosis	vitamin k appears to prevent bone resorption and adequate dietary intake is likely necessary to prevent excess bone loss. elderly or institutionalized patients may be at particular risk and adequate intake of vitamin k-rich foods should be maintained. unless patients have demonstrated vitamin k deficiency, there is no evidence that additional vitamin k supplementation is helpful. some studies show that vitamin k supplements may increase bone mineral density and bone strength, while others show	c
unspecified diseases of blood and blood-forming organs	agents that block vitamin k, such as warfarin and phenprocoumon, are often used in anticoagulant therapy. because dietary intake of vitamin k can affect anticoagulant function, inconsistent levels of vitamin k in the diet may make it difficult to control anticoagulant stability. some studies suggest that daily, low-dose vitamin k supplementation may help stabilize anticoagulant therapy.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.