Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and preventing excessive bleeding. Vitamin K, unlike many other vitamins, is not commonly used as a dietary supplement.

Vitamin K is actually a collection of compounds. Vitamins K1 and K2 appear to be the most important of these compounds. Vitamin K1 is found in leafy greens and a few other vegetables. Vitamin K2 is a class of compounds derived primarily from meats, cheeses, and eggs and produced by bacteria.

Vitamin K1 is the most common type of vitamin K supplement available in the United States.

Some people have recently turned to vitamin K2 to treat osteoporosis and steroid-induced bone loss, but the research is mixed. There is not enough data to recommend vitamin K2 for osteoporosis at this time.

Despite the rarity of vitamin K deficiencies, the following factors may increase your risk:

• Have a condition that affects gastrointestinal absorption, such as active celiac disease or Crohn's disease
• Take medications that inhibit vitamin K absorption.
• Are malnourished severely
• Drink a lot of alcohol

Is it possible to get vitamin K from food?

• Spinach, asparagus, and broccoli are examples of vegetables.
• Legumes, such as soybeans
• You can also meet your daily requirement with foods that contain less vitamin K:
• Eggs
• Strawberries
• Meats such as liver

Low vitamin K levels can increase the risk of uncontrolled bleeding. While vitamin K deficiency is uncommon in adults, it is extremely common in newborn infants. For newborns, a single injection of vitamin K is standard. Vitamin K is also used to counteract a blood thinner overdose.