Vitamin K
Best known for its role in normal blood clotting and bone proteins.
Why it matters
Vitamin K is required to make proteins involved in blood clotting, and it also helps activate proteins that support bone health.
- Helps blood clot normally.
- Supports bone-related proteins.
- Works closely with other nutrients involved in bone metabolism.
If intake is too low
Low vitamin K can make normal clotting harder. Deficiency can lead to easy bruising and bleeding, and newborns are at special risk if they do not receive vitamin K at birth.
- Easy bruising.
- Bleeding problems when intake is very low.
- Newborns are a special risk group for vitamin K deficiency bleeding.
If intake is too high
No tolerable upper limit has been established for vitamin K in healthy people. The biggest practical issue is drug interaction, not classic toxicity.
- No established upper limit for healthy people.
- Large swings in intake can interfere with warfarin management.
- Consistency matters more than chasing very high numbers.
No adult upper limit established
No tolerable upper intake level has been set, but that does not mean intake should be erratic when you use anticoagulants.
Common food sources
Vitamin K is especially rich in leafy greens and a few plant oils.
- Kale, spinach, collards, and other leafy greens
- Broccoli and Brussels sprouts
- Soybean and canola oils
Who may need closer attention
Low intake matters most in newborns and in people who cannot absorb fat well.
- Newborns who have not received vitamin K prophylaxis
- People with fat-malabsorption disorders
- Anyone on vitamin K-sensitive anticoagulants who changes intake drastically
Use extra caution if
Small details change the risk picture with nutrients more than most people expect.
You take warfarin or another vitamin K-sensitive anticoagulant. The goal is usually a steady intake pattern, not avoidance followed by bingeing.
Supplement and label notes
Useful context when this nutrient shows up across more than one product.
- Labels may use phylloquinone (K1) or menaquinones (K2), but consistency matters more than chasing trendy forms.
- For people on warfarin, the goal is usually steady intake rather than swings between very low and very high vitamin K.
- Vitamin K often appears in bone blends alongside vitamin D and calcium.
Daily Value targets in SuppMap
These are the same label-style Daily Value targets used in the app.
Official references
These pages were used to draft the summaries on this guide.
Educational only. These pages are not a diagnosis or a substitute for personal medical care.
More guides
Keep moving through the rest of the Daily Value chart from here.