If you are looking for a natural way to boost your health, you might want to consider adding more vegetables to your diet. Vegetables are not only delicious and versatile, but they also provide many benefits for your body. One of these benefits is that vegetables are high in vitamin K, a nutrient that plays a vital role in blood clotting, bone health, and heart health. So you may wonder what vegetables are high in vitamin K?
Vegetables are high in vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in two forms: vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is mainly found in green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce. Vitamin K2 is mainly found in animal products, such as meat, eggs, cheese, and butter. However, some fermented foods, such as natto, sauerkraut, and kimchi, also contain vitamin K2.
Here are some of the best sources of vitamin K1 from vegetables, along with their vitamin K content per serving, according to the USDA FoodData Central database:
- Kale (cooked): 531 mcg (443% of the DV) per 1/2 cup
- Mustard greens (cooked): 415 mcg (346% of the DV) per 1/2 cup
- Swiss chard (raw): 398 mcg (332% of the DV) per 1 leaf
- Collard greens (cooked): 386 mcg (322% of the DV) per 1/2 cup
- Spinach (raw): 145 mcg (121% of the DV) per 1 cup
- Broccoli (cooked): 110 mcg (92% of the DV) per 1/2 cup
- Brussels sprouts (cooked): 109 mcg (91% of the DV) per 1/2 cup
- Green beans (cooked): 30 mcg (25% of the DV) per 1/2 cup
- Prunes: 28 mcg (24% of the DV) per 5 pieces
- Kiwi: 28 mcg (23% of the DV) per 1 fruit
See more sources of vitamin K1 from vegetables in the video bellow:
As you can see, most of these vegetables are dark green leafy ones, which are also rich in other nutrients like iron, folate, calcium, and antioxidants. These vegetables can be enjoyed in salads, soups, stir-fries, casseroles, or smoothies. You can also make kale chips, mustard green pesto, swiss chard wraps, collard green rolls, spinach dip, broccoli slaw, brussels sprout hash, green bean casserole, prune cake, or kiwi salsa.
Some other vegetables that contain smaller amounts of vitamin K1 include cabbage, lettuce, asparagus, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, onion, potato, squash, tomato, avocado and carrot. You can add these to your diet as well to get more variety and flavor.
Vitamin K helps your body make proteins that are involved in blood clotting. When you get injured, these proteins help stop the bleeding by forming a clot. Without enough vitamin K, you may bleed too much or too easily. Vitamin K also helps your body use calcium to build and maintain strong bones. It prevents calcium from depositing in your arteries and causing plaque buildup, which can lead to heart disease.
The recommended daily intake of vitamin K for adults is 90 micrograms (mcg) for women and 120 mcg for men. However, some people may need more or less depending on their age, health condition, and medication use. For example, people who take blood thinners, such as warfarin, need to monitor their vitamin K intake carefully and consult with their doctor before making any changes. People who have liver disease, cystic fibrosis, or malabsorption disorders may also need more vitamin K.
To get enough vitamin K from your diet, you should aim to eat at least one serving of green leafy vegetables per day. A serving is about one cup of raw or half a cup of cooked vegetables. You can also include other sources of vitamin K in your diet, such as fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and oils. However, be aware that some foods may interfere with the absorption of vitamin K, such as soybean oil, margarine, and mineral oil.
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that supports many aspects of your health. By eating more vegetables that are high in vitamin K1, you can boost your intake of this nutrient and enjoy its benefits.
Thank you for reading this article!