A vitally important nutrient is vitamin K. This vitamin plays a significant role in bone and heart health, and to prevent blood clotting.
Luckily, cases of vitamin K deficiency are rare, still not having the optimal amount will impair your health over time. The insufficient intake may cause your bones to weaken, or you could develop bleeding, and potentially increase your risk of developing heart problems. Therefore, to prevent this you need to get enough vitamin K daily. The recommended daily value of 120 mcg is what you need to aim for.
In this article, the best vitamin K foods will be listed. Make sure that they are on your plate so you too can have strong bones and reduce possible heart problems.
The best vitamin K foods
You get different types of vitamin K, namely vitamin K1 or phylloquinone, vitamin K2 (menaquinone) and vitamin K3. The latter will not be discussed as vitamin K3 can be harmful to humans.
Still, vitamin K1, the most common form of vitamin K, is mainly found in plant-sourced foods, especially dark, leafy green vegetables. This vitamin makes the blood thicker as this takes the calcium from the bone and place it in the arteries.
Vitamin K2, on the other hand, is only found in animal-sourced foods and fermented plant foods, such as natto. It works the other way than vitamin K1, as it is a blood thinner – taking the calcium from the veins and placing them in your bones.
These are the foods that you should add to get vitamin K:
1. Kale that has been cooked — 443% daily value per serving
2. Mustard greens that have been cooked — 346% daily value per serving
3. Swiss card that is raw — 332% daily value per serving
4. Collard Greens (cooked) — 322% daily value per serving
5. Natto or fermented soy— 261% daily value per serving
6. Spinach (raw) — 121% DV per serving
7. Broccoli that has been cooked — 92% daily value per serving
8. Brussels sprouts that have been cooked — 91% daily value per serving
9. Grass fed beef liver — 60% daily value per serving
10. Pork Chops — 49% daily value per serving
11. Chicken — 43% daily value per serving
12. Goose liver paste — 40% daily value per serving
13. Green beans that have been cooked — 25% daily value per serving
14. Prunes — 24% daily value per serving
15. Kiwi fruit — 23% daily value per serving
16. Soybean oil — 21% daily value per serving
17. Hard cheeses — 20% daily value per serving
18. Avocado — 18% daily value per serving
19. Green peas that have been cooked — 17% daily value per serving
20. Soft cheeses — 14% daily value per serving
The best vegetables that contain vitamin K
The best sources of vitamin K1 (i.e. phylloquinone) are dark, leafy green vegetables.
1. Kale — 443% daily value per serving
2. Mustard greens— 346% daily value per serving
3. Swiss chard— 332% daily value per serving
4. Collard greens— 322% daily value per serving
5. Beet greens — 290% daily value per serving
6. Parsley — 137% daily value per serving
7. Spinach — 121% daily value per serving
8. Broccoli — 92% daily value per serving
9. Brussels sprouts — 91% daily value per serving
10. Cabbage (cooked) — 68% DV per serving
Meat Products High in Vitamin K
Good sources of vitamin K2 are fatty meats and livers. Ideally the animals. But the best meat sources of vitamin K2 are:
1. Beef liver — 60% daily value per serving
2. Pork Chops — 49% daily value per serving
3. Chicken — 43% daily value per serving
4. Goose liver paste — 40% daily value per serving
5. Bacon — 25% daily value per serving
6. Ground beef — 7% daily value per serving
7. Pork liver — 6% daily value per serving
8. Duck breast — 4% daily value per serving
9. Beef kidneys — 4% daily value per serving
10. Chicken liver — 3% daily value per serving
Dairy foods and eggs, which are good vitamin K sources
Good sources of vitamin K2 are dairy foods and eggs. These, like meats, depend on the animals’ diet, and again grass fed animals are the best.
1. Hard cheeses — 20% daily value per serving
2. Jarlsberg cheese — 19% daily value per serving
3. Soft cheeses — 14% daily value per serving
4. Edam cheese — 11% daily value per serving
5. Blue cheese — 9% daily value per serving
6. Egg yolk — 5% daily value per serving
7. Cheddar cheese — 3% daily value per serving
8. Full cream milk — 3% daily value per serving
9. Butter — 2% daily value per serving
10. Cream — 2% daily value per serving
The best fruits that contain vitamin K
Compared to the vegetables that contain vitamin K1, fruits are generally not as high in terms of their vitamin K2 content. But here are a few of the best ones that contain this vitamin:
1. Prunes — 24% daily value per serving
2. Kiwi — 23% daily value per serving
3. Avocado — 18% daily value per serving
4. Blackberries — 12% daily value per serving
5. Blueberries — 12% daily value per serving
6. Pomegranate — 12% daily value per serving
7. Dried figs — 6% daily value per serving
8. Sun dried tomatoes — 4% daily value per serving
9. Grapes — 3% daily value per serving
10. Red currants — 3% daily value per serving
Legumes and nut that have vitamin K
There are some nut and legumes varieties that offer a decent amounts of vitamin K1, however these are much less then what the leafy green vegetables can offer you.
1. Green beans — 25% daily value per serving
2. Green peas— 17% daily value per serving
3. Soybeans — 13% daily value per serving
4. Sprouted mung beans — 12% daily value per serving
5. Cashews — 8% daily value per serving
6. Red kidney beans — 6% daily value per serving
7. Hazelnuts — 3% daily value per serving
8. Pine nuts — 1% daily value per serving
9. Pecans — 1% daily value per serving
10. Walnuts — 1% daily value per serving
How to make sure that you meet your vitamin K needs?
As you could have seen from the above, the best sources of vitamin K1 is your leafy green vegetables, and just a half a cup of kale will give your 443% of what you need that day.
However, it is best to add your leafy veg with some fat or oil. This being that vitamin K is fat-soluble and thus better absorbed when it is mixed with fat.
Then again, vitamin K2 is mostly found in animal-sourced foods and certain fermented dishes. Your gut also produces it is small amounts. That animal sources are the best to get vitamin K2, vegans might want to opt for natto. Natto is a Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans.
