Vitamin K is a nutrient that, just like other vitamins, works in a certain way to help keep our bodies healthy.
What does Vitamin K do?
Of all the vitamins and minerals, it’s Vitamin K’s ‘job’ to aid blood clotting and wound healing. It keeps our bones healthy too.
Adults need around 1 microgram (mcg) a day for each kilogram of their body weight.
1 For example, if you weigh 85kg, then you need 85mcg of Vitamin K a day, or if you weigh 90kg, then you’ll need 90mcg.
The amount of Vitamin K needed also depends on whether you’re male or female, how old you are, and for women, if they’re pregnant or breastfeeding:
Average daily recommended Vitamin K levels:
Age |
Recommended amount2 |
Birth to 6 months |
2mcg |
7 to 12 months |
2.5mcg |
1 to 3 years |
30mcg |
4 to 8 years |
55mcg |
9 to 13 years |
60mcg |
14 to 18 years |
75mcg |
Adult men ( 19 years old and over) |
120mcg |
Adult women (19 years old and over) |
90mcg |
Pregnant or breastfeeding teenagers |
75mcg |
Pregnant or breastfeeding women |
90mcg |
Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2 – explained
Vitamin K is made up of a whole group of vitamins that have a similar chemical structure and sit within the Vitamin K ‘family’. These include Vitamin K1 and K2, the two main dietary forms of Vitamin K.
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Vitamin K1, which is also called phylloquinone, is mainly found in plant foods, such as leafy green vegetables. Between 75 and 90% of the Vitamin K we eat is Vitamin K1.
Vitamin K2 is found in fermented food and animal products. It also happens to be produced by our gut bacteria. There are several sub-groups of Vitamin K2; they’re called menaquinones (MKs) and are named according to how long their side chain is, and go from MK-4 up to MK-13.
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Vitamin K foods
More common Vitamin K food includes the leafy green veg we mentioned up above, so your broccoli, your sprouts, your cabbage, green beans and lettuce. Meanwhile, the lesser known Vitamin K food includes pickled cucumber, sauerkraut, and the Japanese breakfast dish, Natto, which is made from fermented soybeans.
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There are many more Vitamin K-rich food stuffs out there, including the examples below:
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20 foods high in Vitamin K
- Kale
- 1 cup of cooked kale contains 544mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked kale contains 419mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 2,2325mcg of Vitamin K
- Cabbage
- 1 cup of cooked cabbage contains 163mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked cabbage contains 109mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 945mcg of Vitamin K
- Broccoli
- 1 cup of cooked broccoli contains 220mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked broccoli contains 141mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 806mcg of Vitamin K
- Brussels Sprouts
- 1 cup of cooked sprouts contains 219mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked sprouts contains 140mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 779mcg of Vitamin K
- Asparagus
- 1 cup of cooked asparagus contains 91mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked asparagus contains 51mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 460mcg of Vitamin K
- Picked cucumber
- 1 cup of cooked pickled cucumber contains 130mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked pickled cucumber contains 77mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 126mcg of Vitamin K
- Green beans
- 1 cup of cooked green beans contains 60mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of cooked green beans contains 48mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 274mcg of Vitamin K
- Lettuce
- 1 cup of lettuce contains 56mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of lettuce contains 102mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 1,574mcg of Vitamin K
- Okra
- 1 cup of okra contains 64mcg of Vitamin K
- 100g of okra contains 40mcg
- For every 200 calories, there’s 364 mcg of Vitamin K
- Spinach
- 1 cup of cooked spinach contains 888mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 740%
- Mustard greens
- 1 cup of cooked mustard greens contains 829mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 691%
- Collards
- 1 cup of cooked collards contains 772mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 772%
- Dandelion greens
- 1 cup of cooked dandelion greens contains 579mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 482%
- Swiss char
- 1 cup of cooked swiss chard contains 572mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 477%
- Turnip greens
- 1 cup of cooked turnip greens contains 529mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 441%
- Cress
- 1 cup of cooked garden cress contains 517mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 431%
- Tinned asparagus
- 1 cup of cooked tinned asparagus contains 99.9mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 83%
- Pumpkin leaves
- 1 cup of cooked pumpkin leaves contains 76.7mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 64%
- Red cabbage
- 1 cup of cooked red cabbage contains 71.4mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 60%
- Kimchi
- 1 cup of kimchi contains 65.4mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 65.4%
- Celeriac
- 1 cup of celeriac contains 64mcg
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 53%
What fruits are high in Vitamin K?
The following fruits are packed full of Vitamin K, starting from the highest mcg level to the lowest:
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- Kiwi fruit
- 1 cup of slice kiwi fruit contains 72.5mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 60%
- Avocado
- 1 cup of pureed avocado contains 42.4mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 35%
- Plantains
- 1 cup of sliced plantains contains 42.6mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 36%
- Rhubarb
- 1 cup of diced rhubarb contains 35.7mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 30%
- Blueberries
- 1 cup of blueberries contains 28.5mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 24%
- Blackberries
- 1 cup of blackberries contains 28.5mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 24%
- Pomegranates
- 1 cup of pomegranates contains 28.5mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 24%
- Red or green grapes
- 1 cup of red or green grapes contains 22mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 18%
- Prunes
- 3 prunes contain 17.9mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 15%
- Plums
- 1 cup of sliced plums contains 10.6mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 9%
- Raspberries
- 1 cup of raspberries contains 9.6mcg of Vitamin K
- This equates to a Daily Value (DV) of 8%
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Last updated: 10 November 2020
Sources
1
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-k/
2
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminK-Consumer/
3
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k1-vs-k2
4
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k1-vs-k2#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
5
https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/food-sources-of-vitamin-k.php#foods-rich-in-vitamin-K
6
https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/food-sources-of-vitamin-k.php#foods-rich-in-vitamin-K
7
https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/food-sources-of-vitamin-k.php#foods-rich-in-vitamin-K