Vitamin K deficiency symptoms that you should not ignore
Times of India • • health
Key Points:
- Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, bone strength, and cardiovascular health, with deficiency leading to symptoms such as prolonged bleeding, easy bruising, and internal hemorrhage.
- Deficiency is more common than previously thought, especially among individuals with gastrointestinal disorders, restrictive diets, long-term antibiotic use, liver disease, or those on anticoagulant medications.
- Vitamin K exists in two forms: K1 from leafy greens and K2 produced by gut bacteria and found in fermented foods; both activate proteins crucial for coagulation and calcium regulation.
- Early signs of deficiency include prolonged bleeding, frequent nosebleeds, bleeding gums, heavy menstrual cycles, and in newborns, a risk of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB).
- Prevention involves a
