PEC Fruits-Aid-Health Campaign: Today’s usage Tip: Fruits and Vegetables high in Vitamin K

Your body needs vitamin K to produce the factors that make your blood clot. Vitamin K is also necessary for proper bone formation and repair. Vitamin K deficiency is extremely rare, according to MedlinePlus. Possible causes include chronic malnutrition, alcohol dependency, conditions that limit your ability to absorb vitamins from food and altered liver function or intestinal flora. Although many foods contain vitamin K, you can group most of them together into several general categories.

Vitamin K plays an essential role in the proper functioning of enzymes within your body. The vitamin proves central to the coagulation cascade the series of chemical reactions that allow your blood to clot in response to injury, preventing excessive bleeding. Although your body absorbs some vitamin K from bacteria within your digestive tract, consuming healthy foods containing vitamin K including fruits can help prevent a potentially harmful vitamin K deficiency.

The National Institutes of Health information sheet "Important Information to Know When You are Taking: Coumadin and Vitamin K" lists green leafy vegetables as the richest sources of vitamin K. Examples include kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, parsley, mustard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and leaf, endive and romaine lettuces. Although iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and asparagus are often listed as high in vitamin K, they contain extremely small amounts and, in most cases, can be eaten as desired. Other vegetable sources for vitamin K include cauliflower, green beans, coriander and okra.

Berries

One type of fruit that contains vitamin K are berries. Specifically, blueberries and blackberries both provide a source of vitamin K in your diet, to help support the health of your vascular system. In addition to their vitamin K content, berries like blueberries and blackberries contain high levels of anthocyanins, the pigment molecules that give the berries their dark color. These chemicals act as antioxidants within your body, and may help protect against diseases and cancer. The University of Missouri indicates that anthocyanins protect your cells' DNA from ultraviolet radiation a major cause of some forms of cancer, such as skin cancer. Consume blackberries and blueberries daily as a source of vitamin K, as well as other beneficial nutrients.

Kiwifruit

Another fruit that contains vitamin K is kiwifruit, also called a chinese gooseberry. Kiwifruit contain a number of nutrients essential for your health in addition to vitamin K. one fruit contains about 140 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C, according to Texas T&M University. As a result, in addition to the benefits of vitamin K, eating kiwifruits can help improve the health of your skin, blood vessels, bones, tendons and ligaments, as well as contribute to proper brain functioning, through its vitamin C content. Include kiwifruit into your diet as a part of fruit salads, smoothies or breakfast cereal to boost your vitamin K intake, as well as reap the benefits of its vitamin C content.

Prunes

Both plums and prunes contain vitamin K, with dried prunes containing a slightly higher concentration of the vitamin than their fresh fruit counterparts. These fruits also contain a number of other essential nutrients, with a number of health benefits. Among these is a high dietary fiber content -- around 3g, or 10 percent of your daily recommended fiber intake, per five prunes, according to Colorado State University. Consuming fiber-rich foods like prunes can improve the health of your body, helping to lower the high blood cholesterol levels that can promote heart disease. Together, the vitamin K and dietary fiber content of plums and prunes can prove beneficial for your cardiovascular health, preventing atherosclerosis that can result from high cholesterol, as well as clotting disorders that can develop due to vitamin K deficiency. Add prunes to your diet on their own, or as a topper for salads or cereal, to help boost your cardiovascular health.

Vitamin K is an important fat-soluble nutrient for your body. Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. and Clinical Nutrition Specialist, explains in his book "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth," that vitamin K is essential for your bone health because it aids in calcium and magnesium absorption. A vitamin K deficiency can increase your risk for osteoporosis. If you have osteoporosis or a family history of it, you should become familiar with the fruits and vegetables that have high levels of vitamin K and make them a part of your diet. Green leafy vegetables are the dietary sources that have the most vitamin K.

Kale

Kale one of the most potent sources of vitamin K. One cup of kale has 1054 micrograms of vitamin K -- more than any other vegetable at the same serving size. This is an enormous amount of vitamin K considering that the USDA guidelines suggest that males get 120 micrograms and female get 90 micrograms of vitamin K daily. A single serving of kale provides 9 to 10 times your recommended daily dietary intake of this vitamin. Bowden lists kale among the very best green vegetables you can eat. Kale is an abundant source of cancer preventing phytochemcials and antioxidants, as well.

Parsley

Following kale, parsley has the highest amount of vitamin K per serving. One cup of raw parsley has 984 micrograms, or about 8 or 9 times more than your recommended daily intake. Parsley is also among the "150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" and is a good source of myristica, a volatile oil that may inhibit tumors according to Bowden and the National Institute on Cancer. Additionally, parsley is a rich source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help support your vision. Most people only think of parsley as a condiment, but parsley sprigs are very healthful and you can wash and then eat them just like any other vegetable.

Spinach

One cup of cooked spinach provides 884 micrograms of vitamin K and is only 7 calories. Bowden notes that "calorie-for-calorie" green leafy vegetables like spinach provide more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than any other foods on planet. Make sure to cook your spinach for maximum vitamin K potential though. Raw uncooked spinach has 145 micrograms of vitamin K, still meeting and slightly exceeding your daily recommended intake, but cooked spinach has about 8 times more vitamin K.

Blueberries, Grapes and Other Green Vegetables

The best fruit sources of vitamin K are blueberries and grapes. Most fruits, with the exception of blueberries and grapes, have very little vitamin K. Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit, have less than 1 microgram. One cup of blueberries has 28 micrograms and 1 cup of grapes has 23 micrograms of vitamin K. Other green vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, collard greens, green onions, Swiss chard and turnips, all have significantly more vitamin K than these two fruits.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Today’s usage Tip: Fruits and Vegetables high in Vitamin K