Vitamin K Deficiency May Lead to Osteoporosis
Deficiency in Vitamin K leads to decrease in the bone mineral density and may weaken the bones leading to Osteoporosis. This bone disease is most commonly found in the aged people and rarely in people who are very obese and also in pregnant women. The bones become very weak and thin and they develop small tiny cracks resulting in fractures and breaking of the bones. Sometimes the bones at the joints cannot even withstand their own body weight and result in breaking of the bones. Lack of Vitamin K decreases the calcium content in the bones.
There is a bone protein called “osteocalcin” which is made stronger by the intake of Vitamin K. This protein also helps in the bone structure and proper shape. On taking sufficient Vitamin K, this protein gets easily mixed with calcium and helps the bones to be stronger and provide good growth. When the body gets depleted of Vitamin K, the osteocalcin is not produced in the required amounts which make the bones weaker and fragile as aging increases. Therefore particularly, women and other young adolescents must have an abundant intake of Vitamin K only to prevent in degradation of the bones and avoid any bone diseases.
Foods such as green leafy vegetables like cabbages, spinach and green turnips are rich in Vitamin K. Intake of such foods including them in everyday diet makes one receive sufficient amounts of Vitamin K and therefore build stronger bones.
Vitamin K also helps in protecting the heart by making the blood pass through arteries and blood vessels and prevents any kind of blood clotting. Chopped and boiled leafy vegetables without adding salt are the most common foods people primarily prefer as such foods contain very high amounts of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is also called a blood thickener and clotting agent. When sufficiently taken, the Vitamin K helps in amalgamating with Calcium, Iron and Manganese already present in the body and the bone tissues helping them to get stronger enough. This mixture also gives rise to other nutrients and minerals that are necessary especially for elderly people.
There are few medicinal sources in order to take the Vitamin K but such intake must be accompanied by consultation and prescription of the doctor. Medicinal intake of Vitamin K might lead to other adverse effects and excessive intake where the body takes in more than required is also not considered to be fruitful always. Therefore one must make sure that they get the Vitamin K in the right proportions. Parents must include the foods rich in Vitamin K in the daily diet of the children. This helps the bones grow stronger and prevent and avoid any bone diseases like the Osteoporosis in the future and later stages of life. Necessary minerals and nutrients will also be passed onto the body by taking the foods that are rich in Vitamin K.