Phytochemical series
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is important in blood clotting, building bones and protecting the heart. This fat soluble group of vitamins is found in a number of plants including asparagus, broccoli and leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach. Herbs high in vitamin K include parsley, basil, sage, thyme, cilantro leaf, oregano and marjoram.
There are several forms of Vitamin K; vitamin K1 (phylloquinone or phytomenadione), vitamin K2 (menaquinone). Menadione, or vitamin K3 is a synthetic form of vitamin K that is used as supplements.
Patients taking the drug warfarin (also known as Coumadin) are advised to restrict their intake of vitamin K. Vitamin K is necessary for synthesis of blood clotting proteins in the liver and so it counteracts the anticoagulant effects of warfarin. Vitamin K is good for blood vessel health and can help decrease bruising because of its effects on blood clotting.
In skin care vitamin K is thought to help with conditions having to do with the circulatory system such as dark circles around the eyes, rosacea and redness from broken capillaries (especially on the cheeks). Vitamin K also has some antiinflammatory activities. We use extract of parsley in some products because of its high vitamin K content.
As always, informative and valuable information.
In light of all the changes in sunscreen regulations I've seen some questions about what is "safe" in the ingredient list. Of particular interest to me was the question about Vit A being an issue. Would you consider sharing what you know about topically applied Vit A and if it is indeed harmful vs helpful in protection against skin cancer.
Hi! By taking a vitamin K supplement, does that mean I am already getting all the three types of this vitamin? I'm concerned because I badly need K2. Please help me.
Sweety, Typically, getting your vitamins from a natural, whole food, source is better than taking supplements. Parsley is a great source for vitamin K as is basil. We use parsley in our Parsley Eye Serum for its vitamin K content.