You probably hear a lot about taking vitamin C to hold off colds. But how about vitamin K? Just what is vitamin K, and how do you ensure you get enough of it?

Vitamin K is critically important to life. If you don't get enough vitamin K in your diet, your blood isn't able to coagulate properly. If you got even the smallest of paper cuts, you might bleed enough to cause your body serious harm. Low vitamin K levels can also lead to bone strength issues.

The US RDA for adult women is 90 micrograms a day. For adult men it's 120 micrograms a day.

So, how do you get Vitamin K into your daily diet?

There are two types of Vitamin K - called, appropriately, Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2. Apparently us humans can take in vitamin K1 and turn it into vitamin K2, so as long as you get ample K1 in your diet you're all set.

Luckily for low carbers, vitamin K1 is right in the foods you should be eating. A half cup of kale provides a full 531 micrograms. A half cup of cooked spinach gives 444 micrograms. Go for a cup of broccoli for 220 micrograms. One of my favorites, brussels sprouts, provides 219 micrograms per cup.

On the vitamin K2 side, it's more about the meats. A 100g portion of gouda-style cheese is 76 micrograms. The softer cheeses like brie are 57 micrograms. An egg yolk can have 32 micrograms. As you can see, these values are lower than the leafy green side. But it's good to include both.

So be sure to plan out your meal to include those greens. Greens are important for your health for a wide variety of reasons, not just for the K vitamins. But the K vitamins are certainly important! Have a salad, blend up a smoothie, and have your steak with a side of broccoli. However you incorporate them into your meal plan, find a way that works well for you.





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