Vitamin K - Sources

Sources

Food Serving Size Vitamin K1 Microgram (μg) Food Serving Size Vitamin K1 Microgram (μg)
Kale, cooked 1/2 cup 531 Parsley, raw 1/4 cup 246
Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 444 Spinach, raw 1 cup 145
Collards, cooked 1/2 cup 418 Collards, raw 1 cup 184
Swiss chard, cooked 1/2 cup 287 Swiss chard, raw 1 cup 299
Mustard greens, cooked 1/2 cup 210 Mustard greens, raw 1 cup 279
Turnip greens, cooked 1/2 cup 265 Turnip greens, raw 1 cup 138
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 220 Broccoli, raw 1 cup 89
Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup 219 Endive, raw 1 cup 116
Cabbage, cooked 1/2 cup 82 Green leaf lettuce 1 cup 71
Asparagus 4 spears 48 Romaine lettuce, raw 1 cup 57
Table from "Important information to know when you are taking: Warfarin (Coumadin) and Vitamin K", Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health Drug Nutrient Interaction Task Force.

Vitamin K1 is found chiefly in leafy green vegetables such as dandelion greens (which contain 778.4 μg per 100 g, or 741% of the recommended daily amount), spinach, swiss chard, and Brassica (e.g. cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts); some fruits, such as avocado, kiwifruit and grapes, are also high in vitamin K. By way of reference, two tablespoons of parsley contain 153% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K. Some vegetable oils, notably soybean, contain vitamin K, but at levels that would require relatively large calorific consumption to meet the USDA-recommended levels. Colonic bacteria synthesize a significant portion of humans' vitamin K needs; newborns often receive a vitamin K shot at birth to tide them over until their colons become colonized at five to seven days of age.

Phylloquinone's tight binding to thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts makes it less bioavailable. For example, cooked spinach has a 5% bioavailability of phylloquinone. However, fat added to it increases bioavailability to 13% due to the increased solubility of vitamin K in fat.

Food 3 ½ ounce portion Microgram (μg) Proportion of vitamin K2 Food 3 ½ ounce portion Microgram (μg) Proportion of vitamin K2
Natto, cooked 1,103.4 (90% MK-7, 10% other MK) Chicken Leg 8.5 (100% MK-4)
Goose liver pâté 369.0 (100% MK-4) Ground beef (medium fat) 8.1 (100% MK-4)
Hard cheeses (Dutch Gouda style), raw 76.3 (6% MK-4, 94% other MK) Chicken liver (braised) 6.7 (100% MK-4)
Soft cheeses (French Brie style) 56.5 (6.5 MK-4, 93.5% other MK Hot dog 5.7 (100% MK-4)
Egg yolk, (Netherlands) 32.1 (98% MK-4, 2% other MK) Bacon 5.6 (100% MK-4)
Goose leg 31.0 (100% MK-4) Calf’s liver (pan-fried) 6.0 (100% MK-4)
Egg yolk (U.S.) 15.5 (100% MK-4) Sauerkraut 4.8 (100% MK-4)
Butter 15.0 (100% MK-4) Whole milk 1.0 (100% MK-4)
Chicken liver (raw) 14.1 (100% MK-4) Salmon (Alaska, Coho, Sockeye, Chum and King wild (raw)) 0.5 (100% MK-4)
Chicken liver (pan-fried) 12.6 (100% MK-4) Cow’s liver (pan-fried) 0.4 (100% MK-4)
Cheddar cheese (U.S.) 10.2 (6% MK-4, 94% other MK) Egg white 0.4 (100% MK-4)
Meat franks 9.8 (100% MK-4) Skim milk 0.0
Chicken breast 8.9 (100% MK-4)
Table from "Rhéaume-Bleue, Kate. “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox” John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd., 2012, p. 66-67.

Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-4) is synthesized by animal tissues and is found in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Menaquinone-7 is synthesized by bacteria during fermentation and is found in fermented soybeans (natto). In natto, none of the vitamin K is from menaquinone-4, and in cheese only 2–7% is.

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