The significant symptom of vitamin K deficiency in humans and in animals is the loss of the ability of the blood to clot which is, of course, a dangerous condition that can result in death whenever bleeding from cuts occurs.
It is believed that humans ordinarily receive adequate amounts of vitamin K in the diet. As a rule, vitamin K deficiency is rare – almost everyone gets more than enough from their own bacteria and from their food. According to the National Academy of Science Food and Nutrition Board, the dietary requirements are based on the intake of healthy adults, and the adequate intake is 120 and 90 ug/day for men and women, respectively
Sometime newborn babies don’t have enough vitamin K because they don’t yet have any bacteria to make it in their intestine. To make up for them, most newborns are given an injection of a tiny amount of vitamin K soon after birth.
When adults get vitamin K deficiency, it’s generally because they eat very few green vegetables or because they have been taking oral antibiotics for a long time.
The antibiotics kill off the intestine bacteria that make vitamin K. Sometimes vitamin K deficiency is caused by liver disease or a problem digesting fat.
Vitamin K deficiency can contribute to significant bleeding, poor bone development, osteoporosis, and increased cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin K deficiency
