Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for blood clotting and bone health, according to the National Institutes of Health. The nutrient was first identified in the 1920s by Danish researcher Henrik Dam, who observed that chickens fed a cholesterol-free diet developed bleeding tendencies, according to Tieraona Low Dog in the book “Fortify Your Life.” Dam found that feeding the birds alfalfa, spinach, cabbage, or liver reversed the condition, and he named the substance vitamin K after the German word for coagulation, the book states.
Vitamin K exists naturally in two primary forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone). According to an article on Mercola.com, vitamin K1 is found in green leafy plants and plays a key role in blood clotting, while vitamin K2 comes in several forms such as menaquinone-4 and MK-7 and supports bone and cardiovascular health [2]. The body uses vitamin K to activate proteins necessary for blood clotting and calcium regulation, according to the same source.
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