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Vitamin K is primarily known as the blood clotting vitamin. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the body’s liver and fatty tissues. It presents itself in two natural forms K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone or phytonadione) is found in plants and Vitamin K2 (a menaquinone) is found from animal sources and is synthesized by bacteria found in naturally in the intestines. Vitamin K3 (menadione) is a synthetic version of Vitamin K.1 People using blood thinners such as Coumadin need to carefully monitor their Vitamin K because the drug is designed to inhibit the blood clotting function of the vitamin.
Vitamin K not only helps with blood clots, it also is proven to strengthen bones by helping the body retain calcium. In addition, vitamin K benefits cardiovascular health by preventing calcium accumulation in blood vessels. This helps to avoid the "hardening of the arteries" commonly associated with cardiovascular disease.2
You can find the Vitamin K content in over 7,000+ foods and easily document your Coumadin diet by signing up for a free account at INR Tracker. learn more or sign up now.
The Recommended Daily Allowance is defined as “the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (approximately 98 percent) healthy individuals.” The Food and Drug Administration is the government agency that developed and regulates this system that is implemented on nutritional labels. Unfortunately for Warfarin users, Vitamin K is almost never listed on food labels as there is no mandate to do so. However, it should be noted that Institute of Medicine's current recommended daily intake for vitamin K is 120µg (micrograms or mcg) for men and 90µg for women.3
Listed below are the top 45 foods that have the highest amount of Vitamin K. Data is taken from the USDA Food Database containing 7,906 foods4. People using Coumadin need to carefully watch their vitamin K intake. INR Tracker is a free tool developed to help you manage Vitamin K using the USDA database. Sign up today.
| NDB_NO | Description | Weight (g) | Common Measure | Vitamin K Per Measure (mcg) |
| 11236 | Kale, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 130 | 1 cup | 1147 |
| 11234 | Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 130 | 1 cup | 1062 |
| 11164 | Collards, frozen, chopped, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 170 | 1 cup | 1059 |
| 11464 | Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 190 | 1 cup | 1027 |
| 11461 | Spinach, canned, regular pack, drained solids | 214 | 1 cup | 988 |
| 11458 | Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 180 | 1 cup | 888 |
| 11575 | Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 164 | 1 cup | 851 |
| 11162 | Collards, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 190 | 1 cup | 836 |
| 11087 | Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 144 | 1 cup | 697 |
| 11208 | Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 105 | 1 cup | 579 |
| 11569 | Turnip greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 144 | 1 cup | 529 |
| 11271 | Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 140 | 1 cup | 419 |
| 11101 | Brussels sprouts, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 155 | 1 cup | 300 |
| 11091 | Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 156 | 1 cup | 220 |
| 11099 | Brussels sprouts, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 156 | 1 cup | 219 |
| 11291 | Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw | 100 | 1 cup | 207 |
| 11658 | Spinach souffle | 136 | 1 cup | 172 |
| 11250 | Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw | 163 | 1 head | 167 |
| 11297 | Parsley, fresh | 10 | 10 sprigs | 164 |
| 11110 | Cabbage, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 150 | 1 cup | 163 |
| 11093 | Broccoli, frozen, chopped, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 184 | 1 cup | 162 |
| 20112 | Noodles, egg, spinach, cooked, enriched | 160 | 1 cup | 162 |
| 11457 | Spinach, raw | 30 | 1 cup | 145 |
| 11019 | Asparagus, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 180 | 1 cup | 144 |
| 11252 | Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw | 539 | 1 head | 130 |
| 11213 | Endive, raw | 50 | 1 cup | 116 |
| 11090 | Broccoli, raw | 88 | 1 cup | 89 |
| 11281 | Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 184 | 1 cup | 88 |
| 11253 | Lettuce, green leaf, raw | 56 | 1 cup | 71 |
| 21127 | Fast foods, coleslaw | 99 | 3/4 cup | 70 |
| 09292 | Plums, dried (prunes), stewed, without added sugar | 248 | 1 cup | 65 |
| 11279 | Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 160 | 1 cup | 64 |
| 11308 | Peas, green (includes baby and lesuer types), canned, drained solids, unprepared | 170 | 1 cup | 63 |
| 11196 | Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 170 | 1 cup | 63 |
| 18330 | Pie crust, cookie-type, prepared from recipe, graham cracker, baked | 239 | 1 pie shell | 59 |
| 11117 | Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 170 | 1 cup | 58 |
| 11251 | Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw | 56 | 1 cup | 57 |
| 11144 | Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 150 | 1 cup | 57 |
| 18376 | Bread crumbs, dry, grated, seasoned | 120 | 1 cup | 55 |
| 11109 | Cabbage, raw | 70 | 1 cup | 53 |
| 11056 | Beans, snap, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids | 135 | 1 cup | 53 |
| 11091 | Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 37 | 1 spear | 52 |
| 09310 | Rhubarb, frozen, cooked, with sugar | 240 | 1 cup | 51 |
| 11205 | Cucumber, with peel, raw | 301 | 1 large | 49 |
| 11303 | Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 160 | 1 cup | 48 |
Citations
1. Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, "Vitamin K ." Last modified December 19, 2011. Accessed April 23, 2012. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminK/.
2. Vermeer, Cees. PUBMED, "Vitamin K: the effect on health beyond coagulation – an overview." Last modified April 02, 2012. Accessed April 23, 2012. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3321262/.
3. National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board, "Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc." Last modified 2001. Accessed April 23, 2012. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Vitamin_A/162-196_150.pdf.
4. USDA, "USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24,Vitamin K Content ." Last modified September, 2011. Accessed April 23, 2012. https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w430.pdf.
