Vitamin K Spider Vein
Vitamin K (K from "Koagulations-Vitamin" in German and Scandinavian languages) denotes a group of lipophilic, hydrophobic vitamins that are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins, mostly required for blood coagulation. Chemically they are 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives.
Vitamin K 1 is also known as phylloquinone or phytomenadione (also called phytonadione). Vitamin K 2 (menaquinone, menatetrenone) is normally produced by bacteria in the large intestine, and dietary deficiency is extremely rare unless the intestines are heavily damaged, are unable to absorb the molecule, or are subject to decreased production by normal flora, as seen in broad spectrum antibiotic use.
There are three synthetic forms of vitamin K, vitamins K 3 , K 4 , and K 5 , which are used in many areas including the pet food industry (vitamin K 3 ) and to inhibit fungal growth (vitamin K 5 )
Chemical structure
All members of the vitamin K group of vitamins share a methylated naphthoquinone ring structure, and vary in the aliphatic side chain attached at the 3-position (see figure 1). Phylloquinone (also known as vitamin K 1 ) invariably contains in its side chain four isoprenoid residues, one of which is unsaturated.
Menaquinones have side chains composed of a variable number of unsaturated isoprenoid residues; generally they are designated as MK-n, where n specifies the number of isoprenoids.
It is generally accepted that the naphthoquinone is the functional group, so that the mechanism of action is similar for all K-vitamins. Substantial differences may be expected, however, with respect to intestinal absorption, transport, tissue distribution, and bio-availability. These differences are caused by the different lipophilicity of the various side chains, and by the different food matrices in which they occur.
Physiology
Vitamin K is involved in the carboxylation of certain glutamate residues in proteins to form gamma-carboxyglutamate residues (abbreviated Gla-residues). The modified residues are often (but not always) situated within specific protein domains called Gla domains. Gla-residues are usually involved in binding calcium. The Gla-residues are essential for the biological activity of all known Gla-proteins.
At this time 14 human proteins with Gla domains have been discovered, and they play key roles in the regulation of three physiological processes:
- Blood coagulation: (prothrombin (factor II), factors VII, IX, X, protein C, protein S, and protein Z).
- Bone metabolism: osteocalcin, also called bone Gla-protein (BGP), and matrix gla protein (MGP).
- Vascular biology.
Recommended amounts
The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for an Adequate Intake (AI) of vitamin K for a 25-year old male is 120 micrograms/day. The Adequate Intake (AI) of this phytonutrient for adult women is 90 micrograms/day, for infants is 10–20 micrograms/day, for children and adolescents 15–100 micrograms/day. In 2002 it was found that to get maximum carboxylation of osteocalcin, one may have to take up to 1000 μg of vitamin K1. Like other liposoluble vitamins (A, D, E), vitamin K is stored in the fat tissue of the human body.
Toxicity
Although allergic reaction from supplementation is possible, there is no known toxicity associated with high doses of the phylloquinone (vitamin K 1 ) or menaquinone (vitamin K 2 ) forms of vitamin K and therefore no Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been set.
However, a synthetic form of vitamin K, vitamin K3 (menadione), is demonstrably toxic. In fact, the FDA has banned this synthetic form of the vitamin from over-the-counter supplements because large doses have been shown to cause allergic reactions, hemolytic anemia, and cytotoxicity in liver cells.
Drug Interactions
Phylloquinone (K 1 ) or menaquinone (K 2 ) are capable of blocking the blood thinning action of anticoagulants like warfarin, which work by interfering with the action of vitamin K. They also reverse the tendency of these drugs to cause arterial calcification in the long term.
Sources
Vitamin K 1 is found chiefly in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, swiss chard, and Brassica ( e.g. cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts); some fruits such as avocado and kiwifruit 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 caloric consumption to meet the USDA recommended levels.
It is believed that phylloquinone's tight binding to the thylakoid membranes in the chloroplasts is the reason behind the poor bioavailability of vitamin K in green plants. For example, cooked spinach has a 4 percent bioavailability of phylloquinone. However when one adds butter to the spinach, the bioavailability increases to 13 percent due to the increased solubility of vitamin K in fat.
Menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-7 (vitamin K 2 ) are found in meat, eggs, dairy, and natto. MK-4 is synthesized by animal tissues, the rest (mainly MK-7) are synthesized by bacteria during fermentation. In natto 0% of vitamin K is from MK-4 and in cheese 2–7%.
Gut bacteria produce significant amounts of usable vitamin K. In haemorrhagic disease of the newborn, the gut has not yet been colonized with bacteria, and to prevent this disease, vitamin K shots are given to babies born in the US. Similarly, persons on large doses of antibiotics are at risk for developing vitamin K deficiency because of a lack of normal flora.
Deficiency
Main article: Vitamin K deficiencyAverage diets are usually not lacking in vitamin K and primary vitamin K deficiency is rare in healthy adults. As previously mentioned, newborn infants are at an increased risk of deficiency. Other populations with an increased prevalence of vitamin K deficiency include individuals who suffer from liver damage or disease (e.g. alcoholics), people with cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel diseases or those who have recently had abdominal surgeries. Groups which may suffer from secondary vitamin K deficiency include bulimics, those on stringent diets, and those taking anticoagulants. Other drugs which have been associated with vitamin K deficiency include salicylates, barbiturates, and cefamandole, although the mechanism is still unknown. There is no difference between the sexes as both males and females are affected equally. Symptoms of deficiency include heavy menstrual bleeding in women, anemia, bruising, and bleeding of the gums or nose .
Osteoporosis and coronary heart disease are strongly associated with lower levels of K 2 (menaquinone). Menaquinone is not inhibited by salicylates as happens with K 1 , so menaquinone supplementation can alleviate the chronic vitamin K deficiency caused by long term aspirin use.
Biochemistry
Discovery
In 1929, Danish scientist Henrik Dam investigated the role of cholesterol by feeding chickens a cholesterol-depleted diet. After several weeks, the animals developed hemorrhages and started bleeding. These defects could not be restored by adding purified cholesterol to the diet. It appeared that—together with the cholesterol—a second compound had been extracted from the food, and this compound was called the coagulation vitamin. The new vitamin received the letter K because the initial discoveries were reported in a German journal, in which it was designated as Koagulationsvitamin . Edward Adelbert Doisy of Saint Louis University did much of the research that led to the discovery of the structure and chemical nature of vitamin K. Dam and Doisy shared the 1943 Nobel Prize for medicine for their work on vitamin K. Several laboratories synthesized the compound in 1939.
For several decades the vitamin K-deficient chick model was the only method of quantifying vitamin K in various foods: the chicks were made vitamin K-deficient and subsequently fed with known amounts of vitamin K-containing food. The extent to which blood coagulation was restored by the diet was taken as a measure for its vitamin K content. Three groups of physicians independently found this: Biochemical Institute, University of Copenhagen (Dam and Johannes Glavind), University of Iowa Department of Pathology (Emory Warner, Kenneth Brinkhous, and Harry Pratt Smith), and the Mayo Clinic (Hugh Butt, Albert Snell, and Arnold Osterberg). The first published report of successful treatment with vitamin K of life-threatening hemorrhage in a jaundiced patient with prothrombin deficiency was made in 1938 by Smith, Warner, and Brinkhous.
Function in the cell
The precise function of vitamin K was not discovered until 1974, when three laboratories (Stenflo et al. , Nelsestuen et al. , and Magnusson et al. ) isolated the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor prothrombin (Factor II) from cows that received a high dose of a vitamin K antagonist, warfarin. It
Spider Veins Treatment - New Wrap and Vitamin K Cream
The newest in Spider Vein Treatment including spa wraps and vitamin k cream for healing the leaking of the veins.
Barmon Vitamin K Cream | Spider Veins | Frequently ...
spider veins - Heal Spider Veins, Bruises, Burns and Scars, Eczema and Psoriasis - stretch marks barmon stretch mark baby babycare babies maternity mothers moms children child ...
Vitamin K cream for spider veins
medik8 spider veins treatment, 8% vitamin K cream. medik8 spider vein treatment serum contains a higher concentration of vitamin K than almost all other spider vein creams.
Spider Veins And Varicose Veins - Vitamin K Cream Solution Treatment
Spider Veins and Varicose Vein Sufferers Breakthrough - Vitamin K is the absolute best ingredient for spider vain but most creams never get to the vein because they don't penetrate ...
Vitamin K Cream for spider veins and bruises
Vitamin K Cream for spider veins and bruises with 10% Vitamin K at $19.95 for 2 oz jar
Vitamin K Cream | Heal Spider Veins, Bruises, Burns and Scars, Eczema ...
spider veins - Heal Spider Veins, Bruises, Burns and Scars, Eczema and Psoriasis - stretch marks barmon stretch mark baby babycare babies maternity mothers moms children child ...
Order Spider Veins Cream - Vitamin K!
America's spider veins cream with vitamin k to naturally get rid of varicose and spiderveins.
Spider Veins and Vitamin K - Effective treatment for spider veins and ...
Spider Veins and Vitamin K - Vitamin K has been proven effective at coagulating seeping blood and clear capillaries of residual blood. Effective for trating bruises, redness like ...
Dermal K Spider Vein Cream with Vitamin K
Dermal K Spider Vein Treatment Cream, to Reduce, Remove Spider Veins
Spider Veins Gone with Vitamin K High Penetrating Cream ...
Best Selling Spider Veins Cream with vitamin K and high penetrating formula to get the vitamin k to the leaking vein whether it be on the face, legs, breast or elsewhere on the body