15 Vitamin K–Rich Foods That Support Healthy Bones, Blood, and More

When people think of foods with vitamin K, they often credit them with helping with blood clotting. And indeed, this vitamin is required in the synthesis of several blood proteins involved in clotting. Vitamin K also activates proteins that strengthen bones and help them grow, reducing the risk of fractures.

Certain types of vitamin K contain disease-fighting antioxidants. We asked experts to explain why incorporating this vitamin into your diet is a healthy habit that can boost your immune system. We have also rounded up the best food sources of vitamin K to help you keep your intake steady.

What Is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is the collective name of a family of compounds. "There are different categories within vitamin K," says Rayanne Nguyen, RD, a specialist in sports nutrition. "You have vitamin K1, which is found in dark leafy greens and soybean oil, and also vitamin K2 and some others, which can be found in smaller amounts in animal products." Fermented foods also contain vitamin K2.

How to Improve Absorption

As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin K from food is best absorbed when there's fat or oil in the same environment. So when you're having your green vegetables, toss them in some oil to increase your intake. However, some people with underlying health conditions may need more help and possibly a supplement to improve their nutrient absorption.

"If someone has a disease that impacts the gastrointestinal tract, like celiac disease or Crohn's disease, they may not absorb the vitamin K from their food as well," says Nguyen. In these cases, the physician and dietitian would monitor the person's vitamin K levels more regularly and may start them on a supplement.

Precautions

There are people who need to be more mindful about their intake of vitamin K-rich foods. Since vitamin K supports blood clotting, if you are on a medication to prevent clotting, sudden increases in vitamin K intake may interfere with your medication, says Nijya Saffo, RD, owner of NK Fitness and Nutrition, LLC.

"There's no evidence that you have to stop eating vitamin K foods when you're on these kinds of medications, but you don't want to overdo it and suddenly start taking vitamin K supplements or eat large amounts of foods with vitamin K in it." Speak with your doctor if you are taking blood thinners before you dramatically alter your diet by either eliminating or adding foods high in vitamin K.

Daily Recommended Value

So how much vitamin K do you need? The unofficial daily value for vitamin K is between 90 and 120 micrograms. For context, one cup of raw spinach contains more than 100% of the daily recommended value, so you don't need to eat much of the foods listed below to consume a healthy amount of vitamin K. While a consistent intake is important, you don't want to overdo it.

Foods High in Vitamin K

Your body treats vitamin K like fat and stores it in your liver and fat tissues. "We can rely on our body stores a little bit more than [we can for] some of our water-soluble vitamins," says Nguyen. But at the same time, your body isn't able to make enough vitamin K consistently and relies on you getting it from the foods you eat.

Here are several vitamin K-rich foods and ways to incorporate them into your diet.