Vitamin K

Vitamin K allows the proteins it interacts with to bind calcium ions. Without vitamin K, blood clotting is severely impaired and can lead to uncontrolled bleeding

Chemically, the vitamin K family includes 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (3-) and its derivatives. In nature, vitamin K is made up of two vitamers: vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Vitamin K2, in turn, is made up of various chemical subtypes, with side carbon chains of different lengths and made up of groups of isoprenoid atoms.

Vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone, is produced by plants and is found in the highest quantities in green leafy vegetables - because it is directly involved in photosynthesis - and can be considered the plant form of vitamin K. the normal biological functions of the typical form of the animal organism, K2 or menaquinone, but it can still be converted into it; this process can take place thanks to the intestinal microbiota or endogenously.

The bacterial flora is also capable of elongating the isoprenoid side chain of vitamin K2 to produce different types of menaquinone, in particular the homologs MK-7 and MK-11. All forms other than MK-4 (menatetrenone) can only be produced by anaerobic bacterial organisms, which exploit them for their cellular respiration. MK-7 and other forms of vitamin K2 of bacterial origin show activity identical to ordinary menaquinone and it is unclear whether they may be of greater utility.

Vitamin K can also be obtained synthetically, obtaining vitamin K3 or menadione, K4 and K5. However, menadione interferes with the function of glutathione and is toxic, therefore it is no longer used as a remedy for vitamin K deficiency.

Through nutrition, the right amount of vitamin K can be achieved simply by following a balanced diet. However, the hypothesis has recently been advanced that the deficiency of this nutrient may be correlated with a greater predisposition to osteoporosis and favor the calcification of the arteries and other soft tissues. Various studies are still ongoing.

contains 1–4 μg / L of vitamin K1, while the milk derived from the formula can contain up to 100 μg / L in the supplemented ones. The concentrations of vitamin K2 in breast milk appear to be much lower than those of vitamin K1. The presence of vitamin K deficiency bleeding in the first week of a baby's life is estimated at 0.25-1.7%, with a prevalence of 2-10 cases per 100,000 births. Premature babies have even lower levels of vitamin K, so they have a higher risk.

Bleeding in children due to vitamin K deficiency can be severe, leading to hospitalization, blood transfusions, brain damage, and even death. The supplement can prevent most cases of deficiency bleeding. Intramuscular administration is more effective in preventing late deficiency bleeding than oral administration.