Common Myths
"Anti-vaxxers" and Vitamin K
Though infants are more susceptible to toxicity, it is very important to note that administering a vitamin K shot is potentially life-saving and absolutely recommended that your infant receive this vitamin shot at birth. Studies have proven it safe and stress that it is easily prevents otherwise quickly fatal conditions.
“Remember, VKDB is easily preventable with just a single vitamin K shot at birth.”
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The statistics below from the Center for Disease Control illustrate just how important it is to administer this shot to your baby. Learn more about vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) here.
Here’s what we know based on the facts:
“All infants, including newborn infants, should receive vitamin K” (4).
Evidence supports that infant gut flora (intestinal bacteria) is immature and likely a contributing reason for VKDB at birth.
In breast-milk, although it is the preferred dietary intake method if possible, levels of vitamin K are significantly less than those of formula milk.
Vitamin K as a potential “cure” for coronavirus
Regularly eating nutrient-rich foods can absolutely enrich our health, however no one food or vitamin is the answer for our health problems. In the case of vitamin K, the same is true. There has been a lot of speculation about certain cheeses containing vitamin K as well as what levels of K correlate with better outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Here’s what we know based on the facts:
It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet of nutrient rich foods, like fruits and vegetables. This will help you meet the daily requirements for each vitamin and mineral (Click here to view information and daily requirements regarding other vitamins).
Vitamin K supplementation should be a recommendation from a multidisciplinary team. In other words, your healthcare professionals should consult together and reach a consensus based on your individual situation, current medications, etc.
Thrombosis management in regards to COVID-19 needs to be further studied before definitive dietary and medical recommendations can be made about vitamin K and an individual’s treatment plan.
Vitamin K as a skin solution
Over the years, many vitamins have been heralded as the next sure thing to save our skin. As stated above, health and wellness on the overall level benefits most when we eat a range of well-balanced, nutrient rich foods.
Here’s what we know based on the facts:
Basically, we need to eat more of the foods that fuel our body and less of the foods that inflame it (allergens, sugar, processed food, additives, etc.).
Skin health is affected by many lifestyle factors and diet is just one factor.
“I'd always felt that my skin was a reflection of my health, and I considered myself to be a healthy person (vegetarian, active, health-conscious). But I didn't yet understand the connection between my meals, my thoughts and actions, my emotions, my lifestyle and my looks, until I started exploring nutrition and wellness and their connection to beauty.”
Jolene Hart, Beauty & Health Coach, Certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Learn more about vitamin K in the post linked below!
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References
Mahan KL, Raymond JL. Krause's Food & the Nutrition Care Process 13th Edition. 2011. Saunders. ISBN: 978-1437722338.
Hart J. Eat Pretty. Chronicle Books. 2014. ISBN 978-1452123660.
Gropper SS, Smith JL, Carr TP. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Seventh Edition. Cengage Learning. 2017. ISBN: 978-1305627857. \
Araki S, Shirahata A. Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding in Infancy. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):780. Published 2020 Mar 16. doi:10.3390/nu12030780
Ten Cate H. Thrombosis management in times of COVID-19 epidemy; a Dutch perspective. Thromb J. 2020 Apr 20;18:7. doi: 10.1186/s12959-020-00220-3. PMID: 32336956; PMCID: PMC7169369.
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