What Is Phylloquinone & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Phylloquinone is one of the K Vitamins.
Vitamin K is not just one vitamin.
It is the collective name for several fat-soluble compounds with similar chemical structures.
The major form of vitamin K you find in green plants comes in the form of phylloquinone.
It is the predominant form of vitamin K found in the human diet.
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Phylloquinone, Our Major Dietary Source
Dietary vitamin K is found in two main forms; phylloquinone also called vitamin K1, and menaquinones, also called vitamin K2.
Phylloquinone is our major dietary source, which is mainly found in green plants. (source ◳)
Our requirement for vitamin K is not known precisely.
Vitamin K For Infants
Vitamin K is especially important for infants.
Neonates that do not receive vitamin K at birth are at higher risk of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. (source ◳)
We Consume Lots Of Phylloquinone, But Can't Absorb It
Phylloquinone is the major dietary form of the K vitamins, and it has a much faster turnover than the other fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E. (source ◳)
But vitamin K1 found in plants is poorly absorbed by the body.
It seems to be less than 10% of the K1 found in plants is actually absorbed. (source ◳)
Also, the majority of the daily dietary intake of phylloquinone gets lost by excretion, around 60-70%.
It emphasizes the need for a steady dietary supply. (source ◳)
Foods You Can Find Phylloquinone In
You find Phylloquinone mostly in spices, herbs, and vegetable products.
Examples of food sources include
- Sage
- Thyme
- Basil
- Parsley
- Coriander Leaf
- Amaranth Leaves
- Chard
Foods That Contain Phylloquinone In Our Nutrition Tool
You can find regularly updated top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.
If you are interested in what foods contain the most Phylloquinone we recommend you visit our tool.
Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Phylloquinone.