Vitamin K: Past, Present, Future

Essential for normal blood coagulation, possible roles in bone, vascular, and tumor metabolism, and a nutrient critical to the health of the newborn infant -- these are just some of the many health-promoting aspects of Vitamin K. Vitamin K in Health and Disease navigates the exciting research venues that have opened in the past few years surrounding this micro nutrient, particularly its role in skeletal and cardiovascular health. It also provides the historical timeline of vitamin K research and discovery that began in the 1930s.

Comprehensive in scope, this book offers complete coverage of the chemistry of Vitamin K; deficiency signs and nutritional assessment; metabolism and biochemistry; and pharmacology. It also presents up-to-date scientific studies on the nutritional, metabolic, and medical aspects along with a review of current dietary requirements and the difficulty involved in establishing an appropriate dietary reference intake for Vitamin K.

Based on John Suttie’s 35 years of experience directing a broad vitamin K research program, this work discusses plasma and non-plasma Vitamin K-dependent proteins. It also includes helpful tables on food sources, population intake of Vitamin K, and the impact of diet on the circulating levels of the vitamin – highlighting the role of vitamin K in health and disease. Vitamin K in Health and Disease provides a foundation for future innovations in research and in determining the best ways to implement current knowledge.