Naphthoquinone – Benefits, Sources, Deficiency and Side Effects!

Also known as vitamin k, the benefits of naphthoquinone  are many as this is an important nutrient that plays a vital role in blood clotting and bone and heart health . While vitamin deficiency is rare, sources of naphthoquinone  are many and a less than optimal intake can harm your health over time.

Inadequate intake can cause bleeding, weaken bones and potentially increase your risk of developing heart disease. For this reason, you must make sure you get all the vitamin your body requires. A daily value of 120 mcg should prevent insufficiency in most people.

What is naphthoquinone?

It is a vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Various forms of this vitamin are used throughout the world as medicine. Naphthoquinone is generally the preferred  form of these compounds because it is less toxic, works faster, is stronger, and works better for certain conditions.

In the body, -phthoquinone  plays an important role in blood clotting. Hence it is used to reverse the effects of blood thinning drugs when too much is given; prevent clotting problems in newborns who don’t have enough vitamin.

And to treat bleeding caused by medications, including salicylates, sulfonamides, quinine, quinidine, or antibiotics. Naphthoquinone is also given to treat and prevent naphthoquinone  deficiency, a condition in which the body lacks the vitamin.

It is also used to prevent and treat weak bones ( osteoporosis ) and relieve the itching that often accompanies a liver disease called biliary cirrhosis. This vitamin is taken by mouth to treat osteoporosis and bone loss caused by steroids, as well as to lower total cholesterol in people on dialysis.

What is naphthoquinone used for?

This vitamin plays a key role in helping the blood clot, preventing excessive bleeding. Unlike many other vitamins, it is not commonly used as a dietary supplement.

Naphthoquinone is actually  a group of compounds. The most important of these compounds appears to be vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 . Vitamin K1 is obtained from leafy greens and some other vegetables. This vitamin is a group of compounds widely obtained from meat, cheese and eggs, and synthesized by bacteria . This vitamin is the main supplement form of the vitamin available in the US.

Recently, some people have looked to the vitamin to treat osteoporosis and steroid-induced bone loss, but the research is conflicting. At this point, there is not enough data to recommend using the vitamin for osteoporosis .

Benefits of Naphthoquinone:

Naphthoquinone benefits  the body in several ways:

1. Bone health: 

There does not appear to be a correlation between low naphthoquinone intake  and osteoporosis . Several studies have suggested that this vitamin supports the maintenance of strong bones , improves bone density, and lowers the risk of fractures. However, research has not confirmed this.

2. Cognitive health: 

Increased blood levels of the vitamin have been linked to improved episodic memory in older adults. In one study, healthy subjects over the age of 70 and with the highest blood levels of the vitamin had the highest verbal episodic memory performance.

3. Heart health:

Naphthoquinone  can help keep blood pressure low by preventing mineralization, where minerals build up in the arteries. This allows the heart to  pump blood freely through the body.

Mineralization occurs naturally with age and is a major risk factor for heart disease. Adequate intake of this vitamin has also been shown to decrease the risk of stroke .

Como usar naftoquinona:

Preventing bleeding problems in newborns with low levels of (bleeding disease). Giving this vitamin by mouth or as an injection into the muscles can prevent bleeding problems in newborns. Treating and preventing bleeding problems in people with low levels of the blood clotting protein prothrombin.

Taking naphthoquinone by mouth or by injection into a vein can prevent and treat bleeding problems in people who have low levels of prothrombin due to taking certain medications. Hereditary bleeding disorder called deficiency of this vitamin-dependent clotting factors. Taking naphthoquinone  by mouth or injecting it intravenously (by IV) helps prevent bleeding in individuals.

Reversing the effects of too much warfarin used to prevent blood clotting. Taking this vitamin by mouth or by injection into a vein can counteract the excessive anti-clotting caused by warfarin. However, injecting the vitamin under the skin does not seem to be effective.

Taking naphthoquinone  along with warfarin also appears to help stabilize blood clotting time in people taking warfarin, especially those who have low levels of this vitamin.

Naftoquinona fonts:

This vitamin is found in large amounts in green leafy vegetables such as kale and Swiss chard . Also, other sources include vegetable oils and some fruits. Sources of naphthoquinone include:

Foods Rich in NaphthoquinonePortionAmount of Naphthoquinonecalories
Mustard100 g593 mcg83 kcal
Spinach100 g483 mcg15 kcal
Broccoli100 g141 mcg25 kcal
Brussels sprouts100 g140 mcg42,5 kcal
beef liver100 g106 mcg211 kcal
Chicken100 g60 mcg163 kcal
Green bean100 g48 mcg31 kcal
plums100 g60 mcg90 kcal
Kiwi100 g40 mcg84 kcal
Pork chops100 g69 mcg175 kcal

Naphthoquinone Deficiency:

Naphthoquinone deficiency  is very rare. Therefore, most people in the United States get enough of the vitamin from the foods they eat. Also, bacteria in the colon produce some of this vitamin that the body can absorb. However, certain groups of people may have trouble getting enough of the vitamin:

  1. Newborns who do not receive a vitamin injection at birth;
  2. People with conditions (such as cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and human bowel syndrome ) that decrease the amount of the vitamin your body absorbs.
  3. People who have had bariatric surgery ( weight loss ).

Signs and symptoms of naphthoquinone deficiency:

Signs and symptoms associated with naphthoquinone deficiency  may include:

  1. Easy bruising;
  2. Squirting from the nose or gums ;
  3. Excessive bleeding from wounds, perforations and injection or surgical sites;
  4. Heavy menstrual periods;
  5. Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract;
  6. Blood in urine and/or stool ;
  7. Increased prothrombin time.

In naphthoquinone deficiency bleeding  in neonates, the signs and symptoms may be similar to those listed above. But in more severe cases, it can also involve bleeding inside the skull (intracranial). Therefore, a deficiency of this vitamin can be suspected when the symptoms listed above appear in someone who is at an increased risk.

Naphthoquinone side effects:

Useful links: 

Both forms of naphthoquinone  (vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 ) are safe for most people when taken by mouth or properly injected into a vein. Therefore, most people do not experience any side effects from receiving the recommended amount every day.

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