The molecule of the substances consist of a double aromatic rings of which one of the rings has oppositely placed double-bound oxugen atoms attached and  with a side chain of various length for the variants. The substances are fat-solluble.

Vitamin K is involved in adding carboxylic groups to certain glutamate residues in proteins to form gamma-carboxyglutamate residues (Gla-residues). The modified residues are often situated within sites called Gla domains. Gla-residues help to bind calcium.

Vitamin K is necessary for the coagulation of blood by making ready blood coagulation factors - prothrombin (factor II), factors VII, IX, X, protein C, protein S and protein Z

It is also necessary for normal bone formation by makeing ready the protein osteocalcin. It is stored in fatty tissues.

The U.S. Dietary advices for adequate inntakes are:  For a 25-year old male 120 micrograms dayly,  for adult women 90 micrograms daily, for infants 10-20 micrograms, for children and adolescents 15-100 micrograms.

In 2002 it was found that to get maximum carboxylation of osteocalcin, one may have to take up to 1000 μg of Vitamin K1.  This may suggest that a higher dose can be good for the bone structure and health. The natural variants seem not to be toxic in high doses.

An individual can get deficient in vitamin K if the intestinal intake is reduced. This can occure by bile duct obstruction, by therapeutic or accidental intake of vitamin K-antagonists or. It can also occure by diet very poor in vitamin K.

Deficiency result in Calcium being deposited where it should not be, and not being depocite3d in the structires where it belongs.

The deficiency makes it difficult for the blood to coagulate that can result in frequent bleeding in the tissues and sometimes of severe bleeding.

Menaquinone deficiency may furthermore result in higher risk for prostate cancer, or risk for prostate cancer getting serious. (This cancer is often developing very slowly)

Vitamin K deficiency can result in disturbed bone development.

It kan result in calcification of cartilage, vessel valls and calcium deposits other places.

Thereby the deficiency can contribute to atherosclerosis and heart problems. Calcium deposits is a component of atherosclerosis. Menaquinone deficiency, but not phylloquinone deficiency , is associated with higher risk of CHD mortality, all-cause mortality and severe aortic calcification

About the most common rheumatic conditions

By rheumatic conditions there are chronic changes in the joints, muscles or bones that cause pain, functional disturbances or deformities. By most of these conditions there is an attack from the immune sytem upon these structures. Some experts will even include an auto-immune attack in the definition of rheumatic conditions so that conditions without such an attack are not called rheumatic.

Bursitis - This is a condition composed of wearing and small injuries in the connective tissue sheets or channels around tendons and an inflammation caused by this wearing and injuries. The inflammation may become chronic and last also when the direct physical injuries are healed. Since these connective tissue sheets are mostly located around the joints, the symptoms of bursitis mostly originate in the joint areas, but areas like the Achilles tendon can also be afflicted.

Such an inflammation will however often also attack the joint wall itself and the tendons themselves, so that the condition often will be a combination of injury and inflammation in the tendon sheets and surrounding structures.

By bursitis there is pain, ache, swelling and reduced mobility. Bursitis is often caused by over-straining during athletic activities and physical work.

Attacks at the tendon sheets by the process during rheumatoid arthritis or caused by infections are also called bursitis, but these variants is strictly speaking quite other diseases than bursitis caused by physical wearing.

Rheumatoid arthritis - By rheumatoid arthritis there is an inflammation in the lining inside the joints. The inflammation stimulate the tissue in this lining, the synovial membrane, to thicken and grow. The tissue will eventually grow into foreign places outside the inner lining and destroy structures also around the joints. The inflammation is triggered by an autoimmune reaction against the inner lining of the joints. Early symptoms are pain. swelling and stiffness. Later on there can be severe dysfunctions and deformities. The rheumatoid arthritis the worst attacks are in the joints of the limbs. The joints of the spinal column are less often or severly attacked.

Osteoarthritis - By osteoarthritis the cartilages in the joints are worn down by mechanical wearing, and gradually also the bone ends can be worn down by the resulting friction between bone ends without the protection from the cartilages. There is no inflammation in the first place.

Spondylosis - Spondylosis resambles rheumatoid arthritis, but the most severe attacks are in the joints of the spinal column and the joints of the limbs are more seldome or less severely attacked. There is an inflammation attacking the disks between the vertebrae. These will then stiffen. They may decrease in thickness but the tissues of the disks may also swell to the sides. Eventually the inflammation can attack structures also around the vertebral joints. The structural changes cause pain and stiffeness. These changes can also cause pressure on the nerves going from and to the spinal cord and sometimes on the spinal cord itself. The pressure on the nervous strudtures can cause functional dysfunctions in the limbs, the digestive system or the bladder, and can cause pain attacks that appear to originate from the limb.

Lupus erytematosus - By lupus erytematosus there is an auto-immune inflammation against many types of tissues around the body, like the tissues in and around the joints, muscles, circulatory system, kidneys, digestive system and central nervous system. Inflammation, pain and functional problems of joints and muscles are common symptoms, but severe deformities like by rheumatoid arthritis are seldome seen. Also rashes and skin irritations are frequent symptoms. However, the disease can produce nearly any type of symptom or functional failur from most organ systems. The severity of these attacks can vary from just mild to very serious with consequences like heart failure, kidney failure, svere mental problems and reduced consciousness.

Disclaimer: The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.