Is Vitamin K Potassium?

 Vitamin K vs. potassium

 Benefits

 Safety concerns

 Food sources

 Bottom line
Vitamin K and potassium are essential micronutrients the body needs to develop
and function properly. The two share some things in common, but they’re not the
same.

Each has a unique set of properties and purposes. Unlike vitamin K, potassium is
not a vitamin. Rather, it’s a mineral.

On the periodic table, the chemical symbol for potassium is the letter K. Thus,
people sometimes confuse potassium with vitamin K.

This article highlights some of the main similarities and differences between vitamin
K and potassium.
Share on Pinterest Cameron Whitman/Stocksy United

How do vitamin K and potassium

compare?
Vitamin K and potassium are both considered essential nutrients.
Your body needs essential nutrients to complete basic tasks. The body cannot
product potassium on its own and can only make small amounts of vitamin K. As a
result, it’s important to consume these nutrients through food.

Though vitamin K and potassium are both important, they’re not the same type of
compound.

The table below summarizes some notable characteristics of each (1Trusted

Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source):

Vitamin K Potassium

Compound type vitamin mineral

Chemical
quinone lipid soft metal
structure

Daily Value (DV) 120 mcg 4,700 mg

food, supplements, and small amounts food, supplements, and in some foods
Forms
produced in the gut as an additive

still unclear which forms the body

Bioavailability vitamin K2 may be more bioavailable than K1
absorbs best

an electrolyte that helps cells complete

Uses blood clotting and bone metabolism
basic functions

may support bone and heart health and may support bone health and benefit
Benefits
prevent infant bleeding blood pressure

Vitamin K overview

Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble vitamins the body needs to produce proteins for
blood clotting and bone production, among other functions (5, 6Trusted
Source, 7Trusted Source).
Healthcare providers often give vitamin K1 supplements to infants just after birth to
prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB).

VKDB is a condition that occurs when there’s not enough vitamin K in the body to
help form blood clots (8Trusted Source).

The most common types of vitamin K are K1 and K2 (5, 9Trusted Source).

Vitamin K1 — also known as phylloquinone — is the type usually found in leafy

green vegetables. It’s also the most common type of vitamin K in the human diet (5).

Vitamin K2 is a group of compounds known as menaquinones. They’re often

present in animal products and fermented foods.

Gut bacteria also produce small amounts of menaquinones (5).

However, the amount of vitamin K2 the gut produces varies. Further, scientists need
to do more research to investigate how vitamin K2 produced by the gut may
influence health (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

Potassium overview

Potassium is a mineral that functions as an electrolyte within the human body.

Virtually every cell and tissue in the human body needs electrolytes to complete
basic functions.

Potassium helps maintain (13Trusted Source):

 water balance
 blood pH
 blood pressure
 muscle movement
 communication between neurons
  regular heartbeat

Therefore, having blood potassium levels within normal limits is important for

maintaining optimal health (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted
Source).

SUMMARY

Unlike vitamin K, potassium is not a vitamin — it’s a mineral. To keep the body
working properly, consume both nutrients in foods or supplements.

Benefits of each
Regularly consuming foods that are rich sources of vitamin K and potassium can
contribute to an overall healthy diet.

These micronutrients each have benefits of their own, and they may even share a
few similar benefits.

For example, scientists have studied both for their potential effects on bone and
heart health (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted
Source).

Here’s a closer look.

Vitamin K benefits

Vitamin K plays a significant role in bone growth and metabolism.

A deficiency of the nutrient has been linked with bone injuries. These may include
fractures and diseases of the bone, such as osteoporosis (21Trusted
Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).
Vitamin K supplements have shown potential in early research to help reduce
fracture rates. These benefits may be particularly helpful for postmenopausal
women with osteoporosis (18Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 24Trusted
Source).

However, scientists still need to do more rigorous research to fully understand the
relationship between supplements and bone health (25Trusted Source).

Vitamin K may also help inhibit the accumulation of calcium in the blood vessels,
which is a notable predictor of heart disease. Researchers believe vitamin K2 may
help inhibit this buildup (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

Thus, getting enough vitamin K2 in your diet may help prevent calcium buildup and
benefit heart health (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

However, researchers need to do more studies to fully understand the relationship

between vitamin K and heart health.

Additionally, it appears that other nutrients, including vitamin D, may influence the

effectiveness of vitamin K supplements for heart health (17Trusted
Source, 28Trusted Source).

Emerging research suggests that vitamin K could have additional benefits in

preventing age- and inflammation-related conditions like diabetes and cancer
(29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).

Again, scientists need to do more high quality research to investigate these potential
effects.

Potassium benefits

Potassium may play a role in bone health.

However, only a few high-quality studies have found potassium supplements

improved measures of bone health (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
Like vitamin K, potassium may help bone health in postmenopausal women. A
recent study found potassium may have more pronounced effects on bone health
and osteoporosis risk in that population (35Trusted Source).

Potassium’s capacity to help regulate blood pressure appears to have significant

impacts on heart health (19Trusted Source).

But it’s still unclear how potassium supplements compare to dietary potassium.
Researchers also need to investigate how salt intake influences the impacts of
potassium on heart disease (4Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 36Trusted
Source).

SUMMARY

Vitamin K and potassium both help with basic bodily functions. Adequate intake of
these nutrients may benefit bone and heart health.

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Safety concerns
Vitamin K and potassium are generally considered safe for most people. There’s not
enough evidence to show that consuming too much of either could have toxic side
effects (3Trusted Source).

No Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has currently been set for either micronutrient
(37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source).
However, people taking certain medications and those with chronic kidney disease
(CKD) may need to closely monitor the amount of vitamin K and potassium they’re
consuming.

Otherwise, blood levels of these nutrients that are too low or too high could have
dangerous side effects.

Vitamin K concerns

Research shows that people with CKD have an increased risk of vitamin K
deficiency (39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source).

Therefore, ensuring that people with CKD are consuming enough vitamin K may be
one way to help prevent future bone and heart complications. However, more
research is needed (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).

Because vitamin K encourages blood clotting, people taking blood thinning

medications must pay close attention to how much vitamin K they’re consuming.

This will help prevent vitamin K from interfering with the intended effects of the
medication (44Trusted Source).

Potassium concerns

When it comes to potassium, people with CKD are at an increased risk

of hypokalemia — low blood potassium levels. They also have an increased risk of
hyperkalemia, high blood potassium levels (45Trusted Source).

These blood potassium level abnormalities in CKD have been linked with an
increased risk of hospitalization, heart disease, and death (45Trusted
Source, 46Trusted Source, 47Trusted Source).

Thus, people with CKD may need to closely monitor their blood potassium levels
and adjust their intake of potassium-rich foods and supplements accordingly.
SUMMARY

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or those who are taking certain
medications, including blood thinners, may need to pay close attention to their
vitamin K and potassium blood levels.

Food sources of vitamin K and

potassium
Some of the best food sources of vitamin K include (5):

 fruits
 leafy green vegetables
 fermented soybeans
 nuts
 cheese
 roasted chicken

Foods that are particularly rich in potassium are (48):

 fruits
 vegetables
 legumes
 dairy products
 seafood
 lean meat
SUMMARY
Many foods contain vitamin K and potassium. Leafy green vegetables and
fermented soybeans are rich in vitamin K, while fruits and vegetables are often great
sources of potassium.

The bottom line

The body needs the micronutrient’s vitamin K and potassium to continue working
properly.

Although people sometimes confuse them with one another, the two aren’t the
same. Potassium is a mineral and not a vitamin, and the two nutrients function
differently in the human body.

Still, they both contribute to better bone and heart health, among other benefits.

Consuming foods rich is vitamin K and potassium is an important part of a healthy

diet.

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