Ingredient Repository · Ingredient

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Ingredient

Vitamin K1

Essential fat-soluble vitamin required for hepatic synthesis of blood coagulation factors and vascular homeostasis.

What it is

Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone or phytonadione) is the primary dietary form of vitamin K found naturally in green leafy vegetables. In Velobiotics products such as PregBiotics Essentials with Omega, it supplies essential dietary phylloquinone alongside targeted microencapsulated probiotics for maternal and fetal vascular support. It serves as an obligatory cofactor for hepatic enzymes that carboxylesterify specific glutamic acid residues in blood clotting proteins.

Also known as: Phytonadione, Phylloquinone

What it does

  • Acts as an essential cofactor for gamma-glutamyl carboxylase in hepatic clotting factor synthesis.
  • Activates prothrombin and factors VII, IX, and X required for normal physiological blood coagulation.
  • Supports vascular structural integrity and hemostatic balance during pregnancy and tissue repair.
  • Contributes to systemic calcium-binding protein activation in soft tissues and vascular walls.

Amplified by probiotics

Intestinal absorption of phylloquinone depends on healthy enterocyte function and bile-mediated micellar solubilization in the small intestine. Probiotic bacteria maintain tight junction integrity and low luminal inflammation, maximizing enterocyte absorption surface area and uptake efficiency. Simultaneously, commensal gut bacteria, supported by probiotic L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium strains, promote a balanced microenvironment where colonic anaerobes convert dietary phylloquinone, complementing systemic vitamin K status through microbial menaquinone co-synthesis and gut barrier support.

Typical dose

70–120 µg/day

The evidence

Evidence: strong

Robust human research validates phylloquinone's crucial role as an obligatory cofactor for hepatic gamma-carboxylation of clotting factors. Clinical trials confirm safety and efficacy in maintaining hemostasis. (Suttie JW. 2014, Adv Nutr; Shearer MJ, Newman P. 2014, Adv Nutr; Akbari S, Rasouli-Ghahroudi AA. 2018, Cureus).

  1. Suttie JW. Vitamin K and human nutrition. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(2):137-138 PubMed ↗
  2. Shearer MJ, Newman P. Metabolism and cell biology of vitamin K. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(1):68-75 PubMed ↗
  3. Akbari S, Rasouli-Ghahroudi AA. Vitamin K and Bone Metabolism: A Review of the Latest Evidence in Preclinical and Clinical Studies. Cureus. 2018;10(6):e2844 PubMed ↗

Safety & who should check first

Highly safe at recommended dietary intakes. Patients taking vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (such as warfarin) must maintain consistent daily intakes and consult their healthcare practitioner.