Vitamin K3, also known as menadione, is a synthetic form of vitamin K. Unlike vitamins K1 and K2, which are naturally found in foods, vitamin K3 is produced in a lab.
While vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting, bone health, and maintaining healthy levels of calcium in your blood, vitamin K3 specifically has some unique characteristics:
- Benefits: Although not recommended for human consumption due to potential side effects, vitamin K3 has shown promise in some test-tube studies. These studies suggest possible anti-cancer and antibacterial properties.
- Concerns: In high doses, vitamin K3 can be toxic, causing hemolytic anemia, a condition where red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be produced. This is why it is not used in supplements or medications for humans.
- Uses: Despite the risks to humans, vitamin K3 is used as a feed additive in animal husbandry because animals can convert it into usable forms of vitamin K.
