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Vitamin K

Ever scraped a knee, or had a paper cut? You might not realize it but your body is actually very busy keeping you healthy and strong. As soon as you get a cut or a scratch, your body springs into action to repair it. The first step is to stop the bleeding. The blood vessels around the area tighten so less blood flows there. Small discs called platelets rush to the scene and stick together in clumps inside the broken blood vessels.

Clotting proteins in the blood help hold the platelets in place. The process of blood forming clots is called coagulation. Your body needs Vitamin K to make clotting proteins. Vitamin K is also important for strong bones. It helps with the storing of minerals in your bones, which makes them denser and less likely to break.

Fortunately, it’s very easy for your body to get enough Vitamin K. Some of your Vitamin K comes from the food you eat. It’s found in leafy green plants like broccoli, spinach, and Brussels sprouts. One more good reason to listen to your parents when they tell you it’s important to eat your vegetables!  Vitamin K is also made inside your body by the bacteria in your gut.

Biotin

Biotin is also known as Vitamin H and Vitamin B7. It helps with cell growth and helps convert sugars to chemical energy your body can use. It also plays a role in keeping blood sugar levels steady, which is especially important for people with diabetes.  Biotin helps keep skin, the digestive tract, and nerves healthy. Your body does not store extra biotin. Instead, it uses what it needs at the moment and gets rid of the extra as waste.

Bacteria in your gut make most of the biotin in your body. Fortunately, they’re very good at this. These hard-working bacteria make way more biotin than your body will ever need. Thanks to these little guys, it’s extremely rare for your body not to have enough biotin.

To learn more about what vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy and strong, visit our ABC’s of Vitamins page.

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Additional images from Wikimedia via Infrogmation (cesar salad).