What Increases The Risk Of A Vitamin K Deficiency?

Certain Antibiotics

Certain antibiotics can increase the risk of vitamin K deficiency as they can act as vitamin K antagonists and prevent the absorption of the vitamin into the body. This is especially true of the antibiotics classified as cephalosporins. Antibiotics work by attacking bacteria causing illness in the body. Sometimes, however, antibiotics are indiscriminate and attack both the good bacteria along with the bad. When this happens, some mild depletion of vitamin K levels may occur. Those individuals with low levels of vitamin K prior to taking antibiotics are the highest risk for developing a deficiency in this vitamin while on antibiotics.