Vitamin K content of nuts and fruits in the US diet.

• Date posted:  03/17/2003 
• Posted In:
• Almonds,
• Brazil Nuts,
• Cashews,
• Hazelnuts,
• Macadamias,
• Mixed Nuts,
• Pecans,
• Pine Nuts,
• Pistachios,
• Walnuts,
• Nutrient and Bioactive Composition,

Dismore, M.L.,  D.B. Haytowitz, S.E. Gebhardt, J.W. Peterson, S.L. Booth, 2003. Vitamin K content of nuts and fruits in the US diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 103:1650-1652.

Assessment of vitamin K dietary intakes has been limited by incomplete vitamin K food composition data for the US food supply. The phylloquinone (vitamin K₁) concentrations of nuts (n=76) and fruits (n=215) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Each sample represented a composite of units obtained from 12 to 24 outlets, which provided geographic representation of the US food supply. With the exception of pine nuts and cashews, which contain 53.9 and 34.8 µg of phylloquinone per 100 g of nut, respectively, nuts are not important dietary sources of vitamin K. Similarly, most fruits are not important sources of vitamin K, with the exception of some berries, green fruits, and prunes. Menu planning for patients on warfarin can include a healthy diet including fruits and nuts without compromising the stability of their oral anticoagulation therapy.