Phylloquinone are one group of vitamin K that are synthesised by plants and found in high concentrations in green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and lettuce. Vitamin K in plant foods can contribute significantly to the total intake of vitamin K and are therefore an important aspect of a healthy diet. Menaquinones are another form of vitamin K that are synthesised by microorganisms, and they differ from the phylloquinone because they have different chain lengths which also contain a different degree of saturation. However, menaquinones are also important dietary sources of vitamin K. Dairy foods contain menaquinones because the microorganisms in the rumens of the animals synthesise them and they are therefore present in the milk. Dairy products contain menaquinones mainly in the fat, and so full fat dairy products are a better source. A number of menaquinones have been identified in the fat of dairy foods including Menaquinone 9, 10, 11 with lower amounts of menaquinone 4, 8 and 12.
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