The health benefits, deficiency, food sources, etc of vitamin K

What is vitamin K?

 vitamin KNbsp; may not be as popular as vitamin An or vitamin D, but its role is much more important than most people realize. Vitamin K was discovered by a Danish scientist in 1929 and was originally published in a German journal called Koagulationsvitamin, which begins with the letter K, hence the name vitamin K.

This German word means blood clotting and is a scientific term for the word clotting, while vitamin K mainly has the effect of clotting. Although vitamin K seems to be a single vitamin in terms of its name, this is not the case. Vitamin K is a group of compounds with similar chemical structures. The two forms of vitamin K that are particularly important to body health are vitamin K1 (leaf quinone, mainly from green plants) and vitamin K2 (menadione, derived from gastrointestinal bacteria, meat, cheese, or transformed from K1). Dramatically, several studies have reported that K2 has greater health benefits than K1, for example, which may help reduce the incidence of heart disease. 

In this article, we will delve deeper into the health benefits of vitamin K2, understand various ideas, and explore whether they are supported by relevant scientific evidence.

Lack of vitamin K

Vitamins K1 and K2 are essential nutrients for clotting proteins. Blood clotting is the process of preventing excessive bleeding when the skin and blood vessels are injured. Therefore, the lack of vitamin K or clotting factors may cause the nose, skin or wound to bleed easily, and bleeding for a long time, difficult to stop bleeding.

Fortunately, vitamin K deficiency is rare, thanks to the high levels of vitamin K found in various food sources such as leafy greens and a variety of fish. In addition, vitamin K2 may also be synthesized by bacteria in the colon, making it less likely to be severely deficient. 

However, just because a person may not have vitamin K deficiency does not mean they have good levels of vitamin K, which may bring additional health benefits, which we will discuss below.

In addition to the importance of vitamin K2 for blood clotting, there is plenty of evidence that vitamin K2 supplementation may also bring additional health benefits. Research shows that & nbspSupplement of vitamin K2& nbsp; may help protect against cardiovascular disease, boost bone metabolism, care for skin health, and optimize brain function.

According to research, one of the key ways in which vitamin K2 is good for the body’s health is to regulate calcinosis, increase bone calcification and prevent vascular and kidney calcification.

Food sources of vitamin K

The content of vitamin K per 100 grams of food is measured in micrograms, as follows:

• Kale contains 440 micrograms of nbsp;  per 100g.
• 380 micrograms per 100 grams of spinach
• 180 micrograms per 100 grams of broccoli
• 145 micrograms per 100 grams of cabbage
• 35 micrograms per 100 grams of cabbage lettuce

Health benefits of vitamin K2

There is a great deal of evidence to support the potential role of vitamin K2 supplementation in optimizing overall health. However, if you take blood thinners such as warfarin, or suffer from clotting disorders, have gastrointestinal diseases that cause malabsorption of fat (including vitamin K), or suspect that your vitamin K intake may be low, then vitamin K2 supplementation is particularly beneficial in these cases.

Traditionally, doctors tell patients who take warfarin (coumarin) blood thinners to avoid foods rich in vitamin K. Nowadays, however, many doctors recommend maintaining a consistent dietary intake of vitamin K and adjusting the dose of warfarin according to the diet. Be sure to consult your doctor first; however, even if you maintain your dietary intake, it is possible to take coumarin.

In addition to playing a key role in blood clotting, some of the health benefits of vitamin K2 include the following.

Cardiovascular benefits of vitamin K

Cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 1/3 of global deaths. Although we cannot defend against death, it is possible to avoid dying prematurely of heart disease. Studies have shown that high calcium content in coronary arteries may be a particularly prominent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and an increase in all-cause mortality. Therefore, any method that can reduce calcinosis may help prevent heart disease. Interestingly, studies have shown that vitamin K may help, possibly because of its properties to prevent calcinosis.

According to a 2004 study in Rotterdam, adequate intake of menadione (vitamin K2) may play an important role in the prevention of coronary artery disease. In this study, the researchers followed 4807 subjects for 10 years to assess the relationship between dietary vitamin K2 intake and the risk of aortic calcification, heart disease and all-cause mortality. The researchers found that ingestion of menadione may significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, aortic calcification and all-cause mortality. Similarly, another Dutch study, published in the Journal of Atherosclerosis, showed that higher dietary intake of menadione was associated with reduced coronary artery calcification.

Benefits of vitamin K on bone health

Osteoporosis is an important health problem for postmenopausal women. One in two postmenopausal women suffers from osteoporosis, and many have broken bones in their lives. Experts believe that vitamin K2 can activate the proteins needed for bone growth and development and block the role of osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are cells involved in bone resorption. Many researchers believe that higher levels of vitamin K2 in the diet are associated with a lower risk of fractures in older men and women, especially for hip fractures.

So in a 2013 study, researchers studied the effects of vitamin K2 (MK-7) on bone loss in 244 healthy postmenopausal women who took either 180 micrograms of MK-7 capsule or placebo daily for three years. The study [xi] suggests that vitamin K (MK-7) supplementation may significantly alleviate age-related bone mineral density and bone strength decline, so researchers recommend vitamin K2 to postmenopausal women. 

Similarly, a 2006 systematic review and meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials showed that vitamin K2 may help reduce the incidence of fractures in subjects, especially spinal and femoral fractures. Since 1995, Japan has approved the use of vitamin K2 to repair osteoporosis, although most doctors in Europe and the United States rarely recommend vitamin K2 for osteoporosis. & nbsp

Benefits of vitamin K on blood glucose

With the increasing prevalence of obesity around the world, the incidence of type 2 glucose metabolic disease is also increasing. More than 500 million people between the ages of 20 and 79 suffer from glucose metabolic disease. This figure is expected to continue to grow over the next decade. Nevertheless, glucose metabolic disease is not uncontrollable. Weight management and optimized diet help control blood glucose and are very helpful in preventing glucose metabolic diseases and reducing the risk of complications from glucose metabolic diseases. 

Many researchers believe that vitamin K2 may help optimize insulin sensitivity and control blood glucose. For example, a study published in 2008 in the American Association of glucose Metabolic Diseases Journal of glucose Metabolic Care showed that taking vitamin K for 36 months may significantly slow the progress of insulin resistance in older men compared with placebo. 

In addition, a 2020 study of 40 patients with type 2 glucose metabolic disease showed that vitamin K2 supplementation may help reduce blood glucose and increase carboxylated osteocalcin levels. the lack of carboxylated osteocalcin is associated with the prevalence of type 2 glucose metabolic disease. Moreover, a literature review published in the journal Nutrition in 2016 shows that vitamin K2 may optimize insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance by increasing osteocalcin levels, relieving inflammatory responses, and reducing serum cholesterol and other lipids.

Benefits of vitamin K on joint problems

Interestingly, nature gives women a stronger body defense system than men, which may also be due to the fact that women live longer. However, a stronger body defense system also means it is more likely to suffer from defensive diseases, such as rheumatoid joint problems, which are three times more common in women than in men.

In addition, as the world’s population ages, bone and joint problems (a degenerative disease) and the resulting global burden are becoming more and more serious. Fortunately, vitamin K2 may have a certain alleviating effect on both types of joint problems because of its defense control and relieving inflammatory response. 

For example, a 2013 study of 158 female subjects showed that vitamin K2 supplementation may help reduce inflammatory markers of rheumatoid joint problems and may optimize activity for osteoporosis and other diseases. 

Similarly, the authors of a 2020 review also found that vitamin K supplementation may reduce inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which may contribute to the prevention and repair of rheumatoid joint problems. In addition, several studies have linked reduced levels of vitamin K in the body to an increased risk of bone and joint problems. For example, in a 2008 study, researchers found that subjects with vitamin K deficiency reduced the narrowing of the joint space by 47% after supplementation, which is a sign of bone and joint problems. can cause bones to rub against each other. At the same time, a 2020 study in the journal Nutrition corroborated the observation that adequate levels of vitamin K may help protect the elderly from bone and joint problems and joint fractures.

The benefits of Vitamin K on brain Health

In addition to optimizing heart health, reducing the risk of glucose metabolic disease and protecting against osteoporosis, vitamin K2 may also help deal with another serious health problem that people generally face, namely age-related cognitive decline.

For example, Alzheimer’s disease has become a major health problem worldwide and will continue to affect the elderly population. In recent studies, the relationship between vitamin K intake and age-related mental decline has been clearly explained. Vitamin K can synthesize a chemical called sphingomyelin, and changes in sphingolipid metabolism are associated with brain and memory decline. Similarly, higher levels of vitamin K2 in the body may help alleviate inflammatory and oxidative stress in the brain, which are markers of neurodegenerative diseases. 

In addition, in a 2022 study, researchers assessed the relationship between brain vitamin K levels and cognitive outcomes among 325 children of the Rapid memory and Aging Program (Rush Memory and Aging Project). The researchers found that high levels of vitamin K (MK4) were associated with a 17% to 20% reduction in the risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment before death.

Benefits of vitamin K on skin health

Although the effects of vitamin K2 on skin health have not been fully studied, limited evidence suggests that it may help regulate pigmentation, aid wound healing, and have a potential anti-aging effect. For example, a 2007 study found that deficiency of the vitamin K2-activated GLA protein may lead to calcification of elastin fibers in the skin. A randomized controlled trial in 2019 found that topical vitamin K may accelerate wound healing and significantly shorten the healing time.

Recommended dose

vitamin K& nbsp; has many forms, such as capsule, fudge and topical ointment. The recommended dose can be referred to the label recommendation. Note: when taking the blood thinner coumarin (warfarin), be sure to consult your doctor if you need to take vitamin K, as vitamin K thickens the blood. Vitamin K has no effect on other types of blood thinners.

Reference:

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