Importance of vitamin K outlined in the scientific literature

Two separate articles published recently in the scientific literature have outlined the importance of vitamin K to good health.

Results of a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Nutrition suggest that an adequate intake of menaquinone (a form of vitamin K) could be important for the prevention of coronary heart disease. The study showed that vitamin K-dependent proteins inhibited vascular (aortic) calcification, and that the relative risk of coronary heart disease mortality was reduced when dietary vitamin K intake increased. The findings adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, and other risk factors. (J Nutr, vol. 134, November 2004).

Meanwhile, it was reported in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that vitamin K may play a role in bone metabolism, with low vitamin K intake associated with low bone density and increased risk of osteoporotic fracture in young girls. The four-year study measured bone mineral content and the markers of bone formation and bone resorption in 25 girls who consume a typical US diet. Additional randomized supplementation trials are needed to further understand the potential benefits of the studied form of vitamin K on bone acquisition in growing children. However, the recent findings suggested that better vitamin K status was associated with decreased bone turnover in healthy girls. (Amer J Clin Nutr, Vol. 80, October 2004).