Vitamin K and How It Helps You

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamins at their most basic level are organic compounds that are required as nutrients by most organisms. Generally when people speak of vitamin consumption they are referring to the role that they play in a normal diet; being the necessary components for healthy, balanced nutrition.

There is a wide range of vitamins that are classified by their biological and chemical activity, not necessarily their structure. Vitamin K is a vitamin found primarily in vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts, as well as fruits such as avocados and kiwis. The FDA recommends that an average healthy male should consume 120 micrograms of vitamin K a day, while an average healthy woman should consume 90 micrograms a day. As a frame of reference, two tablespoons of parsley contain 153% of the recommended daily amount. It is important to understand that vitamin K in these fruits and vegetables is found primarily in the raw form, cooking destroys many of the natural enzymes and vitamins within these fruits and vegetables.

It is estimated that over half of the individuals between the ages of 18 and 44 do not have a healthy level of vitamin K in their diet. Vitamin K has been proven to help protect against osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other degenerative diseases. It also plays a vital role in promoting blood clotting after tissue injuries, with a severe deficiency of the vitamin resulting in fatal hemorrhaging. Vitamin K is currently one of the most researched vitamins regarding the various benefits of the vitamin as a whole, with many people considering it to be a ‘super’ vitamin.

The Benefits

Research into vitamin K began in the early 20th century and its precise functions were discovered in 1974. Since then research has continued into the vitamin, and scientists have found a variety of benefits from a daily intake of vitamin K. The most recent research shows that the vitamin can increase bone mass, with studies showing that supplemental vitamin K can help promote osteotrophic processes and slow the osteoclastic processes through calcium bonding, with a form of vitamin K2 being recognized in Japan as a bona fide treatment for osteoporosis. Basically vitamin K can be described as a type of glue that binds calcium to the bone matrix. Still, the long-term effects are unknown at this point in time, as well as the benefits, and research continues. In addition, vitamin K has been shown to inhibit cell death, which has led to the theoretical concept that vitamin K could have an effect on neuronal damage and that regular supplementation could help treat Alzheimer’s, although this is hypothetical at present, with ongoing research hoping to prove the theory.

Some research studies have shown that supplementing vitamin K intake can help ward off the hardening of the arteries that occurs with age, with this being one of the main reasons the vitamin is promoted as a way to combat degenerative heart diseases, strokes, and thrombosis associated with atherosclerosis. The International Journal of Experimental Pathology published findings in 2000 by the Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America showing that vitamin K has a double action due to its chemical configuration that allows it to pick up calcium and carry it to where it is most needed in the body. This allows it to alleviate atherosclerosis by taking the calcium deposits that build up on the artery walls and breaking them down so that the arteries can function efficiently for longer periods of time. Meanwhile, the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition published findings in 2001 that showed vitamin K helping an activator protein in the body called osteo-calcin, which is responsible for the development and maintenance of strong bone tissue that can help fight osteoporosis. Considering that women suffering from osteoporosis generally have only 25% of the vitamin K levels in their bodies that a normal, healthy woman should have, the importance of this vitamin seem not to be overstated.

The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics published research in 1997 that details vitamin K as being a preventative for autoimmune diseases, in particular its potential to slow down the aging process. It does so by preventing excessive elevation of interleukin-6, which is a known chemical component in your immune system that can cause toxic reactions throughout your body, and is generally considered to be a leading factor in causing autoimmune diseases, as well as inflammation of the joints and tissues of the brain. Since Alzheimer’s patients have high concentrations of this chemical in their brains, it is believed that vitamin K can help prevent this condition by reducing one of the chemicals associated with the disease.

What about Vitamin K Deficiency?

Vitamin K deficiency is a quite serious issue. Regular intake of vitamin K has a wide variety of known benefits, from helping the pancreas to regulate blood sugar levels – which shows potential for assisting in the treatment of diabetes – to helping maintain calcium levels in teeth, thus protecting against cavities.

One surprising cause of vitamin K deficiency is the use of antibiotics. Most people agree that antibiotics should only be used to cure serious infections; and indeed recognize that overuse of antibiotics may, in addition to disruption of intestinal flora, create an immunity which leaves the body vulnerable to the so-called ‘superbugs’ which have evolved to withstand the effects of traditional antibiotics. Individuals with low levels of vitamin K may also experience defective blood coagulation and hemorrhaging. In addition, a recent study conducted by the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that vitamin K may prevent a wide range of age-related disease such as kidney calcification, cancer, weakening of the bones, and cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Bruce Ames, one of the leaders of the study believes that even modest vitamin and mineral deficiencies has the potential to result in age-related illnesses. It is hoped that his theory will highlight the issue and prompt scientists to conduct more studies into the benefits of vitamins, especially vitamin K.

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