HomeLifestyleHealth & FitnessVitamin K lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by 34 percent

Vitamin K lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by 34 percent

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In a new health study published in the journal of the American Heart Association, researchers from New Edith Cowan University (ECU) found that people who consume a vitamin K-rich diet have a 34 percent lower risk of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels).

Over a 23-year period, researchers analysed data from more than 50,000 participants in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health study. They examined whether people who consumed more vitamin K-fortified foods had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease associated with atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries).

Vitamin K is found in two forms in foods: vitamin K1 is primarily found in green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils, while vitamin K2 is primarily found in meat, eggs, and fermented foods such as cheese.

The study discovered that individuals with the highest vitamin K1 intake were 21 percent less likely to be hospitalized for cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis.

Vitamin K2 significantly reduced the risk of hospitalisation by 14 percent.

This decreased risk was observed for all types of heart disease associated with atherosclerosis, but especially for peripheral artery disease, which was reduced by 34%.

Dr Nicola Bondonno, an ECU researcher and senior author on the study, said the findings suggest that increasing vitamin K intake may be critical for protection against atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease.

“Current dietary guidelines for the consumption of vitamin K are generally only based on the amount of vitamin K1 a person should consume to ensure that their blood can coagulate,” she said.

“However, there is growing evidence that intakes of vitamin K above the current guidelines can afford further protection against the development of other diseases, such as atherosclerosis.

“Although more research is needed to fully understand the process, we believe that vitamin K works by protecting against the calcium build-up in the major arteries of the body leading to vascular calcification.”

Dr Jamie Bellinge of the University of Western Australia, the study’s first author, said the role of vitamin K in cardiovascular health, particularly vascular calcification, is an area of research that offers promising hope for the future.

“Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in Australia and there’s still a limited understanding of the importance of different vitamins found in food and their effect on heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease,” Dr Bellinge said.

“These findings shed light on the potentially important effect that vitamin K has on the killer disease and reinforces the importance of a healthy diet in preventing it.”

Next what?

Dr Bondonno stated that while databases on the vitamin K1 content of foods are quite comprehensive, data on the vitamin K2 content of foods are much sparse at the moment. Additionally, there are ten different forms of vitamin K2 in our diet, and each one may be absorbed and act differently in our bodies.

“The next phase of the research will involve developing and improving databases on the vitamin K2 content of foods.

“More research into the different dietary sources and effects of different types of vitamin K2 is a priority,” Dr Bondonno said.

Additionally, an Australian database on the vitamin K content of Australian foods is required (e.g. vegemite and kangaroo).

To meet this need, Dr Marc Sim, a study collaborator, has just completed the development of an Australian database on the vitamin K content of foods that will be published shortly.

Image Credit: Getty

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