Coagulation…Bone health….prostate cancer prevention…the list of benefits for Vitamin K in general (and Vitamin K2 in particular) continues to grow. The latest condition to be added to the list appears to be atherosclerosis, characterized in part by a process known as calcification (the build-up of calcium deposits in the arteries).
Researchers in Holland measured the dietary intake of Vitamin K1 (also known as phytonadione and most notably present in green, leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach) as well as vitamin K2 (also known as menatetrenone and most commonly present in meat as well as fermented foods such as cheese and yogurt) among 564 post-menopausal women. What was found in this cross –sectional study was that a higher consumption of Vitamin K2 (but not K1) was associated with a 20% reduction in the calcification of the arteries – a central cause of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis, defined as a hardening of the arteries due to the accumulation of plaque deposits (made up of calcium, proteins, lipids and metabolic waste), is a critical risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the cause of approximately 50% of all mortalities in North America and Europe.
Source:
Beulens JW, Bots ML, Atsma F, Bartelink ML, Prokop M, Geleijnse JM, Witteman JC, Grobbee DE, van der Schouw YT. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Jul 19.
For more information, see Vitamin K2.
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