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Ask Shawn: Natural Health Q & A

Question:

Is Vitamin K an overlooked supplement?

Answer:

Perhaps, and some health experts are saying vitamin K is one of the most promising vitamins of our time. How could such a seemingly low key vitamin get top billing on par with vitamin D? It's because recent research supporting vitamin K's usefulness in bone and heart health is now becoming too abundant to be overlooked .According to a well known health expert Dr Mercola, vitamin K plays a crucial role in many bodily functions. Furthermore, it may be a key vitamin to fight the signs of ageing. It's a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E and Co Enzyme Q10, and it is being looked at by scientists as being a vitamin to promote immune health and memory support.

We get vitamin K from our food by eating such foods as green leafy vegetables, liver, cheese, olive oil, soybeans, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. These are the foods rich in one aspect of Vitamin K and that is K1. However K2 is the big hitter and it's only found in one such traditional Japanese food called natto. Natto is actually eaten every day by students for breakfast in Japanese schools all over Japan because studies have shown this fermented form of soybeans to be key in maintaining strong flexible bones. Not only that, but K2 has also been shown in studies to decrease serum cholesterol and cholesterol deposits in the arteries. One such study following 4800 healthy men and women in the Netherlands over a ten year period found that K2 reduced the risk of coronary heart disease mortality by 50%. A tremendous benefit for both bone and heart health, vitamin K2 works by regulating bone calcium and artery calcium by giving the protein that controls calcium claws so it can grab on to calcium and move it. Without enough vitamin K2, proteins cannot hold on to calcium and calcium can drift out of the bone into arteries and soft tissues. There is caution with supplementing K2 in that it may adversely interact with anti-coagulation drugs and is not advised for those on blood thinners without consent of their health practitioner. Also for those concerned with blood clotting the same would apply.

Pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid taking higher RDA levels(65mg) unless specifically recommended and monitored by their physician. Of course, it goes without saying to avoid GMO soy as clinical studies on rats have not demonstrated favourable results.

References;

products.mercola.com- vitamin K