| Vitamin K may not be one of the most | | | | source of high blood pressure and resulting |
| widely-known vitamins, but it's one of the most | | | | strokes. By regulating the amount and distribution |
| important when it comes to anti-aging. | | | | of calcium in the body, ample amounts of Vitamin |
| Since it's discovery in 1929, Vitamin K has been | | | | K could potentially act as both a preventative and |
| recognized as being crucial to the process of | | | | a healer. |
| blood coagulation - in fact, the "k" stands for | | | | |
| koagulation, the German form of the word | | | | Vitamin K and Diabetes: Japanese studies have |
| coagulation. But recent research has shown that | | | | demonstrated that animals with a measurable |
| this often-forgotten vitamin may be a vital tool in | | | | vitamin K deficiency had pancreatic problems that |
| the prevention and treatment of a host of | | | | caused the release of too much insulin into the |
| age-related disorders. | | | | blood - a scenario similar to that of diabetes in |
| Research Reveals That Vitamin K Plays Many | | | | humans. Ongoing studies are investigating the |
| Roles in Maintaining Health | | | | possibility that vitamin K could be used to in the |
| One of the most important discoveries about | | | | treatment of diabetes. |
| vitamin K is that it regulates the production and | | | | Vitamin K and Alzheimer's Disease: Research has |
| flow of calcium. This ability makes it a key player | | | | indicated that there is a correlation between |
| in the prevention and treatment of many of the | | | | vitamin K deficiency and the presence of a |
| most common and debilitating age-related | | | | specific genetic variant associated with |
| diseases. | | | | Alzheimer's. It has been suggested that without |
| Vitamin K and Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a | | | | sufficient vitamin K to regulate the creation and |
| degenerative bone disease that occurs when | | | | flow of calcium throughout the system, arterial |
| calcium is leached from the bones. Recent studies | | | | damage may lead to problems with brain function. |
| have shown that people who had the highest | | | | Who Needs Supplemental Vitamin K?The body |
| vitamin K levels had a significantly lower risk of | | | | can actually manufacture vitamin K, but because |
| osteoporosis and related problems such as hip | | | | we generally synthesize only a third of the |
| fracture. | | | | amount that we need, it's important to eat foods |
| Vitamin K and Arteriosclerosis: Arteriosclerosis, or | | | | that contain it (leafy green vegetables and liver) |
| hardening of the arteries, is a progressive disease | | | | to avoid deficiency. |
| caused by arterial calcification, which happens | | | | The recommended daily requirement for adults is |
| when calcium leaks into the arteries. This process | | | | around 100 mg, an amount that should easily be |
| is closely linked to heart damage and disease. | | | | met via a reasonable healthy diet. However, there |
| Animal studies done in Japan showed that the | | | | are some circumstances in which additional vitamin |
| introduction of additional Vitamin K effectively | | | | K could be needed. Liver and gall bladder disease |
| reduced arterial calcification, and it reduced related | | | | are known to deplete vitamin K, as are diseases |
| heart damage as well. | | | | of the intestinal tract. Some medicines, including |
| Vitamin K and High Blood Pressure/Stroke: Excess | | | | long-term antibiotics and cholesterol lowering drugs |
| calcium has been identified as a major causative | | | | can also cause deficiency. |