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In the News, Fall 2021: Vitamin K Can Lower Risk of Atherosclerosis

Research from Edith Cowan University in Australia found that people with more vitamin K in their diets had a substantially lower risk of cardiovascular disease related to atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in the arteries) over a 23-year period. Data from more than 50,000 people taking part in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study was analyzed, with vitamin K intake estimated from a food-frequency questionnaire.
Vitamin K is classified into two basic types, vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and some vegetable oils, while K2 is found in meat, certain cheeses, eggs, and fermented foods. Compared with study participants with the lowest K1 intakes, those with the highest intakes were found to have a 21% lower risk of hospitalization from all atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, and a 34% lower risk of hospitalization from peripheral artery disease. A similar pattern was seen for vitamin K2; for those with the highest intakes, risk of hospitalization from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was 14% lower.
Senior author Dr. Nicola Bondonno observed: “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. However, there is growing evidence that intakes above the current guidelines can afford further protection against the development of other diseases, such as atherosclerosis.”
Sources: Growing evidence of vitamin K benefits for heart health. Edith Cowan University, August 9, 2021. ecu.edu.au/newsroom/articles/research/growing-evidence-of-vitamin-k-benefits-for-heart-health.
Bellinge JW, Dalgaard F, Murray K, et al. Vitamin K intake and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Danish Diet Cancer and Health Study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2021; 10(16). DOI: 10/1161/JAHA.120.020551.
Published in the Price-Pottenger Journal of Health & Healing
Fall 2021 | Volume 45, Number 3
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