Vitamin K May Play an Integral Role in Reducing Risk of Type 2 Diabetes June 28, 2013 Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin best known for helping blood clot properly and maintaining good bone health. New research suggests it may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three Americans will develop diabetes by 2050, particularly type 2 diabetes. That’s a potential tripling of the 26 million Americans currently living diabetes. New research gives us reason to believe we can cut our risk for type 2 diabetes, perhaps by as much as 51%. Enter vitamin K. Like fat-soluble vitamin D, this vitamin was probably not on most people’s minds 15-20 years ago, but research continues highlighting its importance. Found naturally in deep green foods like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, the less common Japanese fermented food natto is one of the best sources of this vitamin. A vitamin K deficiency is rare, according to The University of Maryland Medical center, because most people get enough from food and "in addition to being found in leafy green foods, the bacteria in your intestines can make vitamin K." New findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest vitamin K may help prevent diabetes. Spanish researchers looked at data involving over 1,000 men and women around age 67. At the beginning of the study, no one had type 2 diabetes. At the conclusion of the study 131 people had developed it. Participants who developed type 2 diabetes had significantly less vitamin K at the beginning of the study. By deductive logic, researchers found that for every additional 100 mcg each participant had per day, his or her risk was decreased by 17%. Participants with the highest intake averaged a 51% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. "We conclude that dietary phylloquinone [a form of vitamin k] intake is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes," they said. Interestingly, this is not the first study to explore the connection between vitamin K and type 2 diabetes. An earlier Dutch study supports the findings; both may provide a provocative reason to continue research. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (22 October 2010). Number of Americans with Diabetes Projected to Double or Triple by 2050. [Press release]. Retrieved 26 June, 2013 from cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html University of Maryland Medical Center. (2013). Vitamin K. Retrieved June 26, 2013 from umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-k Ibarrola-Jurado, N., Salas-Salvadó, J., Martínez-González, M.A., Bulló, M. (2012) Dietary Phylloquinone Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Elderly Subjects at High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.033498
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 23:11:06 +0000
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