vit k

[Guest guest]

My calcium supplement, Osteo Prime, has Vitamin K along with many other

minerals and vitamins necessary for the absorption of calcium. It is

interesting that while I was in the rehab hosital, the doctor in charge of

my floor looked at the ingredients, saw Vit. K and wondered aloud what that

was for!!!! This role of Vitamin K in bone-building may not be widely

known.

>From: M Carroll <LCARROLL@...>

>

>I was reading in Lee's book that if you take long term or frequent

>doses of antibioitics you should take vit k and l. acidophillus as the

>antibioitics kill frienly intestinal bacteria that makes vit. k for us.

>Vit. K is a bone-building factor.He also states that vit K is necessary for

>normal blood clotting.

>

>I do know that is has worked WONDERS as far as my bruising. I can bang,

>hit, and run into things without worry! And being a clutz that is quite a

>relief!

>

> C

>

>

>

>---------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

I have noticed a big of pigmentation too now that I've been on Minocin for

16 months but decided to ignore it. How much Vit K do you take? I

checked the label of my multi vitamin and couldn't find any but I'm sure it

is there under its description. I couldn't find much in my Prescription

for Nutritional Healing Book either. They said if you want to get a

natural source to eats lots of leafy green vegetables and salmon oil.

Bev

>

> I started taking it and now I do rarely bruise. It is amazing! I used to

> get huge, dark, ugly bruises with knots and now if I do bruise ( On a very

> RARE occasion) it is only about the size of a nickelor a dime and goes

> away quickly. It is like I no longer bruise!

>

> Also through my research on the I read the rheumatoids are found to be low

> in VIt K.

>

> I was reading in Lee's book that if you take long term or frequent

> doses of antibioitics you should take vit k and l. acidophillus as the

> antibioitics kill frienly intestinal bacteria that makes vit. k for us.

> Vit. K is a bone-building factor.He also states that vit K is necessary

for

> normal blood clotting.

>

> I do know that is has worked WONDERS as far as my bruising. I can bang,

> hit, and run into things without worry! And being a clutz that is quite a

> relief!

>

[Guest guest]

Speaking of calcium, I was recently reading somewhere that calcium citrate

is the form to get rather than calcium carbonate, in that it is absorbed

much better. I noticed there was such a product when I was at Walmart

recently. Just thought I would pass that along, as calcium carbonate is

what you usually see. I can't recall the source of my info, unfortunately.

Mark

Re: rheumatic VIT K

> From: " Ken and " <kglg@...>

>

> My calcium supplement, Osteo Prime, has Vitamin K along with many other

> minerals and vitamins necessary for the absorption of calcium. It is

> interesting that while I was in the rehab hosital, the doctor in charge of

> my floor looked at the ingredients, saw Vit. K and wondered aloud what

that

> was for!!!! This role of Vitamin K in bone-building may not be widely

> known.

>

>

>

>

> >From: M Carroll <LCARROLL@...>

> >

> >I was reading in Lee's book that if you take long term or frequent

> >doses of antibioitics you should take vit k and l. acidophillus as the

> >antibioitics kill frienly intestinal bacteria that makes vit. k for us.

> >Vit. K is a bone-building factor.He also states that vit K is necessary

for

> >normal blood clotting.

> >

> >I do know that is has worked WONDERS as far as my bruising. I can bang,

> >hit, and run into things without worry! And being a clutz that is quite a

> >relief!

> >

> > C

> >

> >

> >

> >---------------------------

[Guest guest]

Bev,

I'm also taking extra vitamin K and find it helps prevent bruising.

I take 100mcg above whatever is in my multi vitamines.

It prevents those discolorations that come with the Mino, for me.

Take care,

Ute

> How much Vit K do you take?

>

[Guest guest]

My calcium supplement also has vitamin K (Viactiv brand). When I was

expecting, I took it in a shepherd's purse tea or tincture. Shepherd's

purse is a fairly common weed, and easy to identify once you know what it

looks like, because of the distinctive seed pods that look like a little

change purse.

Here are some sources from " The Handbook of Alternatives to Chemical

Medicine " by Mildred , ND and Terri Teague ND, DC: alfalfa, all

greens, apple pits, brown rice, cabbage, carrots, parsley, rosehips,

shepherd's purse, spinach and turnips. The book also recommends Vitamins C &

P (hesperidin) to improve capillary condition. Liz G

[Guest guest]

Ute,

How is your Vitamin K described on your multivitamin? I can't find it on

mine. It is a multivitamin with chelated minerals that I was told to get

by my RD.

Bev

>

> Bev,

> I'm also taking extra vitamin K and find it helps prevent bruising.

> I take 100mcg above whatever is in my multi vitamines.

> It prevents those discolorations that come with the Mino, for me.

> Take care,

> Ute

[Guest guest]

The gut connection rears it's head again! Interesting note on Vitamin K

deficiency from " New Choices in Natural Healing " ed. by Bill Gottlieb of

Prevention Magazine Health Books

" Many people with intestinal problems are deficient in vitamin K, found in

dark green lettuce and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale,

says Cheri Calbom, MS, a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and

co-author of Juicing For Life. She also advises those with diverticular

disease to load up on beta-carotene, which is believed to help heal damaged

intestinal tissue.

Juice blends such as Calbom's Alkaline Cocktail provide a healthy dose of

both nutrients. To prepare, says Calbom, juice three carrots, three celery

ribs, and one-fourth of a head of cabbage. Drink this blend once a day, she

adds. "

The book says good sources are: spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts,

cabbage, parsley, eggs, dairy products, carrots, avocados, and tomatoes.

Another book I have says it is manufactured in the intestines by certain

bacteria,and a shortage can lead to the bile pigment bilirubin being

diffused in the blood, with symptoms of jaundice ( dark urine, light feces,

fatigue, loss of appetite, general itching and slow heart action. Excess fat

in the diet can be a contributory factor in jaundice. This is paraphrased

from " Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds for Healthful

Living " by ph M. Kadans, PhD, ND. A great book for nutritional

information!

My supplement just lists it as " Vitamin K " . Liz G

[Guest guest]

http://www.mothernature.com/ency/Supp/Vitamin_K.asp

Another link about Vitamin K which brings in the subject of those taking

blood thinners.

[Guest guest]

Bev,

A lot of multi vitamins don't have Vitamin K

When I looked, mine didn't either. I know I have taken some that had it.

If it's not listed, it's not there

It's not expensive to get the vitamin K separate

Take care

Ute

[Guest guest]

This is very true, according to people like Dr. Weil. I'm reading

this in more sources all the time. Calcium citrate can also be taken on an

empty stomach.

Re: rheumatic VIT K

>Speaking of calcium, I was recently reading somewhere that calcium citrate

>is the form to get rather than calcium carbonate, in that it is absorbed

>much better. I noticed there was such a product when I was at Walmart

>recently. Just thought I would pass that along, as calcium carbonate is

>what you usually see. I can't recall the source of my info, unfortunately.

>

>Mark

[Guest guest]

I have taken Vitamin K for almost 3 years now and been on the AP for 26

months now. Unfortunately, I still have some pigmentation and when I

started Minocin, I even had discoloration on the surface of my teeth. On

the other hand, who knows how bad the pigmentation would be without Vitamin

K.

>From: M Carroll <LCARROLL@...>

>

>Hi Group,

> SEveral have written me about where to get vit k. For those in the US I

>bought mine at GNC. You get 100 pills for 2.99. They are 100 mcg and I only

>take 50 mcg so I cut them in half. What a deal!

> I read that you should not take over 100 mcg a day.

> I would pay much more as this vitamin has made a huge difference in my

>life and in my looks ( I used to freak everytime I would hit or bang

>against something as I knew the ugly bruise was about to appear...now I

>don't even pay it any attention when I do )

>

>

>

>---------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

About 5 years ago my gp recommended that I take calcium and the one she

suggested was calcium carbonate with Vit D and I've been taking it ever

since. I guess I'll be doing some investigating.

Bev

> This is very true, according to people like Dr. Weil. I'm reading

> this in more sources all the time. Calcium citrate can also be taken on

an

> empty stomach.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Skip, I had not sent the info yet. I came home and

crashed from work and then forgot you! My Vitamin K is 100

mg. There are 90 capsules in the bottle which sold for $4.89.

Not a bad deal, huh. Good luck! SAndra

Denny wrote:

,

did you remember to send me the dosage on your Vit K or did I miss it?Thanks,SKip

[Guest guest]

Okay Jen. This is the last one. Another article from the archives of

excellentthings-subscribe

Covers the connection of vit k with calcium use by the body. Really good info.

I guess this is part of why people who are doing Nina's SuperGreens are noticing

bone density increases in the 11% range. It would seem so to me

anyway.

(Nina is a member of the list who sells Super Greens at a discount to list

members. You can do a search in the archives for info on super greens. )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2000/feb00-report.html

Vitamin K

Stunning new research shows that vitamin K may be one of the most extraordinary

anti-aging vitamins ever discovered. It has unique powers no other vitamin

possesses

by Terri

Vitamin K never gets any press. It's just not very exciting. Other vitamins do

daring things like throw themselves in front of free radicals to keep you from

aging. Vitamin K's only claim to fame is that it helps blood coagulate. Big

deal. It comes from green vegetables. Ho-hum.

Well, that was then, and this is now. Put on your party hat because vitamin K

is about to throw the bash of the century. Vitamin K is a lot more exciting

than anybody ever dreamed. It may be a key anti-aging vitamin. It may prevent

both heart disease and osteoporosis. And it's a stronger antioxidant than

vitamin E or coenzyme Q10.

Vitamin K may be the future of treating certain kinds of cancer. And it may

have something to do with Alzheimer's disease. Stand back: this neglected

vitamin is stepping into the limelight.

Arteries, aging and vitamin K

Bad arteries kill more people in America than any other condition. The medical

term for hardened artery is " arteriosclerosis, " a dangerous condition that

leads to heart attack and stroke. A normal artery is pliable like an inner

tube. Its built-in muscle contracts to send blood through. A hardened artery

loses its muscle tone, and can't contract. Aging is the main cause of

arteriosclerosis.

While doing autopsies in a public hospital in the early 1900s, a German

pathologist named J.G. Mönckeberg noticed that the middle layer of arteries

from people who died of heart attacks was calcified. This layer (the " media " )

wasn't considered important in Mönckeberg's time. His colleagues focused on the

innermost layer of the artery where damage is visible. Mönckeberg's

observations went against the grain, but he dutifully recorded them in

Virchow's Archives.

Although nobody paid much attention to him, Mönckeberg was later proven

correct. " Arteriosclerosis, " or hardening of the arteries, occurs in the middle

of the artery where it's not visible. " Atherosclerosis " occurs inside the

artery, where lesions are visible.

Arteriosclerosis is associated with aging, and has nothing to do with

cholesterol. Instead, it has to do with calcification.

Vitamin K protects the heart

Sudden death from heart attack is associated with calcification of the aorta,

especially in young men. In the Framingham Heart Study, 35 year-old men with

calcifications in the aorta had a 7 times increased risk of dying of a sudden

heart attack. The risk decreases with age, but the chance of suddenly dying of

a heart attack is doubled in people under 65 if their aortas are calcified.

Calcification is just as dangerous as fatty build-up. Researchers in Japan fed

rats a heart attack-friendly diet based on vitamin D and cholesterol. (Vitamin

D is used by researchers to create heart disease in animal models. It causes

rapid hardening of the aorta. Vitamin D, along with cholesterol, creates both

aspects of human-like heart disease, i.e., hardening of the arteries and

lesions). Some of the animals were given 100 mg/kg of body weight of vitamin K,

along with the heart attack diet. Others were fed 40 mg/kg of vitamin E.

After three weeks, the amount of calcium in the aorta was measured. In the

animals that didn't get the vitamins, calcium levels averaged 17.5 µ/mg.

Vitamin K reduced the level of calcium in the aorta to approximately 1 µ/mg,

and vitamin E reduced it even more. Valve damage from the heart attack diet was

drastically reversed by vitamins K and E .

Vitamin K and bones

The flip side of hardened arteries is softened bone. At the same time arteries

calcify with age, bone decalcifies. Bad bones, like bad arteries, are a big

problem for healthcare. Between them, they soak up billions of dollars.

The drug approach to bone loss in women is estrogen drugs with serious, even

life-threatening, side effects. The dairy industry approach to osteoporosis is

cow's milk. Neither approach gets at the underlying cause of bone and artery

deterioration.

Vitamin K regulates calcium

Imagine a vitamin that could keep calcium in bones and out of arteries. In so

doing, that vitamin could stop heart attack and osteoporosis at the same time.

Sound incredible? Maybe, but research shows that vitamin K does exactly that.

It works by regulating calcium. Bones need it, arteries can't stand it. Vitamin

K accommodates both.

Vitamin K works through an amino acid called " Gla, " which stands for

gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. Gla is part of a certain kind of protein that

controls calcium. Fifteen such proteins have been found so far; and researchers

believe there are at least one hundred scattered throughout the body. Vitamin K

makes them work and it's the only vitamin that does.

Vitamin K performs a feat on the proteins called " carboxylation. " Carboxylation

gives the proteins claws so they can hold onto calcium. Once the protein grabs

onto calcium it can be moved around. Proteins that don't get enough vitamin K

don't have the claws. They're " undercarboxylated " and can't control the

mineral. Without a functioning protein to control it, calcium drifts out of

bone and into arteries and other soft tissue.

The most famous Gla protein is " osteocalcin. " You may have heard of osteocalcin

in connection with bone density. What you might not have heard is that it

requires vitamin K to work. Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (osteocalcin without

vitamin K) can't regulate calcium. When this happens, calcium leaves bone and

teeth. Women with " undercarboxylated osteocalcin " excrete calcium, and their

bones are porous. Vitamin K reverses this trend.

Vitamin D

You may be saying, " Wait a minute, I thought vitamin D was the bone vitamin. "

You are right. Vitamin D plays several roles in bone. One of them is provoking

the osteocalcin gene into action. Once synthesized, however, osteocalcin needs

vitamin K to function properly.

Vitamin D has dominated discussion on bone because it is a hormone that acts

swiftly and dramatically. But the slower-acting vitamin K is just as important.

And although it doesn't act as quickly on bone as vitamin D, new research

indicates that vitamin K may actually be more of a hormone than currently

appreciated.

The truth is that although vitamin D has gotten a lot of press as the bone

vitamin, bone maintenance requires many factors; among them, parathyroid

hormone, estrogen, calcium and calcitonin (another thyroid hormone). When all

of these factors plus vitamin K are present in adequate amounts, the skeleton

will be totally replaced every 8 to 10 years with good, dense bone. If not,

problems occur.

Eat lettuce, not burger

One of the most scrutinized groups in America is the 85,000 female nurses who

took part in The Nurse's Health Study. Researchers have been tracking the

eating habits and health histories of these women since 1980. One of the things

they've looked at is which participants are more likely to break a bone.

Fractures are the classic symptom of osteoporosis.

Since eating animal protein has been linked to osteoporosis, an analysis was

undertaken to determine whether meat-eating had an adverse effect on the

nurses' bone density. In 1996, the results were reported. Meat showed up as a

factor in the incidence of broken bones. Nurses who ate three ounces of meat or

more per day had a significantly increased risk of forearm fracture compared to

those who ate less than two ounces.

One explanation for the finding is that people who eat more meat eat less

vegetables, and vegetables are high in vitamin K. However, another group of

researchers decided to look at the possible relationship between vitamin K

intake and hip fracture in the same nurses. Using 10 years worth of data on

72,000 participants, they came to the conclusion that the nurses who got the

most vitamin K were about a third less likely to get a hip fracture. Those who

ate lettuce everyday slashed their risk of hip fracture 50% compared to those

who ate it once a week or less (lettuce is a source of vitamin K). The effect

of vitamin K was greater than synthetic estrogen which didn't protect the

nurses' bone density in this study. Nor did vitamin D. In fact, women who took

a lot of vitamin D, but had a low intake of vitamin K, doubled their risk of

hip fracture!

Most osteoporosis studies are done on postmenopausal women because this group

experiences a dramatic decline of bone density. Vitamin K shows remarkable

results against bone loss in this population. In a study from the Netherlands,

1 mg of vitamin K per day for two weeks increased carboxylated Gla 70-80% in

postmenopausal women, restoring it to premenopausal range. Another study shows

that vitamin K slows calcium loss by one-third in people who have a tendency to

lose it (including men). Men treated with prostate cancer drugs that block

androgens are a group that worries about osteoporosis.

Bone density predicts death

Osteoporosis may reflect serious health problems. If the Study of Osteoporotic

Fractures is correct, bone density is a striking predictor of death. In its

first report, every standard deviation from normal bone density equaled a 20%

greater risk of mortality in women age 65 or older. Think of it: two deviations

from normal bone density equals a 40% greater risk of mortality, according to

this study.

Forty-six deaths occurred in women with the highest bone density compared to 78

in the lowest. But the surprise is that people with osteoporosis didn't die

from broken bones, or complications from broken bones. Falling accounted for

only 3% of the mortalities in this osteoporosis study. They died, instead, from

heart attack, cancer and stroke. What could be the connection? According to

this study, osteoporosis is a warning sign that the calcium that's supposed to

be in bone is lodged in arteries instead.

In 1999, the study was updated. Eight year's worth of data was evaluated.

Again, there was a strong relationship between bone density and mortality

related to bad blood vessels. Just to give you an idea of the statistics, there

was a 1.23 greater risk of dying if a woman had one or more back fractures.

Severe humpback increased the risk of dying from a lung-related disorder, such

as blood clot, by 2.6 times.

Vitamin K and stroke

Stroke is the brain's version of heart attack. The underlying cause is the

same: bad blood vessels. Millions of dollars have been spent trying to prove

that eating too much salt raises blood pressure, and causes strokes. After

decades of trying, researchers still can't find a definitive link. A review of

58 studies published in JAMA concludes, " These results do not support a general

recommendation to reduce sodium intake. "

The reason why has been ignored for decades. Salt is not the only mineral that

controls blood pressure. Calcium is also important. In 1985, Dr. A.

McCarron pointed out that calcium intake is more likely to cause blood pressure

problems than salt. He's right. Calcium is so important that doctors looking

for stroke-prone patients would do well to put down the blood pressure cuff and

order a bone scan. One standard deviation from the norm of bone density equals

a three times increased risk of having a stroke compared to 1.7 times increased

risk for blood pressure.

Could vitamin K help regulate calcium and prevent stroke? In 1988 Dr. Louis

Tobian of the University of Minnesota hypothesized that the high rate of

hypertension in African Americans might be caused by vitamin K deficiency. Dr.

Tobian noted that diets high in K prevent the thickening of arteries in

stroke-prone rats.

Although the hypothesis was ignored, scientific studies show that Dr. Tobian is

probably right. A recent report from the " Dietary Approaches to Stop

Hypertension " (DASH) study indicates that it makes no difference how much salt

you eat, or how much you weigh. What does make a difference is whether you eat

fruits and vegetables. One of the important nutrients in vegetables is the

calcium-regulating vitamin, vitamin K. Vitamin K may stop hypertension and

reduce the incidence of stroke.

Vitamin K's anti-aging effects: stalking the killer cytokine

It has been said that a person need not fear aging itself, but the diseases of

aging. Researchers have made tremendous progress in the last decade in

understanding why age brings with it certain diseases. One thing they've

discovered is that aging causes the body to downregulate some of its hormones

and other biofactors while at the same time upregulating others.

One of the substances that age upregulates is Interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is a

cytokine, a biochemical messenger for the immune system. In the aging body,

IL-6 increases at the expense of other cytokines. This imbalance in the system

creates inflammation. IL-6 has been discovered in arthritic joints and diseased

blood vessels. In a striking study done at the National Research Institute in

Italy, people with the highest amount of IL-6 were almost twice as likely to

develop a disability related to mobility. It also turns out that people with

Alzheimer's-like dementia have elevated IL-6.

Surprisingly, Vitamin K also inhibits both IL-6 and inflammation. Researchers

don't know how it works yet, but some are suggesting that vitamin K could have

major implications for degenerative diseases involving inflammation, not to

mention aging itself.

Vitamin K and Alzheimer's Disease

Dr. Kohlmeier of the University of North Carolina discovered several

years ago that hemodialysis patients who are prone to broken bones are more

likely to have a certain form of apolipoprotein E (apoE). Those broken bones

were a tip-off to the doctor that vitamin K might be dysregulated in people

with the E4 form of the protein.

The E4 form was subsequently connected to Alzheimer's Disease (AD). People with

E4 are more prone to AD. They also have lower vitamin K levels. Kohlmeier

believes it's no coincidence. He thinks there's a connection between the lack

of vitamin K, apoE4 and the ability to regulate calcium in the brain.

Here's why: remember osteocalcin? It's one of the calcium-grabbing proteins in

bone. But bone is not its only location. It's also found in the brain, along

with other vitamin K-dependent proteins. People with the E4 protein have

undercarboxylated osteocalcin not only in their bone, but also in their brains.

Kohlmeier believes that people with E4 clear vitamin K too fast from their

bodies. This leaves too little vitamin K for the brain proteins. Calcium can't

be regulated properly and may cause some of the damage seen in AD. Studies show

that AD patients have severely dysregulated calcium in their brains.* Kohlmeier

believes that this has to do with their lack of vitamin K-the vitamin necessary

for controlling calcium in both the brain and bone.

Vitamin K and blood sugar

The pancreas has the second highest amount of vitamin K in the body. This

suggests the vitamin may have something to do with controlling blood sugar. In

the first study of its kind, researchers in Japan looked at vitamin K's effect

on glucose and insulin. In a study on rats, they found that vitamin K

deficiency initially impedes the clearance of glucose, then causes too much

insulin to be released. This can be plotted on a graph that looks very similar

to what occurs in diabetes.

Mega antioxidant

Some studies show that vitamin K is more powerful than vitamin E and coenzyme

Q10 for scavenging free radicals. In a study on animals subjected to oxidative

stress, vitamin K by itself completely protected the liver from free radicals

(but not muscles). In another study, vitamin K was 80% as effective as vitamin

E in preventing the oxidation of linoleic acid (a polyunsaturated fatty acid).

According to researchers in the Netherlands, warfarin (a blood thinner)

abolishes the antioxidant effect of vitamin K. Vitamin E and glutathione

protect vitamin K's antioxidant effect.

Vitamin K and anticoagulants

Anticoagulant drugs work by interfering with vitamin K. Therefore, people

taking " blood thinners " such as warfarin or heparin should not take vitamin K.

People who chronically take these drugs are, in effect, vitamin K deficient. Do

such people show effects on bone and blood vessels? The answer is yes. Studies

show that long-term anticoagulant users have osteoporosis and a tendency to

hemorrhage. One study shows that long-term anticoagulant use doubles the risk

of stroke. Occluded arteries have been documented in people taking heparin, and

some researchers conclude that the drugs work no better than aspirin in

preventing heart attacks.

Vitamin K prevents blood clots

Those taking ginkgo, aspirin, garlic or ginger to prevent blood clots and

increase blood flow needn't worry that vitamin K will undo the effects. Vitamin

K also prevents blood clots! It works by preventing " platelet aggregation, " a

process that is different from coagulation. Aggregation has to do with

oxidative stress and free radicals, whereas coagulation is about the calcium

level in cells.

Vitamin K gets away with its dual personality because blood aggregation is

different from coagulation, and coagulation is such a complex process. Although

it's not commonly appreciated, coagulation involves at least 13 factors, some

of which can function in dual roles as either promoting or preventing

coagulation. Strangely enough, vitamin K also plays a role in activating two

factors that reverse clotting: proteins S and C. Studies show that people who

have a deficiency of protein S and C get blood clots.

Why you never heard this before

Unfortunately, vitamin K's role in blood coagulation has seriously dampened its

career as a vitamin that does anything else. Because the focus has been on how

much K it takes to make blood clot, the issue of how much a person needs to

maintain solid bone and clear arteries hasn't been adequately researched.

The RDA of 85 micrograms is roughly based on how much vitamin K is required to

maintain clotting factors. According to evidence we have obtained, this amount

is dangerously inadequate for bone and arteries. Far more may be required to

maintain brain function, and more still may be required for general anti-aging

effects.

Why take vitamin K?

Dr. Kohlmeier believes that vitamin K may have major importance in aging. He

points out that it has powerful effects in the brain, where it acts more like a

hormone than a vitamin. He also notes that vitamin K is very hormone-like in

its appearance and disappearance during growth and development. Newborns have

almost no vitamin K. It kicks in later, reaches a zenith, and then begins to

recede with age. This pattern is similar to the pattern of sex hormones.

About 25% of the population has the E4 form of apoE associated with Alzheimer's

and a lack of vitamin K. But they don't know it. Testing for E4 is not routine

for many reasons-including the fear that people who test positive might become

the victims of discrimination. Although no one knows at this point whether the

lack of vitamin K plays a role in Alzheimer's, it makes sense to assume that it

might.

Unlike other fat-soluble vitamins, the body does not store vitamin K. Although

the body recycles it, deficiency is common according to the latest research.

This is probably due to inadequate diet, a lack of co-factors, drugs and

environmental stress that place unusual demands on vitamin K reserves.

Vitamin K in food

Tufts University tests the vitamin content of foods for the U.S. Department of

Agriculture which maintains a database. Not too long ago, new technology

allowed a more precise determination of the vitamin K content of food. Using

the new technology, Tufts researcher Dr. Booth discovered that the

vitamin K content of most foods is lower than researchers previously thought.

Green leafy vegetables supply 40-50% of vitamin K for most Americans. Vegetable

oils are the next highest source. Hydrogenated oils (margarine, for example)

create an unnatural form of K that may actually stop the vitamin from working.

There are three different types of vitamin K: K1 which is from plants, K2 which

is made by bacteria and K3 which is synthetic. Vitamin K3 is generally regarded

as toxic because it generates free radicals. This version shows promise in the

treatment of cancer. K2 specifically keeps calcium and phosphorus out of the

aorta, and reverses the effects of heart-unfriendly diets. The body converts K1

to K2.

Taking vitamin K

How much vitamin K people should take is still in question. It partly depends

on diet, age and what stressors are present. Vitamin K is not toxic in high

doses, and unlike other fat-soluble vitamins it does not accumulate in the body.

High amounts of vitamin K will not cause your blood to overcoagulate.

Coagulation proteins only have a certain number of spaces for vitamin K. Once

those spaces are filled, vitamin K cannot affect coagulation proteins. Dr. Cees

Vermeer of Maastricht University in the Netherlands compares it to what happens

when you take vitamin C. Vitamin C is required for the hydroxylation of

collagen (hydroxylation is similar to carboxylation). If you take too much

vitamin C, however, you don't get too much collagen in the same way that if you

take too much K you don't get too much coagulation. The processes are

self-limiting.

Vitamin K is one of the most exciting vitamins of this decade. By keeping

calcium bone where it belongs, vitamin K may help prevent heart disease,

stroke, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and more. Researchers are just now

focusing on its potential roles in the pancreas and brain. Vitamin K is

exciting bacause it seems to act like a hormone, but shows no toxicity.

Recently it was shown that foods have less vitamin K than previously thought.

Most multi-vitamins don't contain any vitamin K at all. The ones that do don't

contain enough for optimal health. Considering the importance of this vitamin,

it's reasonable to ask yourself if you're getting enough.

Dosage and precautions

Vitamin K is not stored in the body, and is therefore nontoxic in high amounts.

Forty-five milligrams a day were used in osteoporosis studies without any ill

effect. Vitamin K has been approved in Japan for the treatment of osteoporosis

since 1995. Several thousand times more than what people are currently getting

in their diet has been taken without any toxicity. Dosage depends on an

individual's diet, age, whether they are taking drugs, and what stressors are

present. Generally, 10 mg/day is recommended.

Donna

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