Vitamin K is Special Benefit for Human body

Vitamin K is Special Benefit for Human body 

                                                                              

------------- Dr M M Abdul Halim MD Cardiology

Vitamin K is very benefited for our body.  Because vitamin K is made by the human body,

Experts had long believed there was no need to supplement with it.

However, we now know that the amount we manufacture, while in some cases sufficient, is at other times less than optimal.(1)

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, so your body stores it in fat tissue and the liver. It is best known for its role in helping blood clot, or coagulate, properly. The "K" comes from its German name, Koagulationsvitamin.(2)  Lately, researchers have demonstrated that vitamin K is also involved in building bone. Low levels of circulating vitamin K have been linked with low bone density, and supplementation with vitamin K shows improvements in biochemical measures of bone health. (3) A report from the Nurses’ Health Study suggests that women who get at least 110 micrograms of vitamin K a day are 30 percent less likely to break a hip than women who get less than that.(4) 

There are Different Types of Vitamin K

The most commonly available form of vitamin K is phylloquinone (vitamin K1). Vitamin K1 is found in leafy green vegetables; however, its ability to be absorbed from this source is limited.

Menaquinone (vitamin K2), found in meat, eggs, and dairy products is available in supplemental form as MK-4 and MK-7.

Vitamin K2 has been shown to be significantly more bioavailable than vitamin K1 and remains in the body for longer periods of time. (5)

Vitamin K is Needed for Healthy Bones and Arteries

While calcium is critical to bone health, its presence in the arteries can lead to atherosclerotic plaque. Vitamin K is the link that helps keep calcium in bone rather than blood vessels.

The calcium-regulating protein matrix-Gla (MGP), which inhibits arterial calcification, requires a chemical reaction called carboxylation to take place. This cannot be accomplished without vitamin K.

Insufficient vitamin K may lead to impaired activation of MGP in the arteries, resulting in calcium being deposited in arterial walls. (6, 7)

Osteocalcin, also known as bone Gla protein, is also dependent upon vitamin K. Reduced activation of osteocalcin results in decreased bone formation. (8)

So, when vitamin K is lacking, calcium is less likely to be deposited in the bone and more likely to end up in the arteries, resulting in arterial calcification accompanied by osteoporosis - a process labeled the "calcification paradox."(9)

***Vitamin K Protects Against Cancer

Having a high intake of vitamin K, particular vitamin K2, could protect against cancer.

The results of a study involving 24,340 participants found a 28% lower risk of dying from cancer among men and women with a high intake of vitamin K. (10)

In another study, people whose vitamin K1 intake was among the top 25% had a 46% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 36% lower risk of dying from any cause over a median of approximately 5-year period.(11)

Directions for Vitamin K Use

As with all supplements, check with a health care provider before taking vitamin K or giving it to a child.

People whose bodies can’t absorb enough vitamin K, because of gallbladder or biliary disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, or Crohn's disease, will probably get more benefit from a multivitamin containing vitamin K than an individual vitamin K supplement. In certain circumstances, your doctor may give you a vitamin K shot. 

The daily Adequate Intake for vitamin K is:

Possible Interactions

If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not take vitamin K without first talking to your health care provider.

Antibiotics -- Antibiotics, especially those known as cephalosporins, reduce the absorption of vitamin K in the body. Using them for more than 10 days may lower levels of vitamin K because these drugs kill not only harmful bacteria but also the bacteria that make vitamin K. People who already have low levels of vitamin K, such as those who are malnourished, elderly, or taking warfarin (Coumadin) are at greater risk. Cephalosporins include:

·         Cefamandole (Mandol)

·         Cefoperazone (Cefobid)

·         Cefmetazole (Zefazone)

·         Cefotetan (Cefotan)

Phenytoin (Dilantin) -- Phenytoin interferes with the body's ability to use vitamin K. Taking anticonvulsants (such as phenytoin) during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may lower vitamin K in newborns.

Warfarin (Coumadin) -- Vitamin K blocks the effects of the blood-thinning medication warfarin, so that it doesn’t work. You should not take vitamin K, or eat foods containing high amounts of vitamin K, while you are taking warfarin.

Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) and Olestra -- Orlistat, a medication used for weight loss, and olestra, a substance added to some foods, lowers the amount of fat you body can absorb. Because vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, these medications may also lower levels of vitamin K. The Food and Drug Administration now requires that vitamin K and other fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and E) be added to food products containing olestra. Doctors who prescribe orlistat usually recommend taking a multivitamin with these vitamins. If you should not be taking vitamin K, then you should avoid foods that contain olestra.

Cholesterol-lowering medications -- Bile acid sequestrants, used to reduce cholesterol, reduce how much fat your body absorbs and may also reduce absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. If you take one of these drugs, your doctor may recommend a vitamin K supplement:

·         Cholestyramine (Questran)

·         Colestipol (Colestid)

·         Colsevelam (Welchol) .(12) 

List of Vitamin K Contain Food:

References

(1) http://blog.lef.org/2015/01/the-special-benefits-of-vitamin-k.html

(2) http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-k

(3) Weber P. Vitamin K and bone health. Nutrition. 2001; 17:880–7.

(4) Feskanich D, Weber P, Willett WC, Rockett H, Booth SL, Colditz GA. Vitamin K intake and hip fractures in women: a prospective study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 69:74–9.

(5) Blood. 2007 Apr 15;109(8):3279-83. 

(6) Kidney Int. 2014 Aug;86(2):286-93. 

(7) J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011 Feb;22(2):387-95. 

(8) J Biol Chem. 2013 Sep 27;288(39):27801-11. 

(9) Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2005 Aug 1;62(15):1574-81. 

(10) Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1348-58. 

(11) J Nutr. 2014 May;144(5):743-50.

(12) http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-k