Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study of 17, 344 women showed that those in the highest 25% of vitamin K2 intake had an 11% reduced risk of heart disease compared to those in the lowest 25% of vitamin K2 intake.
Over 616,000 people died of heart disease in 2008, causing 1 in every 4 deaths. The CDC estimates that 785,000 Americans will have a first coronary attack while another 470,000 will have another attack each year. Coronary heart disease is estimated to cost the United States $108.9 billion in 2010 (1).
Now a new study (2) suggests that vitamin K, specifically vitamin K2, may help benefit heart health in women.Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that occurs in two forms: vitamin K1, also called phylloquinone, and vitamin K2, also called menaquinone.
In the study, 17, 344 women participating in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study (3) completed a validated food frequency questionnaire (4) estimating their average daily consumption of 178 foods. After 8 years of follow-up, 480 women experienced a cardiac event, of which 32 were fatal. While vitamin K1 was not associated with any reduced risk of a heart disease, those in the highest 25% of vitamin K2 intake (> 36 micrograms/day) had an 11% reduced risk of heart disease compared to those in the lowest 25% of vitamin K2 intake (< 20 micrograms/day).
When suggesting a possible mechanism for how vitamin K2 benefits heart health, the researchers pointed to research in animals showing that vitamin K2 accumulates in the walls of blood vessels. This helps decrease calcium buildup and slowing the plaque formation that is the hallmark of heart disease (5).
They also recommended supplementation as a way to increase vitamin K2 intake instead of increasing food intake: “increasing the portion vitamin K2-rich foods in daily life might not be a good idea. Vitamin K2 might be, for instance more relevant in the form of a supplement or in low-fat dairy.” For the researchers, “the findings in this prospective study among elderly women suggest that a high intake of vitamin K2 might protect against [heart disease].”
Source: Gast, Gerrie-Cor M., et al. “A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease.” Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases 19.7 (2009): 504-510.
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Posted June 6, 2012.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.
References:
- “America’s Heart Disease Burden” – see the Centers for Disease Control website.
- Gast GCM. A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of
coronary heart disease. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases 2009; 19: 504-510. - Ocke MC, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Goddijn HE, Jansen A, Pols MA,
Van Staveren WA, et al. The Dutch EPIC food frequency questionnaire. I.
Description of the questionnaire, and relative validity and
reproducibility for food groups. Int J Epidemiol 1997;26:S37e48. - Ocke MC, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Goddijn HE, Jansen A, Pols MA,
Van Staveren WA, et al. The Dutch EPIC food frequency questionnaire. I.
Description of the questionnaire, and relative validity and
reproducibility for food groups. Int J Epidemiol 1997;26:S37e48. - Spronk HM, Soute BA, Schurgers LJ, Thijssen JJ, De Mey JG, Vermeer C. Tissue-specific utilization of menaquinone-4 results in the
prevention of arterial calcification in warfarin-treated rats. J Vasc
Res 2003;40:531e7.
