Vitamin K: The Anti-aging Vitamin
The importance of this cannot be underestimated. Osteoporosis is a major problem in our society. In a recent study of nurses that included 10 years of information from over 72,000 participants, the researchers concluded that those nurses that ingested the most vitamin K were a third less likely to suffer from hip fractures. Vitamin K had a stronger effect than synthetic estrogen. In another study it was found that vitamin K reduces calcium loss by one-third.
These finding are not only important because of their application to osteoporosis itself but also to the other problems associated with the disease. It has been found that osteoporosis is a good indicator of overall mortality. Osteoporosis reflects serious systemic problems. Surprisingly, people suffering from low bone density die mostly from heart attack, cancer and stroke. Low bone density is related to severe diseases of the blood vessels (calcification). Vitamin K counteracts calcification and reduces your chances of dying from blood vessel related diseases.
Vitamin K and Stroke
High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. The cause of blood pressure rising has traditionally been linked to high salt intake. However, now it has been found that calcium has a major role to play in this disease. Studies performed by Dr. David McCarron have indicated that calcium intake is more likely to cause pressure problems than salt intake. According to Terri Mitchell of Life Extension Magazine... "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 of blood pressure." Vitamin K, as we have seen, regulates the calcium in our bones and arteries. Ample amounts of vitamin K could cause a decrease in susceptibility to stroke and other blood vessel related problems.
Blood Sugar
One of the organs where vitamin K is stored is the pancreas. In a study performed in Japan, researchers found that rats deficient in vitamin K had problems with the clearance of glucose in the pancreas that eventually caused too much insulin to be released into the blood stream. Some scientists are speculating that ample amounts of vitamin K could be used in the treatment of human diabetes. This would be a tremendous help to millions of us that suffer from this chronic, degenerative disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease
People suffering from Alzheimer’s disease have a high level of the apolipoprotein E (apoE4) in their brains. These same people have low
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