Vitamins and minerals are nothing new to us. We know about vitamin C for colds, B vitamins for energy, vitamin A for eyesight and vitamin D for, well, just about everything.

But what about a lesser-known vitamin? The one that is, in reality, two distinct forms of the same vitamin, yet function so differently in the body? The one that supports both bone and heart health through its interaction with calcium? We are talking about vitamin K.

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is produced by bacteria in the intestines. There are two natural forms of vitamin K: K1 and K2.

Vitamin K1 is synthesized from plants and is also known as phylloquinone, phytomenadione or phytonadione. (Note the phyllo- and phyto- prefixes, which frequently denote something that is plant-based.) It is found primarily in green leafy vegetables. Animals can convert K1 to K2.

Vitamin K2 is the form most commonly found in animals. Just as vitamin K itself has two natural subtypes, K2 also has several subtypes known as menaquinones.

The best food sources of vitamin K2 are natto (fermented soybeans), goose and chicken liver, soft cheese (i.e. brie) and egg yolk.

Conditions Supported by Vitamin K

Blood sugar

Bone health

Heart health

Joint health

 

What Does the Research Say?

Blood Sugar

While vitamin K is often studied for both bone and heart health, there is research showing that it may be useful in reducing the risk for type 2 diabetes. Researchers followed 1,069 elderly subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease for an average 5.5 years. The investigators assessed the subjects annually for biochemical and body markers to assess the development of type 2 diabetes. The subjects completed yearly food frequency questionnaires to determine vitamin K1 intake.

The researchers showed that the subjects who developed type 2 diabetes during the study had lower vitamin K1 intake at the beginning of the study. In fact, the investigators found that risk of incident diabetes was 17 percent lower for each additional intake of 100 mcg vitamin K1 per day.

Furthermore, the subjects who increased their dietary intake of vitamin K1 during the follow-up period had a 51 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes, as compared with subjects who decreased or did not change the amount of vitamin K1 intake.

The researchers stated, “We conclude that dietary [vitamin K1] intake is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.”

 

Bone Health

One of the most studied areas of vitamin K lies in bone health. According to a study published in September 2013, Vitamin K helps decrease bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Researchers divided 244 healthy postmenopausal women into two groups. One group received a placebo and the other received 180 mcg of Vitamin K a day for three years. They also tested several bone health markers at the start of the study and again at years one, two and three years.

At the end of the study, researchers found that those women taking the vitamin K enjoyed improved vitamin K status and a decrease in the age-related decline of bone mineral density. They also had improved bone strength. They concluded, “Vitamin K supplements may help postmenopausal women to prevent bone loss.”

Similarly, a study published in May 2014 reviewed eight randomized, placebo-controlled trials that looked at the role of vitamin K2 plays in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Researchers found that Vitamin K increased lumbar spine bone mineral density and reduced the incidence of fractures. They concluded,

“This review of the literature revealed positive evidence for the effects of  K2 monotherapy on fracture incidence in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.”

 

Heart Health

Vitamin K2 in particular has been shown to be beneficial for supporting healthy blood pressure levels. Studies have revealed that increased intake of this important nutrient will keep calcium from building up in your arteries, helping to keep them flexible and unobstructed.

Other research indicates that 45 mcg of K2 taken daily reduces calcification of the arteries. For example, one specific study found that serum vitamin K is associated with coronary artery calcium progression in individuals taking blood-pressure-lowering medications.

Joint Health

With so much attention on vitamin K and bone health, it’s not surprising to see that a study published in March 2013 reported that subclinical vitamin K deficiency is associated with increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.

Researchers evaluated 1,180 subjects with an average age of 62 years and average body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2. The subjects underwent knee x-rays and MRIs at the beginning of the study and again after 30 months. The investigators also measured plasma vitamin K1 levels at the beginning of the study.

The researchers found that subclinical vitamin K1 deficiency was associated with a 56 percent increased risk of knee osteoarthritis and 139 percent increased risk of cartilage lesions, compared to the subjects with sufficient vitamin K. The subjects with subclinical vitamin K1 deficiency were also 33 percent more likely to develop osteoarthritis in one or both knees compared to neither knee.

How to Use Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a critical nutrient for a wide range of health issues. Depending on your particular concern, the dosages and form to use can vary.

Note: People taking vitamin K with the blood thinner Coumadin (warfarin) should be very cautious, because it interferes with the drug’s mechanism of action. If you are currently taking Coumadin, consult with your physician before taking vitamin K.

The June 5, 2014 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell published the finding of Valter D. Longo and colleagues at the University of Southern California (USC) of a rejuvenating effect for fasting on immune system cells.

“The good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting,” he continued. “Now, if you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system.”

“When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged,” stated Dr Longo, who is the director of the USC Longevity Institute. “What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. So we started thinking, well, where does it come from?”

Dr Longo and his associates determined that the reduction in these immune system cells triggers the stem cell-based regeneration of new cells. Fasting was found to reduce an enzyme known as PKA, which, when lowered, extended the life span of simple organisms in previous research conducted by the team. “PKA is the key gene that needs to shut down in order for these stem cells to switch into regenerative mode,” Dr Longo explained. “It gives the ‘okay’ for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system.”

• Your pupils dilate when you look at someone you love-and someone you hate.
• Do you dream frequently? According to scientists, that indicates you have a higher IQ.
• You can reduce allergic reactions by laughing.
• Men with hairless chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than hairy-chested men.
• Schedule that dentist appointment for your heart’s sake! People with gum disease are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
• It takes the average person 25 percent longer to read from a computer screen than a book or newspaper.
• More than 90 percent of diseases are caused or complicated by stress.
• The total width of your arms stretched out to the sides is equal to the total length of your body.
• Smokers are more likely to have a girl, especially if both partners are smoking around the time of conception.
• Left-handed people make up about 10 percent of the world’s population.
• By age 35, you start losing about 7,000 brain cells a day-cells that can never be replaced.

Losing weight is tough. It takes dedication, persistence and patience. But as anyone who has ever lost a significant amount of weight can tell you, it can be just as hard—and in some cases, even harder—to maintain that weight loss.

A meta-analysis of 31 diet-related studies found that 83 percent of dieters who were followed for at least two years gained back more weight than they had originally lost. Additionally, 50 percent of dieters weighed more than 11 pounds over their starting weight five years after dieting.

So, we know that weight loss maintenance can be a challenge. But why? Are there certain factors that make it easier, and others that hinder all the efforts to keep the pounds off for good?

A recent study sought to answer this question by looking at various psychosocial aspects—specifically social support, quality of life, depression and stress—that could promote or suppress weight regain.

The researchers hypothesized that those who had greater social support, higher quality of life, lower depressive symptoms and less stress would be more likely to maintain their weight loss successfully over the years. To test their theory, they enlisted 1,685 overweight or obese people to take part in a two-phase study.

During phase 1 of the experiment, the participants were enrolled in a six-month weight loss program, which required them to attend weekly group counseling sessions and follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Exercise—180 minutes or more per week—was also encouraged.

People who lost more than 4 kg  during phase 1 moved on to phase 2 of the study. A total of 1,025 people (mostly women; 61 percent white, 38 percent black and one percent Hispanic) were randomly assigned to one of three maintenance groups:

• Self-directed/minimal intervention
• Interactive technology (participants were given unlimited access to an interactive weight loss maintenance website)
• Personal contact (participants received monthly personalized contact via phone, and quarterly in-person contact from a study interventionist)

Both interactive technology and in-person contact interventions offered the same content; the only difference was mode of presentation.

Researchers evaluated everyone at 12 and 30 months using various surveys that assessed social support for exercise and eating habits, health-related quality of life, depression and stress.

Results showed that at 12- and 30-months follow up, higher scores on the quality of life survey usually meant more successful weight loss maintenance.

 Better Mental Health, Higher Success

 

Overall, the researchers determined that the better one’s mental health, the greater the chances at long-term weight loss maintenance.

If you’re in the process of losing weight, or if you’re trying to maintain your weight loss, put whatever measures into place that you personally find inspiring or motivational. You know better than anyone else what outside influences will keep you on the right path toward long-term success.

That may mean eliciting the help of family and friends to cheer you on and keep you accountable. On the contrary, you may prefer to keep loved ones out of it and instead attend anonymous group meetings. One-on-one counseling may also boost your mental and emotional health, and therefore quality of life—another very important factor to boost your success.

• It takes the interaction of 72 muscles to produce human speech.
• The moon-shaped white part of your fingernail is called the lunula.
• A person under the age of 30 takes in twice the amount of oxygen as someone over the age of 80.
• Laughing and coughing exert more pressure on your spine than standing or walking.
• Your nose can detect more than one trillion unique smells. Yes, trillion.
• The average person has nearly 70,000 thoughts per day.
• Only 14 percent of your weight consists of bone.
• 25 percent of all your bones are located in your feet.
• The average person sleeps 122 days of the 365 in the year.
• Choose the first stall in a public bathroom! A study of 51 public restrooms found that the first stall had the lowest bacteria levels.
• Black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial and antiseptic properties.
• People with sleep apnea are nearly twice as likely to develop glaucoma.
• A study published in 2008 in Metabolism found that adding strawberries to your diet can lower oxidation and improve blood lipid levels.
• Castoreum is an orangeish brown substance used in vanilla and raspberry flavoring. It is made from the anal gland secretions of beavers.
• Top three leading causes of death for men of all ages? Heart disease, cancer and accidents.
• A study published in the Journals of Gerontology found that people with the fewest wrinkles had lower blood pressure and lower risk of heart disease.
• 70 percent of cancers in men are prostate and colon cancers.
• A study from the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago found that the smell of green apples helps to reduce the  severity of migraines.