Scientist analyzed information from more than 50,000 individuals participating in the Danish Diet Plan, Cancer, and Health research study over a 23-year duration. They examined whether individuals who consumed more foods including vitamin K had a lower threat of heart disease associated to atherosclerosis (plaque accumulation in the arteries).

There are 2 kinds of vitamin K discovered in foods we consume: vitamin K1 comes mainly from green leafy veggies and veggie oils while vitamin K2 is discovered in meat, eggs and fermented foods such as cheese.

The research study discovered that individuals with the greatest consumptions of vitamin K1 were 21 percent less most likely to be hospitalised with heart disease associated to atherosclerosis.

For vitamin K2, the threat of being hospitalised was 14 percent lower.

This lower threat was seen for all kinds of heart problem associated to atherosclerosis, especially for peripheral artery illness at 34 percent.

ECU scientist and senior author on the research study Dr Nicola Bondonno stated the findings recommend that taking in more vitamin K might be essential for defense versus atherosclerosis and subsequent heart disease.

” Existing dietary standards for the intake of vitamin K are typically just based upon the quantity of vitamin K1 an individual must take in to guarantee that their blood can coagulate,” she stated.

” Nevertheless, there is growing proof that consumption of vitamin K above the existing standards can pay for additional defense versus the advancement of other illness, such as atherosclerosis.

” Although more research study is required to totally comprehend the procedure, our company believe that vitamin K works by safeguarding versus the calcium accumulation in the significant arteries of the body causing vascular calcification.”

University of Western Australia scientist Dr Jamie Bellinge, the very first author on the research study, stated the function of vitamin K in cardiovascular health and especially in vascular calcification is a location of research study offering appealing wish for the future.

” Heart disease stays a leading cause of death in Australia and there’s still a minimal understanding of the value of various vitamins discovered in food and their impact on cardiovascular disease, strokes and peripheral artery illness,” Dr Bellinge stated.

” These findings clarify the possibly essential impact that vitamin K has on the killer illness and enhances the value of a healthy diet plan in avoiding it.”

Next actions in the research study

Dr Bondonno stated that while databases on the vitamin K1 material of foods are really thorough, there is presently much less information on the vitamin K2 material of foods. Additionally, there are 10 kinds of vitamin K2 discovered in our diet plan and each of these might be taken in and act in a different way within our bodies.

” The next stage of the research study will include establishing and enhancing databases on the vitamin K2 material of foods.

” More research study into the various dietary sources and impacts of various kinds of vitamin K2 is a top priority,” Dr Bondonno stated.

In Addition, there is a requirement for an Australian database on the vitamin K material of Australian foods (e.g. vegemite and kangaroo).

To resolve this requirement, Dr Marc Sim, a partner on the research study, has actually simply completed establishing an Australian database on the vitamin K material of foods which will be released quickly.

The paper ‘Vitamin K consumption and atherosclerotic heart disease in the Danish Diet Plan Cancer and Health Research study’ was released in the Journal of the American Heart Association The research study belongs to ECU’s Institute of Nutrition Research Study.

It was a partnership with scientists from the University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Medical Facility, Herlev & & Gentofte University Medical Facility in Denmark and the Danish Cancer Society Research Study Centre.

The Institute for Nutrition Research study was developed as an ECU Strategic Research Study Institute in 2020. Learn more about their work.