The health benefits of vitamin K

Open Heart 2015;2: doi:10.1136/openhrt-2015-000300

James J DiNicolantonio1, Jaikrit Bhutani2 and James H O'Keefe1

1Mid America Heart Institute at Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

2Pt. BD Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India

Correspondence to: Dr James J DiNicolantonio; jjdinicol@gmail.com

Vitamin K has important functions within the body, some of which are still being discovered. Research has shown that vitamin K is an anticalcification, anticancer, bone-forming and insulin-sensitising molecule. Recent data indicate that subclinical vitamin K deficiency is not uncommon. Additionally, vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin may cause detrimental side effects, which may partly be blunted through vitamin K supplementation.

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The health benefits of vitamin K (taken from box 1 in the PDF)

Bone health

May help to prevent fractures due to osteopenia and osteoporosis18–20

Trial evidence

• Vitamin K1 (5 mg daily) given to 440 postmenopausal women with osteopenia for 2 years in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial caused a greater than 50% reduction in clinical fractures (9 vs 20, p=0.04) versus placebo.

• A recent meta-analysis has shown that vitamin K2 (45 mg/day) significantly reduces hip (77% reduction), vertebral (60% reduction) and all non-vertebral fractures (81% reduction).20

Cancer (especially liver cancer)

May help to prevent liver cancer and death in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)54–61

Trial evidence

• Five randomised controlled trials tested vitamin K2 (45 or 90 mg/day) in patients with HCC. Vitamin K2 significantly improved 1-year overall survival, (RR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.05, p=0.03)74

Vascular calcifications

May help to prevent vascular calcifications (especially in patients on warfarin) 5 26 75

Trial evidence

• Significantly delayed the development of coronary artery calcium in a 3-year, double-blind, randomised controlled trial of 452 patients.

• In a 3-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, vitamin K1 (along with vitamin D) significantly delayed the deterioration of arterial elasticity37 in 181 postmenopausal women. This was not found with vitamin D alone.

Coronary heart disease (CHD)

May reduce the risk of CHD, CHD mortality and all-cause mortality 5 26 76

Insulin sensitivity

• May help improve insulin sensitivity 40

• Warfarin international normalised ratio (INR)

• May help to stabilise INR in patients on warfarin 45

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Vitamin K and Vitamin D

• Vitamin D Cofactors in a nutshell

• Interview of Doctor who has authored books on Vitamin K2 and Magnesium – Mercola June 2015

  Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Cardiovascular

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Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Calcium

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Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Bone

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Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Liver

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