Unlocking Vitamin K’s Secrets to Healthy Bones and Artery Protection
Vitamin K is like a superhero for your bones and arteries, ensuring they stay strong and clear. Here’s how it works:
1. Keeping Calcium in Check:
Think of vitamin K as the conductor of a calcium orchestra in your body. It helps activate a protein called osteocalcin, which acts like a magnet, pulling calcium into your bones where it belongs. This strengthens your bones and prevents calcium from clogging up your arteries.
2. Artery Armor:
Another protein activated by vitamin K is called matrix Gla protein (MGP). This protein is like a shield, keeping calcium from sticking to the walls of your arteries, which can lead to artery blockages. When vitamin K is low, MGP can’t do its job properly, leaving your arteries vulnerable.
By making sure osteocalcin and MGP are fully powered up, vitamin K ensures that calcium goes to the right places – your bones – and stays away from where it shouldn’t be – your arteries.
No Need for Extra Calcium Supplements:
Interestingly, with enough vitamin K, your body can use calcium more effectively, reducing the need for extra calcium supplements. Instead of worrying about taking more calcium, focus on getting enough vitamin K, especially the K2 kind found in certain fermented foods and leafy greens.
So, whether you’re munching on spinach or snacking on cheese, remember that getting enough vitamin K is key to keeping your bones strong, your arteries clear, and reducing the need for extra calcium supplements.
References
- Booth, S. L. (2009). Vitamin K: food composition and dietary intakes. Food & Nutrition Research, 53(1), 1955.
- Geleijnse, J. M., Vermeer, C., Grobbee, D. E.,et al.. (2004). Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. The Journal of Nutrition, 134(11), 3100-3105.
- Shea, M. K., Booth, S. L., & Gundberg, C. M. (2016). Vitamin K, vascular calcification, and chronic kidney disease: current evidence and unanswered questions. Current Developments in Nutrition, 1(4), e001407.
- Shea, M. K., & Booth, S. L. (2008). Concepts and controversies in evaluating vitamin K status in population-based studies. Nutrients, 19(6), 616-623.
- Beulens, J. W., Booth, S. L., et al. (2013). The role of menaquinones (vitamin K2) in human health. British Journal of Nutrition, 110(8), 1357-1368.
- Cranenburg, E. C., Schurgers, L. J., & Vermeer, C. (2007). Vitamin K: the coagulation vitamin that became omnipotent. Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 98(1), 120-125.