Vitamin K Overview

1) Studied Conditions

Vitamin K has been studied for a variety of conditions, including:

• Bleeding disorders
• Osteoporosis
• Coronary artery disease
• Cancer prevention
• Cognitive health

2) Efficacy in Treating Conditions

Research findings on the efficacy of Vitamin K in treating various conditions are mixed:

• It plays a critical role in blood clotting, helping to treat bleeding disorders.
• It may help improve bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
• There is limited evidence to support its role in preventing coronary artery disease or cancer.
• Some studies suggest potential benefits for cognitive health, but more research is needed.

3) Health Benefits

Vitamin K is known for its health benefits, which include:

• Supporting blood clotting processes
• Contributing to bone health and helping to prevent osteoporosis
• Regulating blood calcium levels
• Potential roles in supporting heart health

4) Downsides

While Vitamin K is generally safe, there are some downsides to consider:

• High doses can lead to increased blood clotting risk, which can be dangerous for people with clotting disorders.
• Interactions with certain medications, such as blood thinners (e.g., warfarin), can be problematic.
• Excessive intake may lead to vitamin K toxicity, though this is rare.

5) Genetic Variations

Genetic variations can affect how Vitamin K is utilized in the body:

• Individuals with certain genetic polymorphisms may require different amounts of Vitamin K for optimal health.
• Genetic variations in the VKORC1 gene can influence how the body responds to Vitamin K and blood-thinning medications.
• More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between genetic variations and Vitamin K's effects.

Summary on Vitamin K

Vitamin K plays a critical role in blood coagulation, bone health, and may influence other physiological processes such as inflammation and energy metabolism. Its main forms are phylloquinone (vitamin K1), found in leafy plants, and menaquinones (vitamin K2), produced by bacteria or converted from dietary phylloquinone. Vitamin K is essential for the synthesis of certain proteins involved in blood clotting, bone formation, and preventing arterial calcification.

Deficiencies in Vitamin K can lead to increased bleeding and affect bone structure. While the body does not store extensive amounts of vitamin K, its rapid turnover is balanced by its presence in food, synthesis in the gut, and low required amounts. Vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) is a key enzyme in recycling vitamin K to its active form. Recent studies have explored the metabolism of vitamin K, emphasizing the importance of proper intake for managing anticoagulation therapy and maintaining bone health.

Dietary intake of vitamin K varies across populations, with research suggesting that K2 forms, particularly MK-4 and MK-7, may be more effective than K1 in supporting health in tissues outside the liver. The conversion of dietary phylloquinone to menaquinone-4 (MK-4) in certain tissues occurs without the need for intestinal bacteria, highlighting the complexity of vitamin K biochemistry.

Research has also indicated that vitamin K2 intake may contribute to bone density and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and fractures, notably in postmenopausal women. However, the bioavailability of vitamin K from food sources can be affected by dietary components like fat. Supplementation with vitamin K has shown mixed results in clinical studies, with some indicating benefits for bone health, while others suggest more research is needed.

Overall, while vitamin K's role in blood clotting is well established, its other potential health benefits and the differences between the effects of K1 and K2 forms warrant further investigation to inform dietary recommendations and therapeutic applications.

References:

1. The antihaemorrhagic vitamin of the chick
2. Roles for vitamin K beyond coagulation
3. Recent trends in the metabolism and cell biology of vitamin K with special reference to vitamin K cycling and MK-4 biosynthesis
4. Comparison of phylloquinone bioavailability from food sources or a supplement in human subjects
5. Effect of food composition on vitamin K absorption in human volunteers
6. Oral anticoagulant therapy: Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis, 9th ed: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines
7. Vitamin K: food composition and dietary intakes
8. Vitamin K2 in electron transport system: are enzymes involved in vitamin K2 biosynthesis promising drug targets?
9. Metabolism and cell biology of vitamin K
10. Conversion of dietary phylloquinone to tissue menaquinone-4 in rats is not dependent on gut bacteria
11. Intestinal flora is not an intermediate in the phylloquinone-menaquinone-4 conversion in the rat
12. The role of menaquinones (vitamin K₂) in human health
13. [Vitamin K-controlled diet: problems and prospects]
14. Colonic absorption of menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-9 in rats
15. The role of dietary vitamin K in the management of oral vitamin K antagonists
16. Intake of fermented soybeans, natto, is associated with reduced bone loss in postmenopausal women: Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Study
17. Usual dietary intake of fermented soybeans (Natto) is associated with bone mineral density in premenopausal women
18. Comparison of menaquinone-4 and menaquinone-7 bioavailability in healthy women
19. Vitamin K: the effect on health beyond coagulation - an overview
20. Vitamin K-containing dietary supplements: comparison of synthetic vitamin K1 and natto-derived menaquinone-7
21. Differential lipoprotein transport pathways of K-vitamins in healthy subjects
22. Determination of phylloquinone and menaquinones in food. Effect of food matrix on circulating vitamin K concentrations
23. Identification of UBIAD1 as a novel human menaquinone-4 biosynthetic enzyme
24. Vitamin K
25. Controversies concerning vitamin K and the newborn. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Fetus and Newborn
26. Tissue-specific utilization of menaquinone-4 results in the prevention of arterial calcification in warfarin-treated rats
27. The relative effects of phylloquinone and menaquinone-4 on the blood coagulation factor synthesis in vitamin K-deficient rats
28. Effect of low-dose supplements of menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2 ) on the stability of oral anticoagulant treatment: dose-response relationship in healthy volunteers
29. Effect of vitamin K intake on the stability of oral anticoagulant treatment: dose-response relationships in healthy subjects
30. Effect of continuous combined therapy with vitamin K(2) and vitamin D(3) on bone mineral density and coagulofibrinolysis function in postmenopausal women
31. Vitamin K administration to elderly patients with osteoporosis induces no hemostatic activation, even in those with suspected vitamin K deficiency
32. Desphospho-uncarboxylated matrix Gla-protein is associated with mortality risk in patients with chronic stable vascular disease
33. Vascular calcification: the price to pay for anticoagulation therapy with vitamin K-antagonists
34. A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease
35. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification
36. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study
37. Vitamin k dependent proteins and the role of vitamin k2 in the modulation of vascular calcification: a review
38. Vitamin K supplementation and progression of coronary artery calcium in older men and women
39. Beneficial effects of vitamins D and K on the elastic properties of the vessel wall in postmenopausal women: a follow-up study
40. Effect of vitamin K2 on progression of atherosclerosis and vascular calcification in nondialyzed patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3-5
41. Menaquinone-7 supplementation improves arterial stiffness in healthy postmenopausal women. A double-blind randomised clinical trial
42. Effect of Vitamin K on Vascular Health and Physical Function in Older People with Vascular Disease--A Randomised Controlled Trial
43. Long-term use of oral anticoagulants and the risk of fracture
44. Risk of osteoporotic fracture in elderly patients taking warfarin: results from the National Registry of Atrial Fibrillation 2
45. Warfarin use and risk for osteoporosis in elderly women. Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group
46. Age-related changes in the circulating levels of congeners of vitamin K2, menaquinone-7 and menaquinone-8
47. Major osteoporotic fragility fractures: Risk factor updates and societal impact
48. Epidemiology of hip fracture: Worldwide geographic variation
49. An estimate of the worldwide prevalence and disability associated with osteoporotic fractures
50. Effect of vitamin K on bone mineral density: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
51. Vitamin K and the prevention of fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
52. Vitamin K supplementation in postmenopausal women with osteopenia (ECKO trial): a randomized controlled trial
53. Vitamin K2 supplementation does not influence bone loss in early menopausal women: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial
54. Three-year low-dose menaquinone-7 supplementation helps decrease bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women
55. Vitamin K2 inhibits glucocorticoid-induced bone loss partly by preventing the reduction of osteoprotegerin (OPG)
56. Low-dose vitamin K2 (MK-4) supplementation for 12 months improves bone metabolism and prevents forearm bone loss in postmenopausal Japanese women
57. Prevalence and correlates of vitamin K deficiency in children with inflammatory bowel disease
58. Vitamin K supplementation for cystic fibrosis
59. Association of vitamin K deficiency with bone metabolism and clinical disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease
60. Food sources and dietary intakes of vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone) in the American diet: data from the FDA Total Diet Study
61. Severe Dextran-Induced Anaphylactic Shock during Induction of Hypertension-Hypervolemia-Hemodilution Therapy following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
62. The incidence of anaphylaxis following intravenous phytonadione (vitamin K1): a 5-year retrospective review
63. Skin reactions caused by vitamin K in patients with liver disease
64. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc
65. Measurement of Multiple Vitamin K Forms in Processed and Fresh-Cut Pork Products in the U.S. Food Supply
66. Quantitative measurement of vitamin K2 (menaquinones) in various fermented dairy products using a reliable high-performance liquid chromatography method
67. Vitamin K content of foods and dietary vitamin K intake in Japanese young women
68. Vitamin k contents of meat, dairy, and fast food in the u.s. Diet
69. Purification of Chlamydomonas 28-kDa ubiquitinated protein and its identification as ubiquitinated histone H2B
70. Measurement of K vitamins in animal tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection
71. Cheese consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective studies
72. Vitamin K1 intake and coronary calcification
73. Vitamin K intake and the risk of fractures: A meta-analysis

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