Most of us know that eating vegetables in their most natural form is best for us. We know it can do wonders for disease prevention. Still, we are impressed each time we hear new studies emerge to reveal the ‘power’ of vitamins to fight infection and prevent chronic diseases.
One vitamin often gets seriously overlooked according to a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, after looking at the association between vitamin K intake and the overall risk of developing cancer. It was determined that people with the highest vitamin K intake from food were less likely to develop cancers.
Vitamin K is necessary for a series of body functions including normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity and optimal bone health. K comes in two natural forms: vitamin K1 comes from plants and K2 from animal sources.
Excellent K sources include parsley, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, celery, asparagus, brussel sprouts, soy beans and avocado. Plant sources (K1) are key in building and maintaining healthy bones because K1 activates a protein which anchors calcium to the bone. Plants are additionally fine sources of other bone-building nutrients like calcium, boron and magnesium.
Vitamin K has been proven to inhibit cancer cell growth during prevention studies and promote a process “apoptosis” by which abnormal cells kill themselves.
Linseisin and colleagues reported that whether vitamin K intake itself was responsible for lower cancer risks is unclear due to some study limitations. These include methods of reporting dietary intake and how other components of vitamin K rich foods are related to cancer. Still, this study’s findings do lay the foundation for future studies.
USDA currently recommends daily vitamin K intake in all forms in the amounts of 120 micrograms (mcg) for men and 90 mcg for women.
It is recommended that everyone always consult your physician before making any dietary changes.
