Vitamin K Archives - Derek L. Hill, D.O.

Healthy bones are important for movement, supporting the body to maintain its posture and protecting vital organs like the brain. Bones are also vital production centers since blood cells are created in the bone marrow.

To keep your bones strong and healthy so that they can function normally you should:

1. Eat calcium rich foods

Eat calcium rich foods like milk, yogurt, cheese, almonds, soybeans and green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale since the body will remove this mineral from the bones if a person does not take adequate amounts in their diet.

2. Bask in the sun

Bask in the sun for at least 15 minutes thrice a week since the body makes vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. This sunshine vitamin is vital for strong bones because the body needs it to absorb calcium. During winter, compensate by taking a supplement or by eating sardines and other oily fish as well as shrimp, liver, egg yolks and fortified cereal.

3. Eat vitamin K rich foods

Eat vitamin K rich foods like broccoli, bok choy, kale, spinach and Swiss chard since this nutrient is needed to make proteins for healthy bones and reduce the loss of calcium from the body.

4. Limit coffee intake

Drink less than 4 cups of coffee each day because too much caffeine can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and increase the rate of bone loss from the body, as well as increase the risk for developing fractures.

5. Exercise

Spend 5 hours each week doing weight bearing exercises like walking, running, hiking, dancing, skiing, pushing a lawn mower and vacuuming your home since bones gets stronger when they are used. Regular physical exercise also helps prevent the falls that fracture bones by improving balance, coordination and strength.

6. Stop smoking

Stop smoking since studies have shown that cigarettes can prevent the body from absorbing calcium and decrease bone mass.

7. Limit alcohol intake

Limit consumption of alcohol to one alcoholic drink per day for women and two for men because heavy consumption can cause bone loss by interfering with the activity of vitamin D.

Written by: Marian Kim, Rust Built, Marketing Services

Vitamin K is a term which covers chemically related compounds known as naphthoquinones. These compounds include phylloquinone (vitamin K 1) which is synthesized by plants, menaquinone (K2) which is synthesized by bacteria in the gut and menadione (K3) which is the manmade form that is usually given as an injection.

Though vitamin K is known for its role in helping blood clot, it is also vital for bone health. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center the human body needs vitamin K to utilize calcium for bone mineralization or the bone building process. Low K levels are therefore associated with poor bone mineralization, which results in weak bones that break easily.

The American Journal for Clinical Nutrition published a study which showed that a low intake of vitamin K from the diet was associated with a low bone mineral density (BMD) in women. This low BMD increases the risk of bones fracturing.

Several studies have proven this correlation between low K levels and bone fractures. The Harvard School of Public Health reports the findings of one study in which women who received 110 or more micrograms of vitamin K each day were found to be 30 percent less likely to develop hip fractures of the hip than those who took less. In this Framingham Heart Study, a high dietary intake of vitamin K was also shown to increase bone mineral density in women and reduce the risk of hip fractures in both men and women.

Harvard also states that eating one serving of green leafy vegetables like lettuce reduced the risk of hip fractures by 50 percent in women who ate them daily when compared to those who ate one serving each week.

According to Dr Weil, other foods that contain vitamin K include parsley, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, liver and wheat bran. Fermented soy products like natto and miso together with fermented dairy products like cheese and yogurt are other good sources of vitamin K.

These vitamin K rich foods are therefore very beneficial for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia since they can increase BMD and prevent debilitating fractures.