When we exercise, our hearts beat faster and harder. That’s called cardiac output, and a higher cardiac output means that an athlete can perform better and longer. A recent study suggests that taking vitamin K2 supplements may increase cardiac output in aerobically trained adults by as much as 12%.

Participants in the study included 26 athletes who were given either 300 mg of vitamin K2 daily for four weeks followed by four more weeks of 150 mg of vitamin K2 per day or a placebo for eight weeks. All of the participants were instructed to follow their usual exercise routines during the study period.

The participants completed a standard, graded exercise test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer at the beginning and end of the study. During that test, researchers measured oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, respiratory rate, and respiratory exchange ratio. The participants also wore skin-mounted electrodes that measured noninvasive cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate during the test.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted that the vitamin K2 supplement group had an average 12% increase in maximal cardiac output. They also noted a trend toward lower levels of lactate in the blood in the vitamin K2 group, when compared with the placebo.

Researchers from the University of North Texas conducted the study. It was published in the July 2017 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K2 to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 can be found in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. It is also available in supplement form.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in most developed countries, and in many developing countries. A recent study suggests that taking a supplement that is a combination of policosanol derivative and vitamin K may help lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Participants in the study included 6,595 people in Serbia. The group was divided into two, with 4,031 people receiving the policosanol/vitamin K supplement and 2,564 people acting as a control. The supplement group received a daily dose for three months and blood was drawn at the onset and conclusion of the study.

The supplement group was, on average, slightly older than the control group and both groups had more men than woman. In the supplement group, 55.6% were classified as obese, while the control group had lower levels of obesity. Smoking was prevalent in both groups, with 48% of the supplement group and 46% of the control identifying as smokers. The majority of participants in both groups had either a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or risk factors. Hypertension was common in both groups and the majority of all participants were being treated with statins or other medications.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted significant reductions in mean values of cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol in the supplement group. They also noted an increase in mean value of HDL cholesterol in the supplement group, but significant decrease in the control group.

Researchers from Primary Health Center Vozdovac in Belgrade conducted the study. It was published in the February 2017 issue of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Invention.

Policosanol is derived from sugar cane and is a relatively new substance. The research that has been performed suggests that it may help with cholesterol, but not much research has been performed as of yet.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States. A recent study suggests that having low levels of both vitamin D and vitamin K may be associated with higher blood pressure and an increased risk of developing hypertension.

Participants in the study included 402 people with incident hypertension and 231 participants who did not have hypertension at the beginning of the study. All of the participants took part in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, which included Dutch people between the ages of 55 and 65 and included 6.4 years of data collection.

After examining the data, the researchers determined that low levels of vitamin D and vitamin K were associated with a 4.8 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure and a 3.1 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure. They also found that low levels of the vitamins were associated with a 62% increase in risk of incident hypertension.

Researchers from University Medical Center Utrecht led the study. It was published online ahead of print on April 10, 2017, in the journal Hypertension.

Previous studies have associated vitamin D with improved lipid profiles in diabetics, lower risk of asthma and allergies in children, reducing the risk of skin damage, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, combating diabetes, lower risk of cognitive decline, and improving age-related macular degeneration.

Vitamin D can be found in milk, fortified cereals, fish, and eggs. Your body also processes vitamin D from the sun but it becomes harder for our bodies to process it as we age. A high-quality vitamin D supplement is also a good option if you feel that you’re not getting enough through diet and sun.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. A recent study claims that vitamin K2 deficiency is as a big a risk for heart disease as smoking cigarettes.

For the study, the researchers examined publicly available data on food intake from 168 countries. They inferred nutrient intake profiles from the data, and then correlated that information with records of early death (from ages 15 to 64) from cardiovascular disease. They also cross-referenced the correlation with other risk factors, including insufficient physical activity, tobacco use, biometric CVD risk markers, socioeconomic risk factors, and gender.

After examining all of the data, the researchers found that people with very low levels of vitamin K2 intake had a 2.2 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people from countries with high vitamin K2 intakes. They also found that too much alcohol was responsible for 0.38% of the deaths, too little vitamin K2 for 6.95%, tobacco for 6.87%, high blood pressure for 9.01%, air pollution for 9.15%, early childhood death for 3.64%, poverty for 7.66%, and male gender for 6.13%.

Researchers from Internal Medicine, LA County, conducted the study. It was published on August 24, 2016, in the journal Cureus.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 is hard to attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. It is also available in supplement form.

Approximately 25% of American adults take statins with the hope of lowering cholesterol and improving heart health, but the medications have been found to have their own negative side effects. A recent study suggests that one such side effect may be inhibition of vitamin K2, which in turn might lead to serious negative effects on the heart and blood vessels.

The researchers found that statins inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2, which is necessary for the activation of matrix Gla protein (MGP). MGP binds to calcium and protects blood vessels from calcification, but it can only do that when adequate levels of vitamin K2 are present. This means that statins may actually contribute to the hardening of the arteries known as atherosclerosis and contribute to serious heart problems.

The researchers suggest that people on statins should also be taking vitamin K2 supplements to compensate for the deficit.

Researchers from Kinjo Gakuin University in Japan conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on February 6, 2015 in Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Recent studies have reported that a relationship exists between osteocalcin levels and insulin resistance. A recent study suggests that taking vitamin K1 supplements may increase osteocalcin levels and improve glycemic status and insulin sensitivity in premenopausal and pre-diabetic women.

Osteocalcin is a vitamin K-dependent protein that remains inactive without adequate vitamin K levels. 

Participants in the study included 82 pre-diabetic and premenopausal women who were given either 1,000 mcg of vitamin K1 or a placebo daily for four weeks.

At the end of the supplement period, the researchers noted increased levels of osteocalcin. They also noted lower levels of uncarboxylated osteocalcin, the inactive form of osteocalcin. Uncarboxylated osteocalcin is a marker for the risk of hip fracture.

When the researchers administered the two-hour post-oral glucose tolerance test, they noted improvements in glucose and insulin levels in the vitamin K group. They also noted increases in insulin sensitivity in the vitamin K group.

They did not, however, observe any changes in insulin resistance.

Researchers from the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Iran conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on March 18, 2015, in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to come by and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods like cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Arterial stiffness occurs as a consequence of biological aging and arteriosclerosis and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.  A recent study suggests that long-term supplementation of vitamin K2 may slow age-related stiffening of the artery walls in women.

Participants in the study included 244 post-menopausal women who took either 180 micrograms of vitamin K2 daily or a placebo for three years. Of that original group, 227 women finished the study. The researchers measured cardiovascular effects using pulse wave velocity and ultrasounds.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted decreases in pulse wave velocity and stiffness in the vitamin K2 group. They also noted improved elastic properties of the carotid artery in women who had higher stiffness at the beginning of the study.

Additionally, the researchers noted a 50% reduction in desphospho-uncarboxylated matrix Gla-protein (dp-usMCP), which is a marker of vitamin K status and has also been linked with vascular stiffening. These benefits were noted one year into the study and continued throughout the length of the study.

Researchers from Maastricht University Holding in The Netherlands conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on February 19, 2015 in Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone health, cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to come by and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

People with chronic kidney disease are at risk for vascular calcification. A recent study found that supplementing hemodialysis patients with vitamin K2 might reduce their risk of vascular calcification.

Vascular calcification is the accumulation of calcium salts in the arteries, which results in hardening of the arteries.

Participants in the study included 200 chronic hemodialysis patients. Over the course of 8 weeks, they were given either 360, 720, or 1080 ug of the MK-7 form of vitamin K2.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that vitamin K ativated a dormant bodily compound called undercarboxylated MGP, which helps reduce the likelihood of calcification.

Researchers from St. Jan Hospital in Austria conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on November 26, 2013, in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone health, cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to come by and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods like cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Many people eat a balanced diet, exercise, and for all intents and purposes appear to be totally healthy. However, a recent analysis found that even healthy people are likely to be deficient in vitamin K2, which can lead to a higher risk of bone loss and hardening of the arteries.

The researchers for the study examined 896 blood samples from 110 healthy patients. They found that both children and adults had high markers of vitamin K insufficiency and deficiency in their blood.

They also found that children and adults over the age of 40 who were the most vitamin K2 deficient responded most noticeably to vitamin K supplementation.

Researchers from Masstricht University in the Netherlands and VitaK conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on November 18, 2013, in Food & Function.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to come by and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods like cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

A bit of memory loss as we age is natural but if you’re finding that you frequently can’t find your keys, you may want to increase your intake of vitamin K1. A recent study has found that higher blood levels of vitamin K1 may improve episodic memory in healthy older adults.

Episodic memory is being able to remember events within their spatio-temporal context, for example, the ability to remember where and when you put something down.

Participants in the study included 320 older adults who were part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge). The researchers found that the individuals with the highest levels of vitamin K1 scored best on verbal episodic memory and a 20-minute delayed free recall trial.

No other brain health benefits were correlated with vitamin K levels in this study.

Researchers from the University of Montreal conducted the study. It was published in the December 2013 issue of Neurobiology of Aging.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up about 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to come by and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods like cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.