A study appearing in the American Journal of Epidemiology (published online Dec 2007) looked at vitamin K and its role in inflammation. Vitamin K has been linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. This observational study suggests that the reason for this is that it fights chronic inflammation.
The study used data from 1,381 subjects from the Framingham Offspring Study. It looked at vitamin K status of the subjects, whose average age was 59, by looking at serum levels of the vitamin and by analyzing dietary intake.
The study then looked at the presence of 14 different inflammatory markers (substances in the blood that show inflammation). The researchers found that high vitamin K intake and blood levels were associated with lower inflammation. They found that increased vitamin D levels may lower oxidative stress—but the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D was less consistent. Later research has expanded on these findings, particularly regarding vitamin K–dependent proteins involved in vascular calcification and bone metabolism, reinforcing the relevance of vitamin K to chronic inflammatory processes.
There are two forms of vitamin K. Phylloquinone, also known as vitamin K1 is found in green produce, like spinach and broccoli. Vitamin K2, also known as menaquinones, is produced by bacteria in the intestine.
