Research published in the International Journal of Oncology (2005;26[3]:713–720) examined the potential anti-tumor activity of vitamin K.
The experiments were conducted using human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. This was not a human clinical study. The effects of vitamin K were evaluated both in vitro (using cultured cancer cells in a laboratory setting) and in vivo in mice that had HCC cells implanted subcutaneously.
The researchers found that vitamin K2 and vitamin K3 demonstrated potent anti-tumor effects in both experimental models. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited compared to controls.
While these findings are limited to laboratory and animal models, they suggest that certain forms of vitamin K may influence tumor growth through biological mechanisms that warrant further investigation.
