While vitamin K has been linked to a lower risk of
prostate cancer before, a groundbreaking study published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is the first to explore the relationship between vitamin K and
cancer in general, writes Christine O’Brien of
Nutrition & Healing.
The study found that people with higher intakes of vitamin K, specifically vitamin K2 from food may be less likely to die of
cancer.
Vitamin K helps your body by making proteins for healthy bones and tissues. It also makes proteins for blood clotting. If you don't have enough vitamin K, you may bleed too much, explains
MedlinePlus.
The link between high intake of vitamin K and lower cancer risk
For the study, 24,340 people between the ages of 35 and 64 reported their dietary intake through a detailed questionnaire. Over the next decade, 1,755 of the participants were diagnosed with cancer (colon, breast,
prostate, or lung) and 458 died, writes O’Brien.
Researchers found that the 25% of study participants who had the highest intakes of vitamin K2 were 28% less likely to have died from any one of those cancers than the people in the 25% lowest intake group.
The strongest link was between vitamin K2 and lung cancer or
prostate cancer. Researchers believe vitamin K has the ability to inhibit cancer cell growth and promote cancer-cell suicide.
Besides cancer protection, there’s a long list of reasons to get plenty of vitamin K in your diet.
What are the best sources of vitamin K?
Vitamin K1 is abundant in deep green vegetables, like spinach, lettuce and broccoli. You can find vitamin K2 in meat, cheese, eggs and butter.
Taking probiotics (friendly bacteria) will also help because this bacteria plays a part in producing vitamin K in your own body.
Well there you have it. Increasing you vitamin K intake won’t only reduce your cancer risk, but it’ll help keep your body healthy.
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