A higher intake of dietary vitamin K has been linked with a decreased risk of hip and other osteoporotic fractures in elderly women, according to a new study.
The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a long-running observational study of more than 161,000 postmenopausal women.
The WHI includes a detailed food frequency questionnaire, which the researchers used to estimate participants’ vitamin K intake from diet. The participants were followed for an average of 11 years, during which time more than 8,500 osteoporotic fractures occurred.
After adjusting for a variety of other potential risk factors, the researchers found that women with the highest dietary vitamin K intake were 30% less likely to experience a hip fracture and 14% less likely to experience any osteoporotic fracture than women with the lowest intake.
Intake of vitamin K1 (found in green leafy vegetables) and vitamin K2 (found in cheese, eggs, and meats) were both associated with a lower risk of fracture, but the association was stronger for K2.
While the mechanisms by which vitamin K may protect against fractures are not fully understood, the authors note that the vitamin is involved in bone mineralization and calcium metabolism.
This study adds to the growing body of evidence linking vitamin K to better bone health, and supports the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine to increase dietary intake of the vitamin, particularly in older adults.
A new study has found that higher vitamin K intake is associated with a lower risk of bone fractures in older adults.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, followed more than 2,000 women for a period of 20 years.
The findings showed that those who had the highest intakes of vitamin K were 30% less likely to experience a bone fracture than those who had the lowest intakes.
Vitamin K is known to play a role in bone health by helping to maintain bone density and reduce the risk of fractures.
This new study adds to the growing body of evidence showing the importance of vitamin K for bone health, and highlights the need for older adults to ensure they are getting enough of this nutrient.
