Vitamin K Boosts Bone Health

A Spanish team reports that diet rich in vitamin K may benefit bone mineral density, particularly among elderly men and women. Monica Bullo, from Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain), and colleagues performed a cross-sectional analysis with 200 elderly people with an average age of 67 years, who completed a food frequency questionnaire and were followed for two years. The researchers used the USDA’s database to estimate vitamin K intakes, and the average intake was calculated to be 334 micrograms per day for men, and 300 micrograms per day for women.   Various measures of bone health, including bone mineral density (BMD), were performed using quantitative ultrasound assessment  in 125 subjects. When compared with vitamin K intakes, the researchers report that every 100 microgram increase in vitamin K intake was associated with 0.008 g/m2 increase in BMD, but no other associations were recorded for other bone health markers.  High dietary vitamin K intake was associated with superior bone properties. Moreover, an increase in dietary vitamin K was significantly related to lower losses of bone mineral density and smaller increases in the porosity and elasticity attributed to aging.