30 March 2010
Consuming foods rich in vitamin K may reduce the risk of cancer, says a new study.
In the study, data from 24,340 persons aged between 35 and 64 participating in the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort study were analyzed (1). The participants were followed for over 10 years, during which 1,755 cases of cancer were documented. Of these 458 turned out to be fatal cases. The results showed that people with the highest average intakes of vitamin K2 were 14 percent less likely to develop cancer, compared to people with the lowest average intakes. Furthermore, a 28 percent reduction in cancer mortality was observed for people with the highest average intakes.
The study appears to support the anti-cancer benefits of vitamin K2 (menaquinone), with the majority of the nutrient being consumed from cheese, and adds to an ever-growing body of science supporting the benefits of vitamin K2, most well established for bone and cardiovascular health. Emerging evidence also supports a potential role for reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
Current intake recommendations are based on levels to ensure adequate blood coagulation, but failing to ensure long-term optimal levels of the vitamin may accelerate bone fragility, arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease, and possibly cancer, the researchers commented.
1 October 2011
Embryonic and fetal development, as well as the early life of a newborn, are periods of physiological plasticity during which environmental influences may produce long-term effects. Both undernutrition and overnutrition during these periods have been shown to change disease risk in adulthood. These effects are influenced by the type, timing and duration of inappropriate nutrition.
4 July 2011
Dietary supplements of calcium and vitamin D may increase the risk of developing urinary tract stones, according to a new US study.
1 November 2012
For almost a century, the biological role of vitamin E has been a scientific puzzle. Since its discovery, vitamin E has been extensively researched by many scientists in an attempt to fully understand its role in a variety of diseases. The vast majority of published work has focused on vitamin E’s antioxidant properties, which is why it is well known as antioxidant that protects membranes from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Recent research has shown that vitamin E’s capacity to incorporate into plasma membrane and its ability to act there as antioxidant appears to be essential for the vitamin’s role in pro-moting membrane repair - the first evidence of one of vitamin E’s normal body functions.
