This Underestimated Vitamin Can Lower The Risk Of Heart Diseases – TheHealthSite

A new study has found that vitamin K can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases in people. Here are some sources of vitamin K that are good for your heart.

Written by Arushi Bidhuri | Published : August 11, 2021 4:26 PM IST

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death around the world, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, according to the World Health Organization. Coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular illness, rheumatic heart disease, and other heart and blood vessel diseases are all classified as CVDs. Atherosclerosis, or the development of fatty plaques in your arteries, can harm your blood vessels and heart. Plaque accumulation causes blood arteries to constrict or obstruct, which can result in a heart attack, chest pain, or stroke. When health experts talk about heart disease prevention, they often include a healthy diet as a way to safeguard oneself against heart diseases.

Many nutrients are considered healthy, and vitamin K is one of them. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, Vitamin K-rich foods can help to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels).

For the study, researchers looked at data from more than 50,000 people who took part in the Danish diet, Cancer, and Health study over 23 years. They looked at whether those who ate more vitamin K-rich foods had a decreased risk of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease, which refers to plaque build-up in the arteries.

As per the study results, those who consumed the most vitamin K1 were 21% less likely to be hospitalised for cardiovascular illness caused by atherosclerosis. The probability of being admitted to the hospital was 14 per cent lower when vitamin K2 was taken. This reduced risk was observed for all kinds of heart disease caused by atherosclerosis, with peripheral artery disease accounting for 34% of all cases.

"Current dietary guidelines for the consumption of vitamin K are generally only based on the amount of vitamin K1 a person should consume to ensure that their blood can coagulate. However, there is growing evidence that intakes of vitamin K above the current guidelines can afford further protection against the development of other diseases, such as atherosclerosis," said ECU researcher and senior author on the study Dr Nicola Bondonno.

"Although more research is needed to fully understand the process, we believe that vitamin K works by protecting against the calcium build-up in the major arteries of the body leading to vascular calcification," Dr Bondonno explained.

University of Western Australia researcher Dr Jamie Bellinge said, "vitamin K's function in cardiovascular health, particularly vascular calcification, is an area of research with bright prospects for the future." These findings highlight the possible relevance of vitamin K in avoiding the deadly illness and emphasize the necessity of a balanced diet in preventing it, elaborated the researcher.

Vitamin K1 is found largely in green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils, but vitamin K2 is found in meat, eggs, and fermented foods such as cheese. Rich sources of vitamin K include:

(with inputs from agencies)

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This Underestimated Vitamin Can Lower The Risk Of Heart Diseases - TheHealthSite