Newly discovered benefits for very important vitamins; Vitamin K fights inflammation and Vitamin D is related to important cardiovascular-antioxidant protection

Scientists from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, state that there is evidence that Vitamin K and Vitamin D play a protective role against inflammation. They used high-quality investigational-research tools in evaluating this concept in 1,382 men and women with an average age of 59 years, who took part in the Framingham Offspring Study.

The intake of Vitamin K and the vitamins level in test subjects' plasma was inversely related to circulating inflammatory markers; in other words the higher the level of Vitamin K in their plasma the lower the level of these markers that indicate a person is being damaged with inflammation. Vitamin K is also needed to activate the bone building protein known as Osteocalcin and higher levels of Osteocalcin were related to lower levels of dangerous C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is involved with blood vessel damage, heart attack and stroke (In a recent study that we posted on 8.23.07 it was found that Vitamin K through its activity on bone and Osteocalcin may help prevent diabetes and weight gain. This is because Osteocalcin regulates insulin producing cells in the pancreas and improves their number and Osteocalcin also improves the release of Adiponectin; this is a hormone that improves insulin sensitivity helping to prevent diabetes (Adiponectin levels fall when you become obese).

On the other hand, having a higher level of active Vitamin D in a subject's plasma was associated with a decrease in the concentration of isoprostanes in the urine. Isoprostanes are created when the fats in your body go rancid, and an elevated level of F2- Isoprostanes in the urine are an accurate marker of lipid peroxidation in your body. When they decrease the level of your antioxidant protection is absolutely improving and the level of free radical activity is absolutely decreasing. For instance when F2 Isoprostane levels are higher in the urine it is a sign that damage to LDL-cholesterol and blood vessel walls is currently occurring at an increased rate and of course this eventually leads to Americas #1 killer; coronary heart disease. The study is published in the November 15th issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

High levels of active vitamin D are tied to healthy bone mineral density of the spine and hip in Asian women; Blood Vitamin D levels should exceed 70 nmol/L

In this study Japanese women with a serum level of active Vitamin D of 70 nmol/L or greater were compared to those with lower levels of active Vitamin D. Of the 600 women compared in the study, those with a level of active Vitamin D below 30 to 40 had a much higher risk of having bone loss in the femoral neck (the part of the hip bone that breaks). This increased risk also held true for women with blood levels of 40 to 50. Those women with levels of active Vitamin D below 50 also had an increased risk of bone loss in the lumbar spine. The study is published in the October 10th, 2007 issue of the journal Bone.