Vitamin K emerging as "life-saving superstar"

Numerous studies published in 2008 have shown that vitamin K not only helps regulate calcium balance in the body to ensure calcium remains the bones and away from heart valves and arteries, but it has demonstrated numerous other health benefits. In addition, scientists have been able to develop a form of the nutrient that stays in the body longer than previous forms and is more cost effective to purchase.

Maintaining consistent levels of calcium is essential, especially as we age. Studies have shown that a vitamin K2 deficiency can lead to brittle bones and hardening of the arteries. Conversely, a new study shows that restoring the nutrient can actually reverse the normal aging process of arterial calcification. Another study published in 2008 demonstrated that postmenopausal women in Japan who took both Fosamax® and vitamin K2 for one year had a greater increase in neck bone density than women who only took Fosamax. And an in vitro study published in January 2008 led doctors to conclude that taking a combination of vitamins D3 and K1 can offer a "low-cost strategy for laying down new bone material."

Based on numerous studies, vitamin K2 and vitamin K3 have also been shown to be effective in preventing and treating cancer. German researchers report that in a study of 11,319 men followed for 8.6 years, those who consumed a higher daily intake of vitamin K2 had a 63% reduction in the incidence of advanced prostate cancer. A study published in 2008 demonstrated the ability of vitamin K2 to destroy leukemia cells in vitro. And in patients with viral-induced liver cirrhosis, less than 10% of those patients who took vitamin K2 developed liver cancer, compared to 47% in patients who did not take the supplement. In addition, Apatone®, which combines vitamin C and vitamin K3, showed "promise in delaying biochemical progression in end-stage prostate cancer patients," according to researchers who conducted a study on prostate cancer patients who had not responded to standard therapy and were given high doses of Apatone.

Research conducted by Japanese scientists and published in a 2008 study also shows that vitamin K2 stopped the development of synovial cells, thereby preventing collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis in a rat model.