Vitamin K Prevents Age-Related Diseases

OAKLAND, Calif.Vitamin K may help prevent age-related conditions such as bone fragility, arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease, and possibly cancer, according to a new study from the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute.

Vitamin K is concentrated in dark green plants such as spinach or Swiss chard, and is either not present or present in only small amounts in most multivitamin pills.

Researchers analyzed data from hundreds of published articles dating back to the 1970s. Their review was designed to test Dr. Ames' "triage" theory that provides a new basis for determining the optimum intake of individual vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients), and has major implications for preventive medicine. The analysis, which strongly supports the theory, will be published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.