The Vitamin K Debates - Who To Believe?
November 6, 2008 by GiGi
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You may have remembered my post back in April 08 about Vitamin K.
If not, please read that as it contains basic information about Vitamin K.
WebMD has just posted an article about a study done using Vitamin K that claims Vitamin K: No Help For Bone Density.
Longevity Medicine Review has just posted a rebuttal entitled Vitamin K2, not K1, is Helpful for Bone Density.
According to the LMR, the Vitamin K used in the study was K1, NOT K2, which is the form that is most beneficial.
I think you’re beginning to see how my research on these topics leads me around in circles, right? 
At any rate, I did pull out a couple of nuggets in the WebMD article that gave me pause:
Women in the study did develop fewer fractures, a finding that Cheung says she could not explain and needed further research. Over the four years, nine women had fractures among those taking vitamin K supplements, vs. 20 in the placebo group.
Okay, excuse me, but isn’t having fewer fractures the whole point of being worried about bone density? So even though they used the wrong form of Vitamin K (according to the LMR), they still got impressive results about fractures.
And there was this comment about cancer from the WebMD article:
There were also similar surprise findings on vitamin K and cancer.
In the study, only three women in the high supplement group developed cancer over four years, compared to 12 taking placebo.
Another impressive finding, in my opinion.
No, I’m not recommending you go out and buy Vitamin K2, but if you are an older woman, you should probably be tested for your bone density.
If you’ve been tested for vitamin deficiencies and you feel a need for a supplement, be sure you are getting the right kind.
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You are quite right that preventing fractures should be the main goal and not improving bone density per se. The secret of this puzzle is that vitamin K improves bone quality.
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Thanks for the great article GiGi. Didn’t realise there were different types of vitamin K. However, vitamin K is essential for helping the blood clot and helping the body absorb calcium (hence the links with improved bone density/reduced fractures). Even if it does not improve bone density directly, it will ensure you have healthy bones by helping your body get adequate levels of calcium.
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