Vitamin K2 May Cut Your Risk of Cancer of the Lung

[Coleus]

Vitamin K is absolutely essential to build strong bones -- and it is proven to prevent heart disease. For several years, compelling evidence has shown that most people don't get enough vitamin K to protect their health through the foods they eat.

Green leafy vegetables supply almost half of the vitamin K for the majority of Americans. Most foods considered rich in vitamin K have shown to have less vitamin K than previously thought. Despite this vital information, the majority of multi-vitamins don't contain any vitamin K at all -- and those that do don't contain enough.

Recent research supporting vitamin K's usefulness against osteoporosis and heart disease is now becoming too abundant to overlook. Still, few health conscious consumers understand the importance of supplementing vitamin K. For this reason, I now offer the most potent disease fighting form of this vitamin available -- Vitamin K2 -- in supplemental form.

Vastly superior to other forms of vitamin K, non-toxic vitamin K2 offers many critical health-promoting advantages, including:

• Prevention of bone loss and fractures -- more effective than vitamin K1, studies link vitamin K2 to the production of the calcium-binding protein osteocalcin -- responsible for redirecting lost calcium back to bone.

• Better absorption rate -- unlike vitamin K1, vitamin K2 does not concentrate in the liver. The body stores only limited amounts of vitamin K in the liver, so vitamin rich foods must be consumed regularly, and with only 10% absorption of vitamin K1 from vegetables -- you are receiving only pennies on the dollars. Vitamin K2 works primarily outside of the liver in the bone and blood vessels.

• Prevention of atherosclerosis -- vitamin K2 suppresses the progress of atherosclerotic plaques, intima (the inner lining of an artery or vein or lymphatic vessel) thickening and pulmonary atherosclerosis.

• Inhibiting cancer cell growth -- a study published in the September 2003 International Journal of Oncology found that treating lung cancer patients with vitamin K2 slowed the growth of cancer cells, and previous studies have shown benefit in treating leukemia.

This uniquely branded powerful form of vitamin K2 is poised to revolutionize the market for bone health and heart health supplements.

Vitamin K -- the Future of Disease Prevention

Vitamin K is unique because it acts like a hormone, but shows no toxicity. With research now focusing on its potential effects on the brain, liver and pancreas, vitamin K is one of the most promising vitamins of our time.

In 1929, Danish scientist, Dr. Henrik Dam discovered vitamin K. The "K" is for Koagulation -- essential for proper blood clotting. Sometimes referred to as "the forgotten vitamin," the many other benefits of vitamin K are often overlooked.

Vitamin K plays a crucial role in many bodily functions. It may be a key anti-aging vitamin -- it's a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E or coenzyme Q10. Japanese researchers found that vitamin K deficiency can have effects similar to diabetes. And now, scientists are even looking at vitamin K to be the future of treating certain kinds of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Considering the importance of this vitamin, it's reasonable to question if you're getting enough. Vitamin K exists in three forms, K1, K2, and K3. All are fat-soluble. This is important because dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of the vitamin -meaning that in order for your body to absorb it effectively, you need to eat some fat along with it.

Vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, is found naturally in plants. Vitamin K2, also called menaquinone, is made by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin K3, or menadione (that I do not recommend) is manmade and is generally regarded as toxic because it generates free radicals. It's important to note that toxicity has occurred in infants given synthetic vitamin K3 by injection.

Vitamin K2 supplementation is one way of insuring that arteries and bones receive sufficient amounts of vitamin K2 to prevent cardiovascular disease. In the Rotterdam study, clinical analysis of 4,500 patients showed a correlation between long-term vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) intake and the lower incidence of aortic calcification. For vitamin K1 the observed associations were weaker, suggesting preferential uptake of K2 by the blood vessel wall.

The beneficial effect of vitamin K2 is related to the carboxylation of matrix-Gla Protein. Arteries without atherosclerosis have 20-50 fold increases in vitamin K2 concentration than arteries with plaque in the same human body. Arteries were found to be more flexible and elastic than other arteries without vitamin K2.

With more than 4,000 participants, those with the highest K2 consumption had 50 percent fewer heart attacks, 50 percent fewer CV-related deaths and 25 percent fewer deaths overall. While more research is needed, early findings suggest that by regulating calcium, vitamin K2 reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis.

Breakthrough Research Confirms Vitamin K2 Inhibits Cancer

A flood of new studies suggests that vitamin K may help combat cancer. Preliminary reports suggest that vitamin K may one day be used to manipulate cancer cells to stop their dangerous, unregulated growth.

A study published in the September 2003 International Journal of Oncology, found that treating lung cancer patients with vitamin K2 slowed the growth of cancer cells, and previous studies have shown benefit in treating leukemia.

According to a new study published in the July 21 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, vitamin K2 may deter the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (cancer that arises from hepatocytes, the major cell type of the liver) in women with viral cirrhosis of the liver.

In the study, 40 women diagnosed with viral liver cirrhosis were admitted to a university hospital between 1996 and 1998 and randomized to a treatment or control group. The treatment group received 45 mg/d of vitamin K2. Hepatocellular carcinoma was identified in two of the 21 women given vitamin K2 and nine of the 19 women in the control group.

Scientists concluded there is a possible role for vitamin K2 in the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in women with viral cirrhosis. Despite its small size, the study indicated that vitamin K2 decreases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma to about 20% compared with the control group, suggesting that vitamin K2 may delay the onset of hepatocarcinogenesis.

The results of the trial support previous research indicating vitamin K2 may play a role in controlling cancer cell growth.

To experience benefits for bone and vascular health, 100 micrograms per day of supplemental Vitamin K2 is suggested.

CAUTION: Vitamin K2 may counteract the effects of anticoagulation therapy, and therefore is not recommended for patients on blood-thinning medications. To prevent potential interference with oral anticoagulants such as coumadin (warfarin), you should not exceed a daily dose of 100 micrograms.

Those who have experienced stroke, cardiac arrest, and those prone to blood clotting should not take Vitamin K2 without first consulting their physician.

Pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid Vitamin K supplemental intakes higher than the RDA (65 mcg) unless specifically recommended and monitored by their physician.