Catching up on a head start If I were to tell you that new research suggests that most adults are seriously deficient in a single vitamin, chances are you'd immediately think of one of the "big name" nutrients -- vitamin D, vitamin C, folic acid. All good guesses considering the U.S. RDAs of these nutrients are dismally low. But the nutrient I'm referring to is one most people barely even know exists: vitamin K. Of course, if you've been reading Nutrition & Healing or the eTips for awhile, you've got a head start over most Americans, since Dr. Wright has touted the benefits of this vitamin for years. But even if you read those articles and were impressed by vitamin K's long resume, you may not realize just how critical it is to overall good health -- or how easy it is to become deficient. Vitamin K helps prevent bone loss and hardening of the arteries, so not getting an adequate amount puts you at risk for osteoporosis and heart disease. And, unfortunately, getting and maintaining that adequate amount may be trickier than any of us realized. According to a recent study published in the journal Thrombosis & Haematosis, dietary intake of vitamin K is very low in most people. And to make matters worse, the researchers found that its "biological half-life time is relatively short: upon deprivation experimental animals develop symptoms of vitamin K deficiency within a few days." In other words, this isn't the type of thing that takes awhile to cause problems -- if you're not getting enough the effects can start in just a couple of days. Now for the good news: Although it's not as well known as the others, vitamin K is just as widely available. You can get it in any natural food store or vitamin shop, as well as though numerous Internet vitamin retailers. The researchers report that other studies have found vitamin K's protective benefits begin at doses between 1 and 45 milligrams per day. That's quite a wide range of possible doses, which is why it's always a good idea to check with a physician skilled in nutritional medicine to determine the best dose for your individual needs. To locate such a physician in your area, contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine at (800)532-3688 or www.acam.org. Source:
"Is vitamin K deficiency more common than thought?" NutraIngredients (www.nutraingredients.com), 7/18/07 | 
