Vitamin Information Center

Vitamin K2 helps reduce fractures

A recently concluded study by the Archives of Internal Medicine points to the importance of including 45 mg per day of vitamin K2 in your daily diet to decrease the risk of vertebral fractures by 60 percent, hip fractures by 71 percent and all nonvertebral fractures by 81 percent.
There are various forms of vitamin K, but only 45 mg per day of MK-4 has been shown in clinical trials to decrease fracture risk better than bisphosphonate medications. This amount of vitamin K2 does not interfere with healthy coagulation and is safe to take with osteoporosis medications.

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, about one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their remaining lifetime.

Elements of marijuana beneficial
Ohio State University scientists have found that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation and possibly even stimulating the formation of new brain cells.

The research suggests that the development of a legal drug that contains certain properties similar to those in marijuana might help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Though the exact cause of Alzheimer’s remains unknown, chronic inflammation in the brain is believed to contribute to memory impairment.

Any new drug’s properties would resemble those of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant, but would not share its high-producing effects. THC joins nicotine, alcohol and caffeine as agents that, in moderation, have shown some protection against inflammation in the brain that might translate to better memory late in life.

Benefits of weight-loss surgery seen for pregnant women
Obese women who have weight-loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

The women had a significantly lower risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure than obese women who did not have surgery, according to the study published in the Nov. 19 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In addition, these women’s babies were less likely to be born prematurely, be born underweight or be born overweight than children born to obese women, according to the study.

The incidence of bariatric surgery increased eight fold in the United States from 1998 to 2005, with women aged 18 to 45 accounting for 83 percent of the procedures. More than 150,000 women of child-bearing age underwent bariatric surgery from 2002 to 2005.

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Healthnotes Newswire (August 28, 2008)—Building and maintaining bone is complex work involving many nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, boron, vitamin K, and essential fatty acids. A new study found that low levels of vitamins B6 and B12 and high levels of homocysteine were associated with increased risk of hip fracture.

B vitamins, homocysteine, and changes in bone

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, included 714 senior men and women who were participating in the longstanding Framingham Study. Tests to measure bone density and blood levels of homocysteine, folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 were done at the beginning of the study and bone density was measured again after four years.

People with low vitamin B6 levels experienced more bone density loss than people with normal B6 levels, and people with B6 deficiency lost the most bone. Low and deficient levels of vitamins B6 and B12, as well as high levels of homocysteine (a potentially toxic amino acid byproduct), were each independently associated with more hip fractures.

How B vitamins and homocysteine are connected

Folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 are all involved in the metabolism of homocysteine, and when any of these vitamin levels drops, homocysteine can accumulate, potentially leading to negative health effects. Getting more of these vitamins through diet or supplements can bring down high homocysteine levels. A high homocysteine level is a risk factor for heart disease, and some evidence suggests it might also be a risk factor for a number of other conditions including stroke, clotting problems, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hypothyroidism, death from diabetes, pregnancy complications, and osteoporosis.

Despite their connection, B vitamins and homocysteine appear to have distinct effects on bone loss and fracture risk. “This study suggests that low vitamin B6 status, but not elevated homocysteine, is an important determinant of bone loss in community dwelling elders,” the study’s authors concluded.

Getting more B vitamins

The best way to get more vitamin B6 and folic acid is to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods and fish, and possibly sea vegetables and tempeh, a cultured soy food. Eating more of all three of these vitamins, especially folic acid, from food and supplements is a good strategy for reducing high homocysteine levels.

Although vitamin B6 and folic acid are usually readily absorbed, some health conditions can interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, such as gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, infections of the digestive tract, and any condition that causes malabsorption. People with these conditions might need to take high-potency supplements and should consult their doctor first.

(J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2206–12)

Maureen Williams, ND, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She has a private practice in Quechee, VT, and does extensive work with traditional herbal medicine in Guatemala and Honduras. Dr. Williams is a regular contributor to Healthnotes Newswire.

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Cod liver oil, a long-used source of vitamin D, may have the unexpected effect of lowering bone mass, a new study suggests.Norwegian researchers found that among more than 3,000 middle-aged women, those who took cod liver oil as children generally had lower bone mass than women who had not used the fish oil.

Because sunlight is needed to trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, people in Nordic countries are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency. Cod liver oil is a traditional source of supplemental vitamin D, and is still widely used in Norway, where few foods are fortified with the vitamin.

Many people also take cod liver oil as a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, or to ease arthritis symptoms.

Given the role of vitamin D in maintaining healthy bones, the new findings are “unexpected” and “paradoxical,” the researchers note in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

They speculate, however, that the high vitamin A content in cod liver oil could be to blame.

Vitamin A accumulates in body fat, and excessive levels may have a negative effect on bone metabolism and actually raise fracture risk, explained Dr Siri Forsmo, the lead researcher on the study and an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Too much vit A to blame
It’s possible that cod liver oil, on top of the traditionally vitamin A-rich Norwegian diet, provided some of these women with too much of the nutrient, Forsmo told Reuters Health.

Since 2002, Norway has required that cod liver oil producers cut the supplement’s vitamin A content by 75 percent - from 3,300 International Units per dose to 825 IU. Forsmo said she is unaware of any other countries that have made similar moves.

In the US, the recommended daily intake for vitamin A is 3,000 IU for men and 2,310 IU for women; for children, the recommendation is between 1,000 and 2,000 IU per day.

In contrast to the US and certain other countries, where milk and many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D, relatively few foods in Norway have added vitamin D, Forsmo noted. Butter, margarine and one type of low-fat milk are the exceptions.

So cod liver oil remains a major source of vitamin D there, Forsmo said, adding that she still takes it during the winter.

Importantly, the researcher noted, the current study looked at bone mass, and not whether women who used cod liver oil as children actually had a higher rate of bone fractures. That is a question for future studies. - (Amy Norton/Reuters Health)

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, February 15, 2008.