Vitamin K May Possess Anti-Mutagenic Actions

By CP Staff

Vitamin K2 intake is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing cancer and cancer-related mortality, researchers report in a new study. The American Cancer Society reports that more than one million Americans get cancer each year. Approximately 1 out of every 2 American men and 1 out of every 3 American women will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime.

In this study, vitamin K intake was evaluated, including both vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone, and vitamin K2, or menaquinone. The subjects included 24,340 adults 35-64 years of age without cancer. At the beginning of the study, the subjects completed a food-frequency questionnaire to evaluate their vitamin K intake. The subjects were then followed for a minimum of 10 years to determine the incidence of cancer and cancer-related mortality.

According to the data, there were 1,755 cases of cancer diagnosed and 458 cases that resulted in death. Individuals with the highest intake of menaquinones (vitamin K2) had a 14 percent decreased risk of cancer compared to the subjects with the lowest intake, although this finding was statistically non-significant. However, the subjects with the highest intake of vitamin K2 had a decrease in the risk of cancer-related mortality of 28 percent compared to those with the lowest intake. The study also showed that the reduction in relative risk of cancer with increasing vitamin K2 (menaquinone) intake was stronger for men than for women, with a significant decrease in prostate and lung cancer specifically. The researchers did not find an association between phylloquinone (vitamin K1) intake and cancer risk reduction.

The study authors stated, “These findings suggest that dietary intake of menaquinones, which is highly determined by the consumption of cheese, is associated with a reduced risk of incident and fatal cancer.”

Reference:

Nimptsch K, Rohrmann S, Kaaks R, Linseisen J. Dietary vitamin K intake in relation to cancer incidence and mortality: results from the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Heidelberg). Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar 24. Published Online ahead of Print.