Guest guest Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Have you been taking your cited level of Vit D3 since 2002, or is that level of supplementation relatively recent? ] I ask because there's some evidence that your having taken that level of D3 should have been [relatively] protective of your bone density. Maco At 01:26 PM 9/4/2007, you wrote: I've been a lurker on this list for months. I now would like to pick your brains about preventing bone loss, which is beginning for me. Despite thinking I was being mindful about calcium (dietary intake not supplements), I'm now losing bone density, which is very scary. My lastest BD test shows me at a slight risk of fracture. Hip bone density has declined since my benchmark test taken in 2002 when I was 46. My right hip T-score is now at - 1.3, which puts me in the oseopenic range. The decrease since 2002 is 9%. Background: I'm turning 52 next month, am 5'8 " and experienced relatively early menopause around age 48/49. I come from a big boned, heavy-set family, but have been careful about my diet most of my adult life (am the only slender one of six siblings), but was overweight as a teen (150 pounds). My weight ranged between 135 to 140 pounds from age 25 when I began to exercise to early '07. Because of health fears due to family history that includes heart disease, high BP and Alzeiheimers, I started CRON Feb. 07, and went from 135 to 117 pounds over a period of four months, losing about a pound a week (my BMI went from 20.5 to 17.8). My blood pressure went from high to the usual nice low CRON level. I have maintained very easily at 117/118 since then, but my family doc disappoves of me being this thin. She would prefer that I gained five to 10 pounds (she's 20 pounds overweight herself and doesn't appear to consider this a problem). My husband, also a doctor (internal medicine) thinks my current weight is great and is very supportive, and says I look slender and healthy, not at all starved. (Most of the sickest patients he sees are overweight.) My husband is naturally slender, and not doing CRON, but has lost 10 pounds following my example and cutting his empty calories and because of my serving more veg and less starch for dinner. I have exercised moderately for years, walking regularly in the country with my dogs, about 30-40 minutes daily and gardening (we have several acres). Since last spring, I've take 3 yoga classes a week (Hatha yoga at an intermediate level). I am now taking calcium citrate and considering taking a calcium supplement with MCHC, but am concerned about the bovine source and the dangers of BSE. I take Vitamin D 1000-2000 IU daily through the winter and several times a week in summer, plus getting sun daily. I had my 25-Hydroxy Vit D level checked in the spring and it was high at 110. I also take 1000-2000 mg of Vitamin C daily. Besides loads of fruit and veg, lots of it fresh, I eat a cup of low fat yogurt with breakfast and also with my lunch veg salad (subbing for all the high fat cheese I used to enjoy). Protein intake also includes chicken, low fat cottage cheese, fish, nuts, and whey. Would gaining a little weight help prevent more bone loss, say going to 125 and a BMI of 19? Any advice you have would be most helpful. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Hi : Bear in mind that almost everyone here is NOT qualified to give medical advice. And that certainly includes me (no medical qualifications). That said, and emphasized, bear in mind that the body automatically adjusts bone SIZE to the demands made upon it. Heavy people, their bodies recognize, need more bone strength just to hold them up, so their bones are bigger. The bodies of slim people, who exert much less stress on their bones, will recognize less need to build bone mass, and will shed bone the body considers in excess of need. In the ultimate example: astronauts weightless in space and exerting very little stress on their bones lose a sizeable amount of bone mass in just a couple of months, as their bodies 'realize' they do not need so much. So it is normal for slim people to have smaller bones, BUT not necessarily more porous bones. And DXA cannot differentiate between large porous bones and small intact bones. So you may have porous bones, you may not, DXA does not tell you. In this regard, check the archives here using the search term " DXA " , for posts over a year ago. There has been an extensive discussion of this. While small bones will be less strong than large bones, the issue of paramount importance in osteoporosis is POROSITY, not bone size. None of the above, however, means you should not take steps to strengthen your bones. Anyone hoping to live to 100, as many of us here are, will have much weakened bones by then if they do not take steps to ensure otherwise. Also, few if any of us here are qualified to prescribe exercise. Certainly I am not. But we do know, I think, that weight lifters and squash players have been noted to have strong bones. So for bone strength I have been doing squats for exercise, Monday Wednesday and Friday, with gradually increasing weight. And to be extra cautious, only raising the weight when I can already do a large number of repetitions at the previous weight. If the T and Z scores of DXA and calcaneal ultrasound are comparable, then the squats I have been doing have made an appreciable difference to my bone mass in the past few months. But I very much doubt that just calcium and D; or just walking; or just playing some game a few times a month, will make a lot of difference. It seems to me (fwiw) that a targeted exercise such as squats, lifting an appropriate amount of weight, perhaps can make a sizeable difference with a quite small expenditure of time, especially if you also have an adequate intake of the nutrients needed to support bone growth. Also check the archives using the term " BMD mix " for a list of plant products that have been shown in animal experiments to be associated with higher bone mass. Rodney. > > I've been a lurker on this list for months. I now would like to pick your > brains about preventing bone loss, which is beginning for me. Despite > thinking I was being mindful about calcium (dietary intake not supplements), > I'm now losing bone density, which is very scary. My lastest BD test shows > me at a slight risk of fracture. Hip bone density has declined since my > benchmark test taken in 2002 when I was 46. My right hip T-score is now at - > 1.3, which puts me in the oseopenic range. The decrease since 2002 is 9%. > > Background: I'm turning 52 next month, am 5'8 " and experienced relatively > early menopause around age 48/49. I come from a big boned, heavy- set family, > but have been careful about my diet most of my adult life (am the only > slender one of six siblings), but was overweight as a teen (150 pounds). My > weight ranged between 135 to 140 pounds from age 25 when I began to exercise > to early '07. > Because of health fears due to family history that includes heart disease, > high BP and Alzeiheimers, I started CRON Feb. 07, and went from 135 to 117 > pounds over a period of four months, losing about a pound a week (my BMI > went from 20.5 to 17.8). My blood pressure went from high to the usual nice > low CRON level. > > I have maintained very easily at 117/118 since then, but my family doc > disappoves of me being this thin. She would prefer that I gained five to 10 > pounds (she's 20 pounds overweight herself and doesn't appear to consider > this a problem). > > My husband, also a doctor (internal medicine) thinks my current weight is > great and is very supportive, and says I look slender and healthy, not at > all starved. (Most of the sickest patients he sees are overweight.) My > husband is naturally slender, and not doing CRON, but has lost 10 > pounds following my example and cutting his empty calories and because of my > serving more veg and less starch for dinner. > > I have exercised moderately for years, walking regularly in the country with > my dogs, about 30-40 minutes daily and gardening (we have several > acres). Since last spring, I've take 3 yoga classes a week (Hatha yoga at an > intermediate level). > > I am now taking calcium citrate and considering taking a calcium supplement > with MCHC, but am concerned about the bovine source and the dangers of BSE. > I take Vitamin D 1000-2000 IU daily through the winter and several times a > week in summer, plus getting sun daily. I had my 25-Hydroxy Vit D level > checked in the spring and it was high at 110. I also take 1000-2000 mg of > Vitamin C daily. > > Besides loads of fruit and veg, lots of it fresh, I eat a cup of low fat > yogurt with breakfast and also with my lunch veg salad (subbing for all the > high fat cheese I used to enjoy). Protein intake also includes > chicken, low fat cottage cheese, fish, nuts, and whey. > > Would gaining a little weight help prevent more bone loss, say going to 125 > and a BMI of 19? Any advice you have would be most helpful. > > Thanks, > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Hello ; Rod gave you an excellent answer. I would just add that most women lose some bone mass after menopause, so I would not be particularly alarmed unless you continue to do so. I know that despite my dexa’s showing some loss after menopause, my bones are pretty strong. I have taken some bad falls on concrete in recent years, and everything remained intact. OTOH, before CRON, I slipped in my kitchen and broke my patella (and had to be carried out in a stretcher and an ambulance). I now have a pretty stringent exercize regimen with weights. We do not advise losing weight as rapidly as you did. Of course it’s too late for you, but for others reading this, the slower your weight loss, the better. Two pounds or so a month is plenty. Don’t be in a rush. It’s healthier to lose the weight slowly. From: Rodney <perspect1111@...> Reply-< > Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:47:56 -0000 < > Subject: [ ] Re: Bone density problem Hi : Bear in mind that almost everyone here is NOT qualified to give medical advice. And that certainly includes me (no medical qualifications). That said, and emphasized, bear in mind that the body automatically adjusts bone SIZE to the demands made upon it. Heavy people, their bodies recognize, need more bone strength just to hold them up, so their bones are bigger. The bodies of slim people, who exert much less stress on their bones, will recognize less need to build bone mass, and will shed bone the body considers in excess of need. In the ultimate example: astronauts weightless in space and exerting very little stress on their bones lose a sizeable amount of bone mass in just a couple of months, as their bodies 'realize' they do not need so much. So it is normal for slim people to have smaller bones, BUT not necessarily more porous bones. And DXA cannot differentiate between large porous bones and small intact bones. So you may have porous bones, you may not, DXA does not tell you. In this regard, check the archives here using the search term " DXA " , for posts over a year ago. There has been an extensive discussion of this. While small bones will be less strong than large bones, the issue of paramount importance in osteoporosis is POROSITY, not bone size. None of the above, however, means you should not take steps to strengthen your bones. Anyone hoping to live to 100, as many of us here are, will have much weakened bones by then if they do not take steps to ensure otherwise. Also, few if any of us here are qualified to prescribe exercise. Certainly I am not. But we do know, I think, that weight lifters and squash players have been noted to have strong bones. So for bone strength I have been doing squats for exercise, Monday Wednesday and Friday, with gradually increasing weight. And to be extra cautious, only raising the weight when I can already do a large number of repetitions at the previous weight. If the T and Z scores of DXA and calcaneal ultrasound are comparable, then the squats I have been doing have made an appreciable difference to my bone mass in the past few months. But I very much doubt that just calcium and D; or just walking; or just playing some game a few times a month, will make a lot of difference. It seems to me (fwiw) that a targeted exercise such as squats, lifting an appropriate amount of weight, perhaps can make a sizeable difference with a quite small expenditure of time, especially if you also have an adequate intake of the nutrients needed to support bone growth. Also check the archives using the term " BMD mix " for a list of plant products that have been shown in animal experiments to be associated with higher bone mass. Rodney. > > I've been a lurker on this list for months. I now would like to pick your > brains about preventing bone loss, which is beginning for me. Despite > thinking I was being mindful about calcium (dietary intake not supplements), > I'm now losing bone density, which is very scary. My lastest BD test shows > me at a slight risk of fracture. Hip bone density has declined since my > benchmark test taken in 2002 when I was 46. My right hip T-score is now at - > 1.3, which puts me in the oseopenic range. The decrease since 2002 is 9%. > > Background: I'm turning 52 next month, am 5'8 " and experienced relatively > early menopause around age 48/49. I come from a big boned, heavy- set family, > but have been careful about my diet most of my adult life (am the only > slender one of six siblings), but was overweight as a teen (150 pounds). My > weight ranged between 135 to 140 pounds from age 25 when I began to exercise > to early '07. > Because of health fears due to family history that includes heart disease, > high BP and Alzeiheimers, I started CRON Feb. 07, and went from 135 to 117 > pounds over a period of four months, losing about a pound a week (my BMI > went from 20.5 to 17.8). My blood pressure went from high to the usual nice > low CRON level. > > I have maintained very easily at 117/118 since then, but my family doc > disappoves of me being this thin. She would prefer that I gained five to 10 > pounds (she's 20 pounds overweight herself and doesn't appear to consider > this a problem). > > My husband, also a doctor (internal medicine) thinks my current weight is > great and is very supportive, and says I look slender and healthy, not at > all starved. (Most of the sickest patients he sees are overweight.) My > husband is naturally slender, and not doing CRON, but has lost 10 > pounds following my example and cutting his empty calories and because of my > serving more veg and less starch for dinner. > > I have exercised moderately for years, walking regularly in the country with > my dogs, about 30-40 minutes daily and gardening (we have several > acres). Since last spring, I've take 3 yoga classes a week (Hatha yoga at an > intermediate level). > > I am now taking calcium citrate and considering taking a calcium supplement > with MCHC, but am concerned about the bovine source and the dangers of BSE. > I take Vitamin D 1000-2000 IU daily through the winter and several times a > week in summer, plus getting sun daily. I had my 25-Hydroxy Vit D level > checked in the spring and it was high at 110. I also take 1000-2000 mg of > Vitamin C daily. > > Besides loads of fruit and veg, lots of it fresh, I eat a cup of low fat > yogurt with breakfast and also with my lunch veg salad (subbing for all the > high fat cheese I used to enjoy). Protein intake also includes > chicken, low fat cottage cheese, fish, nuts, and whey. > > Would gaining a little weight help prevent more bone loss, say going to 125 > and a BMI of 19? Any advice you have would be most helpful. > > Thanks, > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 Hi Maco: I have been taking Vitamin D for about three years. However, I have only become more knowledgable and regular about it for the past year and a half, and as a result I increased the dosage to 1000-2000 UI daily. Thanks, Y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 , From what I've been reading lately, vitamin K2 vs K1 is reported to be more active in the body at lower doses, seems to have alot to do with regulating calcium, as studies show it reduces bone loss while also reducing calcification in the arteries. I get it at iHerb.com. Dutch study below reports daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening. Dave ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Link: http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=74240 Full text: Vitamin K2 may maintain bone strength - study By ls 15/02/2007- Daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening, says a study from the Netherlands. The double-blind, placebo controlled study, by researchers at Maastricht University's VitaK and the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CARIM), followed 325 healthy women with no osteoporosis for three years and also found that vitamin K2 supplements boosted the women's bone mineral content (BMC), compared to placebo " These findings are quite exciting, " said study co-author Leon Schurgers. " Research has shown many indications that vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of bone strength. Besides various population-based studies and a number of clinical intervention trials investigating the effects of increased vitamin K intake, it has also been reported that subjects receiving vitamin K antagonists (oral anticoagulant therapy) have lower bone mineral density and increased fracture risk. " Vitamin K2 has significant potential to benefit bone health, " he said. There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. Menaquinones (MK-n: with the n determined by the number of prenyl side chains) can also be found in the diet; MK-4 (menatetrenone) can be found in animal meat, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 are found in fermented food products like cheese, and natto is a rich source of MK-7. The results of the new study, published in the journal Osteoporosis International, show that supplements of vitamin K2 (MK-4, Eisai Co, Tokyo) to give daily doses of 45 mg per day (capsules of 15 mg, three times per day), or placebo to 325 postmenopausal women (average age 66, average BMI 27.2 kg per sq. m). At the end of the study, the researchers report that, while no effect was observed on bone mineral density (BMD), significant improvements were observed for compression strength (2.03 per cent), bending strength (3.83 per cent), impact strength (1.72 per cent), femoral neck width (1.34 per cent), and hip axis length (0.23 per cent), compared to placebo. " In this paper we demonstrate that the main effect of vitamin K2 on bone in the hip is an increase of the femoral neck BMC and width, resulting in maintenance of the calculated bone strength even at decreasing BMD after the menopause, " wrote the authors. " This makes K2 an interesting compound for combination therapy with other food supplements (calcium, vitamin D)… with known effect on BMD, " they wrote. The researchers note that they used MK-4 supplements with a relatively high dose of 45 milligrams, which exceeds the present recommendations of 90 to 120 micrograms per day, but state that MK-4 only stays in the body for a very short time, and even on administration of three 15 mg doses, serum levels of the vitamin can fluctuate. " A possible alternative to MK-4 might be using MK-7, the K2 vitamin most abundantly found in the Japanese food natto, " they said. " MK-7 has probably a comparable effect as MK-4, but it has a half-life in circulation of three days, resulting in more constant plasma levels and accumulation. " This, said the researchers, makes MK-7 the logical choice for low-dose food supplementation. They also said that it would be desirable to evaluate the cost-benefits of supplementation to all postmenopausal women, but the optimal dose, and synergistic effects with calcium and vitamin D needs further research. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect about 75m people in Europe, the USA and Japan. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the total direct cost of osteoporotic fractures is €31.7bn in Europe, and 17.5bn in the US (2002 figure). The total annual cost of osteoporosis in the UK alone is over £1.7bn (€2.5bn), equivalent to £5m (€7.3m) each day. Source: Osteoporosis International Published on-line, doi: 10.1007/s00198-007-0337-9 " Vitamin K2 supplementation improves hip bone geometry and bone strength indices in postmenopausal women " Authors: M.H.J. Knapen, L.J. Schurgers, C. Vermeer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 Please note that this study was done on a relatively small number of people, and that the study itself says ...”this needs further research”. I would be careful about the use of supplements. As we have often posted here, supplementation is very often inferior, useless and sometimes harmful. Which leads me to a question for : Why are you taking Vit C supplements when you are no doubt getting plenty of Vit C from your CRON diet? From: Dave <davemaddux@...> Reply-< > Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:47:38 -0000 < > Subject: [ ] Re: Bone density problem , From what I've been reading lately, vitamin K2 vs K1 is reported to be more active in the body at lower doses, seems to have alot to do with regulating calcium, as studies show it reduces bone loss while also reducing calcification in the arteries. I get it at iHerb.com. Dutch study below reports daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening. Dave ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Link: http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=74240 Full text: Vitamin K2 may maintain bone strength - study By ls 15/02/2007- Daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening, says a study from the Netherlands. The double-blind, placebo controlled study, by researchers at Maastricht University's VitaK and the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CARIM), followed 325 healthy women with no osteoporosis for three years and also found that vitamin K2 supplements boosted the women's bone mineral content (BMC), compared to placebo " These findings are quite exciting, " said study co-author Leon Schurgers. " Research has shown many indications that vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of bone strength. Besides various population-based studies and a number of clinical intervention trials investigating the effects of increased vitamin K intake, it has also been reported that subjects receiving vitamin K antagonists (oral anticoagulant therapy) have lower bone mineral density and increased fracture risk. " Vitamin K2 has significant potential to benefit bone health, " he said. There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. Menaquinones (MK-n: with the n determined by the number of prenyl side chains) can also be found in the diet; MK-4 (menatetrenone) can be found in animal meat, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 are found in fermented food products like cheese, and natto is a rich source of MK-7. The results of the new study, published in the journal Osteoporosis International, show that supplements of vitamin K2 (MK-4, Eisai Co, Tokyo) to give daily doses of 45 mg per day (capsules of 15 mg, three times per day), or placebo to 325 postmenopausal women (average age 66, average BMI 27.2 kg per sq. m). At the end of the study, the researchers report that, while no effect was observed on bone mineral density (BMD), significant improvements were observed for compression strength (2.03 per cent), bending strength (3.83 per cent), impact strength (1.72 per cent), femoral neck width (1.34 per cent), and hip axis length (0.23 per cent), compared to placebo. " In this paper we demonstrate that the main effect of vitamin K2 on bone in the hip is an increase of the femoral neck BMC and width, resulting in maintenance of the calculated bone strength even at decreasing BMD after the menopause, " wrote the authors. " This makes K2 an interesting compound for combination therapy with other food supplements (calcium, vitamin D)∑ with known effect on BMD, " they wrote. The researchers note that they used MK-4 supplements with a relatively high dose of 45 milligrams, which exceeds the present recommendations of 90 to 120 micrograms per day, but state that MK-4 only stays in the body for a very short time, and even on administration of three 15 mg doses, serum levels of the vitamin can fluctuate. " A possible alternative to MK-4 might be using MK-7, the K2 vitamin most abundantly found in the Japanese food natto, " they said. " MK-7 has probably a comparable effect as MK-4, but it has a half-life in circulation of three days, resulting in more constant plasma levels and accumulation. " This, said the researchers, makes MK-7 the logical choice for low-dose food supplementation. They also said that it would be desirable to evaluate the cost-benefits of supplementation to all postmenopausal women, but the optimal dose, and synergistic effects with calcium and vitamin D needs further research. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect about 75m people in Europe, the USA and Japan. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the total direct cost of osteoporotic fractures is •31.7bn in Europe, and 17.5bn in the US (2002 figure). The total annual cost of osteoporosis in the UK alone is over £1.7bn (•2.5bn), equivalent to £5m (•7.3m) each day. Source: Osteoporosis International Published on-line, doi: 10.1007/s00198-007-0337-9 " Vitamin K2 supplementation improves hip bone geometry and bone strength indices in postmenopausal women " Authors: M.H.J. Knapen, L.J. Schurgers, C. Vermeer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2007 Report Share Posted September 5, 2007 This is only 1 study on bone density and K-2 in particular, but vitamin K is very commonly associated with bone density. A google search for " vitamin k " " bone density " will yield a long list of information. I am not an advocate for popping pills or mega-dosing vitamins, but supplementation of certain things can have benefit when they are hard to get from food in the diet (like vitamin D, for example). The vitamin in the K-2 form comes almost exclusively from micro-flora in the gut, so perhaps adding yogurt or another source of beneficial bacteria to your diet could increase your vitamin K blood levels without having to use supplements. The following paragraph clipped from Vitamins & health supplements guide (http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/vitamin-K.php) lists various food sources of vitamin K: Rich sources of vitamin K include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach and soybeans. Cooked dark green vegetables, such as spinach, kale and broccoli, can provide more than one RDA in a single serving. Cow milk is also a good source of the vitamin. Asian soy foods also are excellent vitamin K sources. Hydrogenation of vegetable oils may decrease the absorption and biological effect of dietary vitamin K. Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) is the major dietary form of vitamin K. Bacteria that normally colonize the large intestine synthesize menaquinones (vitamin K2), which are an active form of vitamin K. > > Please note that this study was done on a relatively small number of people, > and that the study itself says ...²this needs further research². > > I would be careful about the use of supplements. As we have often posted > here, supplementation is very often inferior, useless and sometimes harmful. > > Which leads me to a question for : Why are you taking Vit C > supplements when you are no doubt getting plenty of Vit C from your CRON > diet? > > From: Dave <davemaddux@...> > Reply-< > > Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:47:38 -0000 > < > > Subject: [ ] Re: Bone density problem > > > > > > , > > From what I've been reading lately, vitamin K2 vs K1 is reported to be > more active in the body at lower doses, seems to have alot to do with > regulating calcium, as studies show it reduces bone loss while also > reducing calcification in the arteries. I get it at iHerb.com. > > Dutch study below reports daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained > hipbone strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening. > > Dave > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > Link: > > http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=74240 > > Full text: > > Vitamin K2 may maintain bone strength - study > > By ls > 15/02/2007- Daily supplements of vitamin K2 maintained hipbone > strength in postmenopausal women, while placebo led to weakening, says > a study from the Netherlands. > > The double-blind, placebo controlled study, by researchers at > Maastricht University's VitaK and the Cardiovascular Research > Institute (CARIM), followed 325 healthy women with no osteoporosis for > three years and also found that vitamin K2 supplements boosted the > women's bone mineral content (BMC), compared to placebo > > " These findings are quite exciting, " said study co-author Leon > Schurgers. " Research has shown many indications that vitamin K > contributes to the maintenance of bone strength. Besides various > population-based studies and a number of clinical intervention trials > investigating the effects of increased vitamin K intake, it has also > been reported that subjects receiving vitamin K antagonists (oral > anticoagulant therapy) have lower bone mineral density and increased > fracture risk. > > " Vitamin K2 has significant potential to benefit bone health, " he said. > > There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as > phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables > such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent > of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins > K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption > and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora. > > Menaquinones (MK-n: with the n determined by the number of prenyl side > chains) can also be found in the diet; MK-4 (menatetrenone) can be > found in animal meat, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 are found in fermented food > products like cheese, and natto is a rich source of MK-7. > > The results of the new study, published in the journal Osteoporosis > International, show that supplements of vitamin K2 (MK-4, Eisai Co, > Tokyo) to give daily doses of 45 mg per day (capsules of 15 mg, three > times per day), or placebo to 325 postmenopausal women (average age > 66, average BMI 27.2 kg per sq. m). > > At the end of the study, the researchers report that, while no effect > was observed on bone mineral density (BMD), significant improvements > were observed for compression strength (2.03 per cent), bending > strength (3.83 per cent), impact strength (1.72 per cent), femoral > neck width (1.34 per cent), and hip axis length (0.23 per cent), > compared to placebo. > > " In this paper we demonstrate that the main effect of vitamin K2 on > bone in the hip is an increase of the femoral neck BMC and width, > resulting in maintenance of the calculated bone strength even at > decreasing BMD after the menopause, " wrote the authors. > > " This makes K2 an interesting compound for combination therapy with > other food supplements (calcium, vitamin D)… with known effect on > BMD, " they wrote. > > The researchers note that they used MK-4 supplements with a relatively > high dose of 45 milligrams, which exceeds the present recommendations > of 90 to 120 micrograms per day, but state that MK-4 only stays in the > body for a very short time, and even on administration of three 15 mg > doses, serum levels of the vitamin can fluctuate. > > " A possible alternative to MK-4 might be using MK-7, the K2 vitamin > most abundantly found in the Japanese food natto, " they said. " MK-7 > has probably a comparable effect as MK-4, but it has a half-life in > circulation of three days, resulting in more constant plasma levels > and accumulation. " > > This, said the researchers, makes MK-7 the logical choice for low-dose > food supplementation. > > They also said that it would be desirable to evaluate the > cost-benefits of supplementation to all postmenopausal women, but the > optimal dose, and synergistic effects with calcium and vitamin D needs > further research. > > Osteoporosis is estimated to affect about 75m people in Europe, the > USA and Japan. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, > the total direct cost of osteoporotic fractures is €31.7bn in Europe, > and 17.5bn in the US (2002 figure). The total annual cost of > osteoporosis in the UK alone is over £1.7bn (€2.5bn), equivalent to > £5m (€7.3m) each day. > > Source: Osteoporosis International > Published on-line, doi: 10.1007/s00198-007-0337-9 > " Vitamin K2 supplementation improves hip bone geometry and bone > strength indices in postmenopausal women " > Authors: M.H.J. Knapen, L.J. Schurgers, C. Vermeer > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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