New research on Vitamin K has shown it to be a valuable vitamin in the fight against heart disease and osteoporosis, as well as in regulating blood sugar. Many prescription drugs deplete this valuable vitamin.

Vitamin K
Vitamin K's traditional claim to fame is that it helps blood coagulate. But recent research has identified new benefits from its use:  It may be a key anti-aging vitamin and it may prevent both heart disease and osteoporosis. It's also a stronger antioxidant than vitamin E or coenzyme Q10. In addition, Vitamin K may be the future of treating certain kinds of cancer. And lack of it may have something to do with Alzheimer's disease.  

Vitamin K is a powerful antioxidant that has been approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in Japan since 1995. The vitamin has also shown promise in other areas, viz:

Health benefits associated with vitamin K:

• Prevents calcification of arteries and other soft tissue.
  The vascular system can suffer such damage that valve replacement and coronary artery bypass procedures may become necessary.

• Vitamin K protects the heart
  Sudden death from heart attack is associated with calcification of the aorta, especially in young men. In the Framingham Heart Study, 35 year-old men with calcifications in the aorta had a 7 times increased risk of dying of a sudden heart attack. The risk decreases with age, but the chance of suddenly dying of a heart attack is doubled in people under 65 if their aortas are calcified.

• Prevents elevations of IL-6
  Rising levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) are an indication of aging. A chemical messenger for the immune system, IL-6 promotes inflammation. With age, this cytokine takes over and causes unwarranted inflammation throughout the body, including joints and brain. Alzheimer's patients have highly elevated levels of IL-6 in their brains.

• Regulates the body's calcium
  Abnormal calcium accumulation can damage the brain. In fact, changes seen in Alzheimer's disease reflect disturbances in calcium metabolism. The pineal gland and the kidneys are especially vulnerable to excess calcium infiltration, while the skeleton suffers from a lack of calcium.

• Promotes bone calcification
  Vitamin K is necessary for the synthesis of osteocalcin that attracts calcium to the bone matrix.

• Experiments show that it can inhibit the growth of many forms of cancer, including breast, ovary, colon, stomach and kidney

• May play a role in the regulation of blood sugar
  The pancreas, which makes insulin, has the second highest amount of vitamin K in the body. In the first study of its kind, Japanese researchers found that vitamin K deficiency can have effects similar to diabetes.

Drugs that deplete Vitamin K
These include:

• Barbiturates

• Aureomycin

• Declomycin

• Mineral oil

• Penicillins

• Tetracyclines

• Many others (for a full list, you need this book)

Supplement Facts
Serving size 1 capsule

* Daily value (DV) not established.
Other ingredients: gelatin, carob and water.

Directions: For maintenance: Take one capsule per day with a meal.
                 For osteoporosis: Take up to 4 capsules a day

Warning: Individuals taking anticoagulant drugs, such as Coumadin or Heparin, should avoid vitamin K supplements, unless otherwise directed by a physician.**