Don't laugh at cheeseheads

I'm sure you've seen them--mostly in the stands at Green Bay Packer games--the ones wearing huge foam cheese wedges on their heads.

Sure, go ahead and laugh at their hat choice--they probably expect it. But if those cheeseheads are eating as much cheese as we suspect they are, they're also reducing their cancer risk.

That's the conclusion of researchers who followed up on animal and laboratory studies that suggested vitamin K might suppress cancer growth.

A team from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg examined about ten years of data taken from more than 24,000 subjects who were between the ages of 35 and 64 at the outset of the study.

As reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, results showed that a high dietary intake of K2 was significantly linked with reduced risk of cancer-- particularly prostate and lung cancers.

Highest intakes of K2 were also linked to a lower chance of cancer mortality.

Ah, but there's one little catch...
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Form follows function
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The average diet delivers much more vitamin K1 than K2.

K1 is found in dark, leafy green vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, olive oil, and avocados. It's also converted into K2 in the intestine, but we also get K2 in liver and egg yolk, and fermented products such as yogurt and cheese.

In the German study, cheese was the K2 source most strongly linked to reduced cancer risk.

Supplement intake wasn't included in the study, but alternative health care pioneer Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., recommends vitamin K supplements, especially for those who have a family history of osteoporosis or arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Dr. Wright's suggested daily dose: 5 to 15 milligrams.

Note that this is considerably higher than the current RDA of 80 micrograms for men, and 70 women.

Vitamin K supplements should only be taken in the forms of K1 or K2. Vitamin K3 is a synthetic form that may cause liver toxicity and anemia when taken in high doses. In addition, patients who use Coumadin (a blood thinner) should use K supplements with caution because higher doses can interfere with the drug's effect.

On the plus side, vitamin K is fat-soluble, so absorption of the vitamin is improved when taken with at least a small amount of fat.

Such as the fat in cheese, for instance!