Forget the cereal--for some truly special K, make sure you're getting enough vitamin K. A new study finds that high levels of this common nutrient can help lower your risk of diabetes by up to 20 percent.
Researchers tracked more than 38,000 Dutch adults between the ages of 20 and 70 at the start of the study. Over the next decade, 918 of them were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
And according to the study published in Diabetes Care, those in the top 25 percent of vitamin K intake had a 20 percent lower risk of diabetes than those in the lowest 25 percent.
But not all K is created equal.
There are two main forms of natural vitamin K: K1, which you'll get from leafy greens and other veggies, and vitamin K2, which can be a little harder to come by. But you might want to make that extra effort--because the researchers say higher levels of K2 made the biggest difference.
The best source of K2 is natto, a Japanese dish made of fermented soybeans. While it's commonly available in Asian grocery stores here in the United States, it's an acquired taste that many people don't acquire. To put it bluntly, it smells like old socks... and actually tastes even worse. Millions of Japanese may love it, but most Americans can't stomach these slimy brown beans.
Luckily, you have other options. You can also get K2 from organ meats, fish, some dairy products, and fermented cheeses such as feta and bleu.
Other studies have also found that vitamin K can help protect against diabetes, but its benefits don't end there. Vitamin K may also lower your risk of osteoporosis and some cancers, and improve your cardiovascular health.
As always, talk to your doctor first--if you're taking blood thinners, he'll probably but the kibosh on your K, since they can interfere with one another.
And remember: All the feta cheese in Greece won't stop the relentless march of disease if you simply add it to the same lifestyle that's putting you at risk in the first place.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
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