Vitamin K

The goal of the Vitamin K Laboratory is to improve the understanding of how diet impacts bone and vascular health in older men and women. The ability to establish dietary recommendations for vitamin K is limited by an inadequate understanding of the dietary sources and metabolic fate of phylloquinone from the diet. Studies are being conducted to identify the forms, amounts and biological activity of vitamin K in the food supply. Vitamin K food composition data generated from food analysis are incorporated into the national nutrient databases for the purpose of menu design, dietary assessment, and national intake surveys. Stable isotopes are being used to elucidate the absorption and transport of vitamin K from vegetables, the primary dietary source of vitamin K in the United States (US). Information is also being collected on the physiological significance of measures used to assess vitamin K nutritional status, with a focus on the impact of vitamin K supplementation on bone and vascular health.

The largest of these studies is a 3-year randomized, placebo-controlled vitamin K intervention trial in 452 men and women, age 60-80, who are calcium and vitamin D replete. The main analysis will determine if there are bone density gains among those receiving vitamin K supplementation. Secondary analysis will determine if there is a reduction in the progression of age-related vascular calcification among those receiving vitamin K supplementation.

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For more information about the Vitamin K Laboratory, please visit the USDA, Agricultural Research Service.

Professor's Row: K is for Kale

Special K
Yet one more reason to pile on those leafy greens

Hip Fractures and Leafy Vegetables
Vitamin K, found in the likes of spinach and kale, is crucial to maintaining good bone health

Volunteer for a research study:
Vitamin K lab absorption study