According to a study, people who have low blood levels of vitamin K are more likely to have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and wheezing as well as have impaired lung function. The study’s findings were released in ERJ Open Research.
Vegetable oils, cereal grains, and leafy green foods all contain vitamin K. It promotes blood clotting, which promotes wound healing, but little is known about its role in lung health. The latest research, according to researchers, does not change the current recommendations for vitamin K intake, but it does support further investigation to determine whether some people might benefit from taking vitamin K supplements.
Danish researchers from Copenhagen University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen conducted the study. 4,092 Copenhagen residents ranging in age from 24 to 77 were involved.
Spirometry, a procedure used to measure lung function, blood samples, and questionnaires about participants’ health and lifestyle were all required for the study. The blood tests included a test for dp-ucMGP, a marker of low levels of vitamin K in the body. Spirometry measures the total volume of air that a person can breathe in one forced breath (forced vital capacity, or FVC), as well as the amount of air they can forcefully exhale in one second (forced expiratory volume, or FEV1).
The researchers discovered that individuals with markers indicating low levels of vitamin K typically had lower FEV1 and lower FVC. People who reported having COPD, asthma, or wheezing were also more likely to have lower vitamin K levels.
Dr. Torkil Jespersen, a researcher, stated: “There has been very little research looking at vitamin K and the lungs. We already know that vitamin K has an important role in the blood, and research is starting to show that it’s also important in heart and bone health. This is the first investigation we are aware of into vitamin K and lung function in a sizable general population. Our findings imply that vitamin K may contribute to the health of our lungs.
“On their own, our findings do not alter current recommendations for vitamin K intake, but they do suggest that we need more research on whether some people, such as those with lung disease, could benefit from vitamin K supplementation.”
The InterVitaminK trial is a significant clinical study that compares vitamin K supplementation with a placebo (fake pill) to examine any effects on heart and bone health in the general population. They will now include analyses of lung function in this trial in light of their new findings.
While serving as Secretary of the European Respiratory Society assembly on Airway diseases, asthma, COPD, and chronic cough, Dr. Apostolos Bossios of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden was not involved in the study. “This study suggests that people with low blood levels of vitamin K may have less effective lungs,” he said. We will learn more about this connection through further study and determine whether increasing vitamin K can enhance lung function or not. To support our overall health in the interim, we can all work to eat a healthy, balanced diet. We can also protect our lungs by quitting smoking, getting regular exercise, and doing everything we can to reduce air pollution.
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