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Everyone should be eating more foods with vitamin K. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, this essential supplement can help prevent atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease. This is important for every adult, especially those with high blood pressure.
Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and regulating bone calcium levels – meaning it is important for maintaining health bones.
There are many foods high in vitamin K, particularly dark, leafy vegetables like kale, collard greens, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, and lettuce. You can also get vitamin K from meats like pork chops, beef liver and chicken.
And, all of these foods are good for you in other ways, as they are high in protein, minerals and other vitamins.
“Current dietary guidelines for the consumption of vitamin K are generally only based on the amount of vitamin K1 a person should consume to ensure that their blood can coagulate,"Dr. Nicola Bondonno, the study's senior author said.
"However, there is growing evidence that intakes of vitamin K above the current guidelines can afford further protection against the development of other diseases, such as atherosclerosis. Although more research is needed to fully understand the process, we believe that vitamin K works by protecting against the calcium build-up in the major arteries of the body leading to vascular calcification.”
