Food provides essential compounds for a healthy brain to function optimally. (Shutterstock)
Only in recent years have researchers begun to study the effects of vitamin K on brain health. These studies have found that vitamin K plays an important role in brain chemistry, that vitamin K is found in high concentrations in the brain and is linked to both cognitive ability and brain health.
The first is chemical action. Vitamin K has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and is related to sphingolipids (fats that help brain cells grow and survive).
The second is brain performance. Changes in this area have been confirmed to occur in small mammals that cannot eat vitamin K, but only when the vitamin K supply is cut off for a long time. In one study, rats showed learning problems in a maze after being deficient in vitamin K for about twenty months, nearly half the four-year lifespan of an average laboratory rat.
At six and 12 months of age, the vitamin K-deficient rats did not show any learning problems. What about humans? In 2019, a group of Italian scientists investigated the relationship between the adult brain and vitamin K through 11 studies. Seven of the studies—on subjects over 60 years old—found that a lack of vitamin K was related to mental performance (such as language). There was an association between memory) and cognitive decline, but not for those under 60 years old.
An earlier review article provided evidence that vitamin K may slow the onset of cognitive impairment. It is important to emphasize that these studies do not show causation, only correlations. Still, there is evidence that getting enough vitamin K from your diet throughout your life is important for brain health.
Of the two main types of vitamin K, one is found naturally in green leafy vegetables such as spinach; the other is made in the colon by intestinal bacteria (microflora). The physiological contribution of colonic production of vitamin K remains uncertain; therefore, dietary recommendations for vitamin K are based on “adequate intake” rather than the recommended daily nutrient intake. Most authoritative organizations recommend a daily intake of vitamin K of one microgram per kilogram of body weight, which is still confusing. Generally speaking, adult women should consume 55 micrograms of vitamin K per day, and adult men should consume 65 micrograms per day.
The main sources of vitamin K in the Western diet are green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli, lettuce) and soybeans; the unboxing report 5.4 tells us the amount of vitamin K we can get from the standard portion of each food.
Foods rich in vitamin K
100g standard portion of food
Contained in micrograms (mcg)
daily advice
% of intake
Raw spinach, 1 cup (240ml) 145 121 Raw kale, 1 cup (240ml) 113 94 Cooked broccoli, ½ cup (120ml) 110 92 Roasted beans, ½ cup (120ml) 43 3 Head lettuce, 1 cup (240ml) 14 12
Source: USDA Food Composition Database.(Exclusive article on the website, no reproduction allowed)
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<本文摘自《大腦充電：科學證實，逆轉大腦退化的健康生活對策》，好優文化提供>
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Editor in charge: Wang Xiaoming
2024-02-04 01:54:46
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