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Are you getting enough K?
15 Apr 2005
Vitamin K is to other vitamins what Pete Best is to the Beatles.
It's the rarely talked about member… the forgotten one… whose role
wasn't so certain.
But a few of you have been asking after vitamin K recently.
So I'm only too happy to give you the low-down…
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Clot your blood, grow your bones, and even make a baby!
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Apparently, only a handful of researchers study vitamin K worldwide.
One of the few places is the Vitamin K laboratory at Tufts University
in Boston.
Researcher, Sarah Booth believes that the amount of vitamin K consumed by Americans might not be nearly enough. There's no reason to believe that the situation isn't the same in the UK.
This is a problem, because vitamin K helps the liver manufacture the
proteins your body needs to controls blood clotting. It also helps your
bones grow and repair properly.
This is why some studies show that vitamin K is an important factor in
preventing osteoporosis and also helpful for the absorption of calcium.
Traditionally, vitamin K levels are measured by the amount of time if
takes for blood to coagulate. But Mrs Booth and her team at Tufts
University looked for more sensitive indicators.
They looked at the bone-building protein called osteocalcin, which
should be saturated with 'carboxyl groups' - if vitamin K is doing its
job.
Yes, I'm doing the science bit again. But it's important, especially
for elderly people, because there is some evidence that hip fractures
may be associated with a lower saturation of osteocalcin.
Vitamin K also plays a key role in development of the foetus, which is
why it's a good idea to up your vitamin K intake in the first three or
four months of pregnancy.
After that, lay off it a little, as it can be toxic to your baby in
high doses.
The natural way to up your dose of vitamin K from leafy vegetables -
especially broccoli, cabbage and spinach - as well as cheese, liver,
asparagus, coffee, and bacon.
Be aware that some foods known as 'salicylates', which block your
vitamin k intake, such as nuts, fruits, spices and mint.
Aspirin is also a salicylate. It blocks vitamin k so that your blood
doesn't coagulate so easily, therefore thinning the blood.
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Another great source of vitamin k is green tea. Which I've recommended
before, causing a few of you to write in with a complaint…
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How to drink green tea
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I few of you have found that green tea tastes too bitter.
“Tut tut, Ray,” I thought, “there you go recommending that everyone
drinks the stuff, without explaining the art of making it!
Because green tea such a strange, delicate flavour, you have to
approach it with slightly more care than with normal tea… otherwise,
yes, it can become bitter.
But don't worry, it's hardly rocket science.
- Boil the water in a kettle. (Okay, okay. I know I'm stating the
obvious… but you never know!)
- Don't add the water to the tea right away. Leave it to stand for 3
minutes first.
- Now add one tea bag to the cup and pour on the water.
- Leave the teabag in the cup for 2 minutes.
- Let the tea cool another 3 minutes.
If you still find the tea bitter for your taste, leave longer cooling times. Experiment a little - it's worth it in the end.
On the subject of emails, I got a few interesting replies about my
niggling neck injury.
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Could nettles help my neck?
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“My family have a long history of sporting injuries,” wrote Goodlifer,
Mike C in his email, “and the ladies have a tendency toward arthritis.”
His family have a very interesting method of easing their pain naturally.
They boil some nettle leaves up, strain the resultant stew to separate
the solids from the liquid. They then add the liquid to some bath
water. The solid is used as a compress, pressed onto the painful area.
Another subscriber, Jim T, wrote to suggest Glucosamine Suplate? He
says that 2000 mg per day improves his joints immensely.
Thanks for all your emails. It's nice to know you're out there.
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As I say, I can't promise a direct response, but I will do my best to
include your queries, tips and ideas in my letters. So keep them
coming.
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Live the good life, like a true Mediterranean
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And finally today, I want to tell you about the results of a recent
study that agrees with a large part of my philosophy on health.
A study, led by University of Athens Medical School and published in
the British Medical Journal has found that the Mediterranean diet is
very good for you.
The diet includes:
- A moderate to high intake of fish (of course!)
- Lots of vegetables and fruits
- Low amounts of saturated fats
- Plenty of unsaturated fats, such as olive oil
- Low intake of dairy products and meat (not so sure about the meat
reduction, but I'll let it pass)
- And a modest intake of alcohol, mostly wine (as I love to remind my
wife!)
The researchers found that overall a higher dietary score was linked to
a lower overall death rate.
So not just a long life then, but a good life, with friends, lavish
meals, plenty of fish and wine!
Salud!
Yours,
Ray Collins
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