Older women experience an elevated risk of bone fractures, as age-related changes lead to a reduction in bone density.
 
According to a recent study from Edith Cowan University in collaboration with University of Western Australia, increasing vitamin K1 intake could help to reduce fracture risk later in life. The researchers looked at a relationship between fracture-related hospitalization and vitamin K1 intake in 1400 older Australian women over a 14.5 period from the Perth Longitudinal Study of Aging Women.
 
Women who ate 100 mcg of vitamin K1, equivalent to about 125 grams or two servings of dark leafy vegetables, were 31% less likely to have any fracture, compared to women who consumed less than 60 mcg of vitamin K1 per day, which is the current adequate intake guideline for women in Australia.
 
The gap was even wider for hip fractures. Those who ate the most vitamin K1 cut their risk of hospitalization by 49% compared to those with K1 insufficiency.
 
Lead author Dr. Marc Sim said the results further solidified vitamin K1 as a factor in fracture risk. “Basic studies of vitamin K1 have identified a critical role in the carboxylation of the vitamin K1-dependent bone proteins such as osteocalcin, which is believed to improve bone toughness. A previous ECU trial indicates dietary vitamin K1 intakes of less than 100 micrograms per day may be too low for this carboxylation. Vitamin K1 may also promote bone health by inhibiting various bone resorbing agents.”
 
Sim said that 100 micrograms of vitamin K1 daily is pretty easy to attain through diet – one or two servings of spinach, kale, broccoli, or cabbage should meet intake requirements. “It’s another reason to follow public health guidelines, which advocate higher vegetable intake including one or two serves of green leafy vegetables – which is in line with our study’s recommendations.”