Vitamin K
The Benefits of Vitamin K for Joint Pain
If you think of your vitamin and mineral supplement at home, chance are, you know some of what goes in it. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and calcium might be some of the things that come to mind. However, if you go further down the alphabet, you might meet someone that you had not thought about – vitamin K. Vitamin K can help with many health issues, one of the more interesting ones including helping out with joint pain.
Vitamin K has already been shown to help with birth complications and bleeding disorders. It is commonly used to help those who have a problem with blood clotting or excessive bleeding from injuries. It is routinely given to newborns within hours of birth. However, researchers are now coming to believe that Vitamin K may also play a role in preventing the degenerative bone disease osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis can be a cause for joint pain. Those at risk are mainly women, though men can get it as well. They are often 50 or older and have already experienced menopause. They may be lacking in calcium or vitamin D in their diet, and be unable or unwilling to exercise. If they have a history of fractures, family history of osteoporosis, or smoke or consume caffeine or alcohol they are also at risk. Hundreds of fractures and injuries occur each year from falls by people who have osteoporosis.
Since vitamin K is a coagulant, it also thickens other fluids throughout the body. Your joints all have a cushion of fluid in them to aid motion by lubricating the joints. With time and age, the fluid level can decrease, causing friction in the joints and pain. Vitamin K can help thicken this fluid level to help decrease joint pain.
For those people who are at risk for osteoporosis and other bone-related issues, it is often easier, cheaper, and better for their systems to try a natural remedy before. Prescription drugs can become very expensive when you need to take them on a daily basis to maintain health. Prescription drugs may not be effective, and sometimes the potential side effects weigh out any potential benefits. They can be toxic to your system, affecting other organs, or they may interact with different medications that you are already taking.
Vitamin K can also help to increase bone health through aiding the proteins that support your bones. Osteocalcin is a protein that works like a glue to bond calcium into the bones, making them stronger. Vitamin K is needed in order for the body to create this protein. Vitamin K also helps proteins like osteocalcin hold onto calcium, allowing it to be moved and better utilized by the body.
Without calcium to bond with the bones, bones tend to degenerate and become brittle. This can lead to osteoporosis and fracture. When deterioration occurs at the joint, it can lead to painful arthritis and stiffening. Vitamin K can help reduce this.
Older patients with difficulties healing after fracture have shown major improvements after starting a vitamin K supplement. Other studies suggest that those with hip fractures have a lower serum level of vitamin K than their healthy counterparts.
Care should be used in taking Vitamin K however. If you are taking blood thinners because of heart or other health condition, consult with your doctor before starting a vitamin K regime. Because it acts like a coagulant, vitamin K can interfere with the normal workings of blood thinning medications.
If you are looking increase your vitamin K natural, you can try doing it with food. If you love salads, you can get a lot of vitamin K in eating green leafy foods like spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and Brussels sprouts. It can also be found in cheddar cheese, oats, and cauliflower.
In addition, if you decide that it is just easier to take a tablet, vitamin K is also available in that form. Tablets should be taken an hour after a meal is completed or in between meals for best absorption.
As with any change in your health routine, you should always consult with your doctor before making any drastic changes. He or she can inform you of any possible drug interactions from vitamin K, and whether vitamin K therapy is for you.
|