Of course, Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils and cereal grains. It plays a big role in several processes, but researchers know very little about its role in lung health. According to a recent study, people with low levels of vitamin K in their blood are more likely to have poor lung function and to say they suffer with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and wheezing.
Researchers say their new findings do not alter the current advice on vitamin K intake, but they do support further research to see if some people could benefit from taking vitamin K supplements. The study was by team of Danish researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital and the University of Copenhagen.
Study participants took part in lung function testing, called spirometry, gave blood samples and answered questionnaires on their health and lifestyle. The blood tests included a marker of low levels of vitamin K in the body called dp-ucMGP. Spirometry measures the amount of air a person can breathe out in one second (forced expiratory volume or FEV1) and the total volume of air they can breathe in one forced breath (forced vital capacity or FVC).
The researchers found that people with markers of low levels of vitamin K had lower FEV1 and lower FVC on average. People with lower levels of vitamin K were also more likely to say they had COPD, asthma or wheezing.
