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Why vitamin K should be on your radar – The Globe and Mail

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High in prebiotic carbohydrates called fructans, asparagus delivers plenty of potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals.LARRY CROWE/The Associated Press

The health benefits of consuming enough vitamins C and D, calcium and iron are well-known. These nutrients support our immune system, build and maintain strong bones and, in the case of iron, allow our cells to produce energy.

You might not give much thought, however, to vitamin K. But you should.

Growing evidence suggests this lesser-known nutrient plays an important role in healthy aging. Here’s what to know.

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Vitamin K basics

This fat-soluble vitamin occurs in two forms. Our main dietary source comes from a compound called phylloquinone, or vitamin K1. It’s plentiful in green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale, and some vegetable oils.

The other type, vitamin K2, is a family of compounds called menaquinones. You’ll find K2 in meat, dairy, eggs and fermented foods including cheese and natto (fermented soybeans).

Vitamin K’s most famous role is helping our blood clot normally. Scientists are learning, though, that the nutrient has important roles beyond blood clotting.

Vitamin K and bone health

Studies suggest that consuming too little vitamin K may harm your bones as you age. That’s because vitamin K activates important proteins in the body that build and strengthen bones.

Large observational studies have tied higher vitamin K1 intakes to a significantly lower risk of hip fracture. In one study conducted in more than 800 elderly men and women, participants whose daily diets contained the most vitamin K1 (254 mcg) compared to the least (56 mcg ) had a 65 per cent lower risk of hip fracture.

Research from Japan, where vitamin K2-rich natto is a traditional dish, found that postmenopausal women who consumed natto every day, versus not at all, had a significantly slower rate of bone loss over three years.

Vitamin K and heart health

A number of studies have tied a higher vitamin K intake and higher vitamin K blood levels to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

A recent Danish study, published in August, found that among 53,000 adults who were followed for 23 years, those who consumed the most vitamin K1 (192 mcg per day) – versus the least (57 mcg) – were 21 per cent less likely to be hospitalized for cardiovascular disease related to atherosclerosis (such as plaque build-up in the arteries). Higher intakes of vitamin K2 were also protective.

Vitamin K activates a specific protein that inhibits vascular calcification, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Vascular calcifications are calcium deposits on the walls of blood vessels that cause narrowing and reduced blood flow. Vitamin K may also reduce inflammation in the body.

How much, which foods?

The adequate intake (AI) for vitamin K, established in 2001, is based on the amount consumed by healthy people. The daily AI for vitamin K is 90 mcg for women and 120 mcg for men. It’s unknown whether this amount is optimal for bone or heart health.

The best sources of vitamin K1 are green leafy vegetables. For every one half-cup cooked, you’ll find 445 mcg in spinach, 286 mcg in Swiss chard, 386 mcg in collard greens, 246 mcg in kale and 110 mcg in broccoli.

For every one cup raw, kale delivers 472 mcg of K1, spinach has 145 mcg and romaine lettuce provides 45 mcg. If you like tabbouleh, one quarter-cup of chopped parsley contains 246 mcg. A tablespoon of olive and canola oil each provide 10 and 8 mcg of K1, respectively.

Natto is an excellent source of vitamin K2, supplying 850 mcg for every three-ounce serving. Small amounts of K2 are in cheese, eggs, liver, meat, poultry and fish.

You’ll improve absorption of vitamin K by including a source of fat in your meal such as oil, avocado, nuts or seeds.

If you take warfarin, a prescription anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots, it’s necessary to eat a consistent amount of vitamin K each day. Any big changes in vitamin K intake can interfere with warfarin’s ability to thin the blood.

Do you need to supplement?

Vitamin K is available in multivitamins, bone health supplements and single vitamin K1 or K2 supplements.

There’s limited and weak evidence that vitamin K1 or K2 supplements benefit bone health. While emerging data from small trials on supplementation and heart health is promising, at this time there isn’t strong evidence to support the need to take a separate vitamin K supplement.

To get your vitamin K, eat leafy greens every day. A multivitamin can also support your diet.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD

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RCMP warn about benzodiazepine-laced fentanyl tied to overdose in Alberta – Edmonton Journal

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Grande Prairie RCMP issued a warning Friday after it was revealed fentanyl linked to a deadly overdose was mixed with a chemical that doesn’t respond to naloxone treatment.

The drugs were initially seized on Feb. 28 after a fatal overdose, and this week, Health Canada reported back to Mounties that the fentanyl had been mixed with Bromazolam, which is a benzodiazepine.

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Mounties say this is the first recorded instance of Bromazolam in Alberta. The drug has previously been linked to nine fatal overdoses in New Brunswick in 2022.

The pills seized in Alberta were oval-shaped and stamped with “20” and “SS,” though Mounties say it can come in other forms.

Naloxone treatment, given in many cases of opioid toxicity, is not effective in reversing the effects of Bromazalam, Mounties said, and therefore, any fentanyl mixed with the benzodiazepine “would see a reduced effectiveness of naloxone, requiring the use of additional doses and may still result in a fatality.”

Photo of benzodiazepine-laced fentanyl seized earlier this year by Grande Prairie RCMP after a fatal overdose. edm

From January to November of last year, there were 1,706 opioid-related deaths in Alberta, and 57 linked to benzodiazepine, up from 1,375 and 43, respectively, in 2022.

Mounties say officers responded to about 1,100 opioid-related calls for service, last year with a third of those proving fatal. RCMP officers also used naloxone 67 times while in the field, a jump of nearly a third over the previous year.

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CFIA continues surveillance for HPAI in cattle, while sticking with original name for disease – RealAgriculture

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The Canada Food Inspection Agency will continue to refer to highly pathogenic avian influenza in cattle as HPAI in cattle, and not refer to it as bovine influenza A virus (BIAV), as suggested by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners earlier this month.

Dr. Martin Appelt, senior director for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in the interview below, says at this time Canada will stick with “HPAI in cattle” when referencing the disease that’s been confirmed in dairy cattle in multiple states in the U.S.

The CFIA’s naming policy is consistent with the agency’s U.S. counterparts’, as the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has also said it will continue referring to it as HPAI or H5N1.

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Appelt explains how the CFIA is learning from the U.S. experience to-date, and how it is working with veterinarians across Canada to stay vigilant for signs of the disease in dairy and beef cattle.

As of April 19, there has not been a confirmed case of HPAI in cattle in Canada. Appelt says it’s too soon to say if an eventual positive case will significantly restrict animal movement, as is the case with positive poultry cases.

This is a major concern for the cattle industry, as beef cattle especially move north and south across the U.S. border by the thousands. Appelt says that CFIA will address an infection in each species differently in conjunction with how the disease is spread and the threat to neighbouring farms or livestock.

Currently, provincial dairy organizations have advised producers to postpone any non-essential tours of dairy barns, as a precaution, in addition to other biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of cattle contracting HPAI.

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Toronto reports 2 more measles cases. Use our tool to check the spread in Canada – Toronto Star

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Canada has seen a concerning rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024.

By the third week of March, the country had already recorded more than three times the number of cases as all of last year. Canada had just 12 cases of measles in 2023, up from three in 2022.

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