A study has found that dietary vitamin K intake can have a neuroprotective effect.
The findings point towards the role of vitamin K in reducing the prevalence of neurofilament light chains in the brain of older adults, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
Since neurofilament light chains in the brain become more common in age, the findings highlight the potential role of vitamin K intake for healthy ageing.
The study was conducted in 1,533 participants in the US, and looked at the effect that vitamin K intake would have over one year.
As well as uncovering the effect of vitamin K intake on neurofilament light chains, researchers from the University of the Balearic Islands found that the positive impacts on brain health were more pronounced in middle-aged and older adults.
This is likely owing to the higher prevalence of neurofilament light chains in the brain of older adults.
Lead author of the study, Jing Luo, commented: “This study puts forward vitamin K as a nutritional intervention for the primary prevention and mechanism exploration of neurodegenerative diseases,”
“This finding will require further confirmation in a clinical trial in which vitamin K exposure is measured from three dimensions: dietary intake, blood and nervous system.”
