It means it wouldn’t be wrong to eat more leafy greens, such as spinach and broccoli.

Leafy vegetables are full of a perhaps somewhat unknown vitamin: vitamin K. And this vitamin, like other vitamins, is very important for your body. For example, it plays an important role in proper blood clotting and maintenance of strong bones. But this vitamin may have another important function. For example, experiments with rats cautiously show that there is a link between vitamin K and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia

Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. However, there is a good chance that the disease will rise up that ladder. The number of people with dementia is expected to increase exponentially. The number of cases could even triple by 2050 (see box). And so scientists are diligently looking for solutions. However, that is not so easy. Although Alzheimer’s is a common disease, researchers still don’t understand exactly how it develops. However, some studies have shown that there is a link between a vitamin K deficiency and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. And in a new study, researchers are now building on that.

Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is called dementia. But not all people with dementia also have Alzheimer’s disease. However, of all the diseases that lead to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common (about 70 percent) followed by vascular dementia (16 percent). In the Netherlands, more than 280,000 people suffer from dementia. Moreover, the older you get, the greater the chance that you will get this disease. More than 40 percent of people over the age of 90 have dementia. And since we’ll all be getting older in the future, that means the number of people getting the disease will explode in the future. For example, researchers predict that the number of Dutch people with dementia will increase to more than half a million by 2040. This will increase further to at least 620,000 by 2050.

The researchers conducted experiments with rats. Through various tests, they assessed the cognitive functioning of three-month-old rats; the age at which they reached adulthood. One group received vitamin K for seventeen months, while the other group did not. The researchers found that the rats given supplemental vitamin K performed better on all tests: they had less cognitive impairment and had improved spatial memory and learning ability.

Vitamin K

According to the team, these findings mean that it is very likely that vitamin K protects against aging-related cognitive decline, associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. “The aging process is associated with deterioration of certain brain functions,” study researcher Mohamed El-Sherbiny told Scientias.nl† “But vitamin K seems to protect the brain against this. This is mainly due to the fact that vitamin K plays a crucial role in the brain by regulating the synthesis and metabolism of so-called ‘sphingolipids’. And they are involved in many neural processes and therefore play an important role in cognitive function.”

Leafy vegetables

They are promising results. Because it is possible that taking enough vitamin K could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. As mentioned, vitamin K is found in leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach and broccoli, but also in meat, cheese and eggs, for example. And you don’t even have to eat a lot of this. If you stick to the recommended daily amount, you’re already in the right place. The recommended amount of vitamin K varies by age, but for adults over 18 years old, 70 micrograms per day is sufficient. “So consuming adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables is enough to maintain healthy Vit K levels,” says El-Sherbiny. “If you can’t get this, there are also vitamin K supplements available in stores.”

Vital

The study shows that the food you consume has a major impact on brain health. And possibly vitamin K can help keep your brain vital. However, the team is still holding out for the time being. For example, they warn that more studies are needed to determine whether the new findings translate from rats to humans.

Further research is therefore already in the offing. However, the findings are promising. Especially because there is currently no effective treatment for Alzheimer’s. So if ways are found to slow down this debilitating disease in the least, that’s promising. “In any case, we’re showing that we should focus more on vitamin K intake in the elderly population,” said El-Sherbiny. “Vitamin K may be a promising way to address age-related disorders and maintain healthy cognitive functions in aging individuals.”