A recent study revealed the role that vitamin K plays in maintaining brain health, as the results showed that it has a positive effect in protecting cognitive functions from deterioration with age.
The study showed that obtaining sufficient amounts of this vitamin through a balanced diet contributes to supporting brain functions, especially those related to memory and the ability to learn.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Tats in the United States, published in the Journal of Nutrition, and wrote about Yurrick Alrt.
Vitamin K in your diet
It is recommended to eat vitamin K in 120 micrograms for men and 90 micrograms for women daily from its natural sources. Vitamin K is mainly found in leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, and it is also found in vegetable oils such as olive oil, soybean oil, and canola oil, and there are less quantities in meat and dairy products.
Vitamin K adequacy can be obtained through a diverse and balanced diet. For example, half a cup of spinach is sufficient to fill more than half of the daily need of vitamin K, while half a cup of boiled broccoli covers almost full daily need. A tablespoon of olive oil covers about 10% of the daily need.
Vitamin K effect on learning and memory
The researchers studied the effect of vitamin K on two groups of mice for 6 months, comparing a group that ate a poor diet with vitamin K and a group that ate a balanced diet.
The results showed a significant decrease in the levels of Minakinone-4, a form of vitamin K spread in the brain tissue, in mice that ate a poor diet with vitamin K. This deficiency was linked to a clear cognitive deterioration measured through behavioral tests for learning and memory assessment.
The mice that have suffered a vitamin K deficiency suffered a weakness in distinguishing between familiar bodies and the new bodies in testing new bodies, which indicates memory impairment. In another test to measure learning in the place of things, mice were asked to locate a hidden platform inside a water basin, and the mice that suffer from vitamin K deficiency took a much longer time to learn the task compared to other mice.
The researchers noted the decrease in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus in the brain, which plays a role in the formation of memory and learning, in addition to the presence of a greater number of active immune cells in the brains of mice infected with vitamin K deficiency, and this indicates high levels of neuritis.