Vitamin K2 and the calcium paradox : how a little-known vitamin could save your life

290 Pages·2012·2.56 MB·English

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Vitamin K and the
2
Calcium Paradox
How a Little-Known Vitamin
Could Save Your Life
Kate Rhe´aume-Bleue
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Copyright © 2012 by Kate Rhe´aume-Bleue
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may
be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic or
mechanical—without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request
for photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems
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Care has been taken to trace ownership of copyright material contained in this
book. The publisher will gladly receive any information that will enable them to
rectify any reference or credit line in subsequent editions.
This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author(s) and is designed
to provide useful advice in regard to the subject matter covered. The author(s)
and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, therapeutic, or other services
in this publication. This publication is not intended to provide a basis for action
in particular circumstances without consideration by a competent professional.
The author(s) and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any liability,
loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or
indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Rhéaume-Bleue, Kate
Vitamin K2 and the calcium paradox : how a little-known vitamin could save
your life / Kate Rhéaume-Bleue.
Includes index.
Issued also in electronic format.
ISBN 978-1-118-06572-3
1. Vitamin K2—Therapeutic use. 2. Calcium. 3. Health.
I. Title.
QP772.V56R54 2012 612.3'99 C2012-905317-9
ePDF: 978-1-118-08977-4; Mobi: 978-1-118-08975-0;
ePub: 978-1-118-08976-7
Production Credits
Cover design: Diana Sullada
Typesetting: Thomson Digital
Cover image: Getty Images
Printer: Solisco-Tri-Graphic Printing Ltd.
Editorial Credits
Managing Editor: Alison Maclean
Production Editor: Jeremy Hanson-Finger
John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.
6045 Freemont Blvd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J3
Printed in Canada
1 2 3 4 5 SOL TRI 16 15 14 13 12
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To Sterling, I hope by the time you are grown up,
this will all be common knowledge.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Chapter 1 – Th e Calcium Paradox 1
Why you need to read this book, whether or not
you take calcium supplements 4
Osteoporosis: Calcium defi ciency 5
Atherosclerosis: Calcium excess 8
Why vitamin D won’t save us from the Calcium Paradox 10
How vitamin K comes to the rescue 12
2
Th e calcium cycle of life 18
We all need more: Vitamin K defi ciency is widespread 19
2
Chapter 2 – Th e Undiscovery and Rediscovery of Vitamin K 23
2
A brief history of vitamin K: A tale of two nutrients 24
Th e mysterious activator X 27
Finally understanding vitamin K after 70 years:
2
What it is and isn’t 39
Vitamin K: Greens and clotting 41
1
Vitamin K defi ciency is rare and obvious 43
1
Vitamin K: Animal fat and calcium metabolism 44
2
Vitamin K defi ciency is common and invisible 45
2
Vitamin K: A new essential nutrient 47
2
Chapter 3 – How Much Vitamin K Do We Need, and 49
2
How Do We Get It?
Th e lack of vitamin K in our diet: What went wrong? 50
2
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CONTENTS
Th e grass-fed vitamin 53
Th e pastured egg hunt 56
Ghee and butter oil from grass-fed cows 61
Yet another reason to avoid trans fat 63
Two types of vitamin K 65
2
Natto, the slimy superfood 69
Recommended vitamin K intake 74
2
Vitamin K from supplements 76
2
Vitamin K: Friend or foe of blood-thinning medications? 80
2
Chapter 4 – Vitamin K: Th e Ultimate Antiaging Vitamin 85
2
Th e triage theory of aging 86
Vitamin K for heart health 89
2
Rethinking cholesterol 90
Atherosclerosis: Plaque accumulation 92
What really causes heart disease? 95
Vitamin K trumps K for heart health 96
2 1
You can reverse heart disease 97
How much is enough? 100
Even more evidence for vitamin K and heart health 100
2
Vitamin D defi ciency: Another risk factor for
cardiovascular disease 102
Vitamin K: Building better bones 102
2
Th e renovation of you 103
Calcium alone is not enough 104
Vitamin K: Th e missing link for bone health 106
2
Testing for your vitamin K levels 109
2
Vitamin K for Alzheimer’s disease 110
2
Vitamin K for wrinkle prevention 114
2
Th e way we were 115
Vitamin K for healthy veins 117
2
Aging well with vitamin K 119
2
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CONTENTS
Chapter 5 – Even More Health Benefi ts of Vitamin K 121
2
Vitamin K for diabetes 122
2
Vitamin K for arthritis 126
2
K for brain and neurologic health 127
2
Vitamin K for cancer prevention 129
2
Vitamin K for kidney disease 137
2
Vitamin K for fertility 138
2
Vitamin K for normal facial development 140
2
Vitamin K for easier labor 147
2
Vitamin K for strong bones 150
2
Vitamin K for dental health 151
2
Anatomy of a tooth 152
Chapter 6 – Measuring Your Vitamin K Levels 161
2
Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) tests 163
Bone density scanning 168
Tracking your plaque 172
Chapter 7 – Vitamins K, A and D: Better Together 181
2
A, D and K: A balancing act 182
2
Understanding vitamin A 185
Understanding vitamin D 204
Are vitamins A and D hormones? 219
What about vitamin E? 221
Chapter 8 – Toward a New Defi nition of Nutritious 225
Defi ning a healthy diet 229
A whole grain of truth 230
Calcium and magnesium 233
Endnotes 237
Index 267
vii
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