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The stark increase in dementia cases in recent years has many concerned about developing the condition, which already affects over 55 million people worldwide, according to Alzheimer's Disease International. To make matters worse, that number is expected to double over the next two decades and reach 139 million cases by 2050. With that in mind, we are all looking for ways to decrease our risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease—the most common form of the condition. You may be happy to learn that a new study yielded promising results when it came to evaluating one vitamin's potential to improve cognitive abilities. And it's one you might already be consuming. Read on to find out which vitamin you'll want to be sure you're getting enough of to stave off cognitive decline.

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Findings from a new study presented at the Experimental Biologymeeting earlier this month suggest that vitamin K has the potential to improve cognitive abilities in aging brains. As reported by Medical News Today, researchers from AlMaarefa University in Saudi Arabia evaluated the protective effect of vitamin K by comparing two groups of older rats (which are often used in scientific research due to their genetic similarities to humans).ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

Vitamin K includes the compounds vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. In the study, one group of rats received a vitamin K2 supplement, menaquinone-7 (MK-7), while the second group did not. When undergoing cognitive functioning tests over the course of 17 months—including a maze, a swim test, and a "sociability test"—the rats that received vitamin K showed reduced levels of cognitive impairment, depression, and anxiety. In addition, investigators observed improvements in spatial memory and learning ability as a result of vitamin K supplementation.

Wondering how you can reap the benefits of vitamin K? Eating one to two servings of leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and lettuce should get the job done for vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 is less common in Western diets, according to a 2021 study of the vitamin's effect on Alzheimer's disease, as it is mostly found in fermented foods, pickled vegetables, and some cheeses. Meats, fish, and egg yolks also have menaquinone-4 (MK-4), a form of vitamin K2 that is converted from vitamin K1.

You can also substitute these natural sources with supplements, senior author of the latest study Mohamed El-Sherbiny, PhD, professor of anatomy at AlMaarefa University, told Medical News Today. However, other studies differ on the protective benefit of these supplements, which don't allow vitamin K to be absorbed as well in the body, the Alzheimer's Organization states.

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Previous studies have shown the benefits of vitamin K and its ability to slow cognitive decline in the aging brain, including a 2018 study of 960 older adults published in Neurology. When individuals ate one to two servings of mustard greens, spinach, collards, or kale every day, they had the same cognitive abilities as those who were 11 years younger.

Curious how this works? Science shows that vitamin K reduces nerve cell death "by protecting nerves from harmful substances in the brain," the Alzheimer's Organization says. Beyond that, the gene connected to the development of Alzheimer's disease also contributes to a "lower metabolic production of vitamin K in the individual," the organization said, and vitamin K2 may have the potential to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease or contribute to prevention, the 2021 study found.

El-Sherbiny also commented on these protective effects, telling Medical News Today, "The aging process is associated with deterioration of brain functions. Vitamin K is a natural fat-soluble vitamin [that] protects the brain from the development of Alzheimer's."

Habang ang pag-aaral na ito ay hindi isinasagawa sa mga tao, naniniwala ang mga mananaliksik na ang mga resulta ay nagpapakita ng pangako. Ang mga natuklasan ay nagpapahiram ng higit na suporta sa bitamina K hypothesis, at ayon sa el-sherbiny, ang mga antas ng bitamina K ay dapat na subaybayan sa mas matatanda sa panganib para sa pagbuo ng demensya, Alzheimer's disease, at iba pang neurodegenerative disease na may edad na.

Ang bitamina K ay hindi maaaring ihinto ang pag-unlad ng Alzheimer's disease o demensya, sabi ng organisasyon ng Alzheimer, ngunit baka gusto mong gumawa ng ilang mga pagbabago sa pandiyeta upang itaguyod ang kalusugan ng utak.Jennifer Bramen., PhD, isang senior research neuroscientist sa Pacific Neuroscience Institute sa Providence Saint John's Health Center sa Santa Monica, California, na tinatawag na pansin sa pangangailangan para sa higit pang pananaliksik sa paksa. Gayunpaman, ang pagdaragdag ng mas malusog na pagkain sa iyong pang-araw-araw na pagkain ay hindi isang masamang ideya. Ang mga fermented gulay tulad ng Sauerkraut ay maaaring magbigay sa iyo na dosis ng MK-7, pati na rin ang iba pang mga kilalang benepisyo sa kalusugan, sinabi ni Bramen sa medikal na balita ngayon.

Ang mga pagkain na fermented "ay mahusay para sa iyong gut microbiome, na may mahusay na itinatag na link sa cognitive decline," sabi ni Bramen. "Gusto ko inirerekumenda na isama ang mga ito sa isang diyeta na dinisenyo upang itaguyod ang kalusugan ng utak at katalusan."

Kaugnay:Ang pagkain ng popular na pagkain ay maaaring humantong sa demensya, sabi ng pag-aaral.