Monday, June 21, 2010

Balance Blood Lipids with This Vitamin

Eating a diverse diet that includes 5 servings of vegetables per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

here's a lovely little nutrient that could help nudge your blood fats in the right direction. We're talking about vitamin K, the stuff found in kale and other leafy greens.
In a study of pre-middle-aged adults, those who had the highest blood levels of vitamin K had the most favorable HDL and triglyceride profiles.
The Many Roles of K
Most people fall short on vitamin K intake every day. But your body needs K for blood clotting and bone remodeling. And now a new study shows that K may play a role in balancing blood fats. In the study, the people who had the most K in their diets were less likely to fall short on HDL (healthy) cholesterol and less likely to have off-the-charts triglycerides compared with the people who got the least vitamin K. (Discover the best food sources of vitamin K.)
Group Effort
How does K work its blood-fat magic? Researchers suspect that K is involved in metabolism, blood sugar regulation, and fat storage. And that all of those influences combine to affect HDL and triglyceride levels. In the recent study, people who got the most K also exercised more, had lower BMIs and waist circumferences, ate less saturated fat, and had higher intakes of heart-healthy nutrients in general -- all of which probably contributed further to the stellar HDL and triglyceride profiles. Get more K in your diet tonight with this EatingWell recipe: Stuffed Chard with Fresh Marinara.

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