Vitamin K Deficiency Linked to Cognitive Decline
- boston — Insufficient vitamin K intake may negatively affect cognitive function as people age, according to a new study by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition...
- The research, conducted on rodents, indicates that a vitamin K deficiency can lead to increased inflammation and reduced neural cell proliferation in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial...
- Vitamin K, abundant in green leafy vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green peas, kale, and spinach, is known for its essential role in blood clotting. Emerging research suggests...
Vitamin K Deficiency Linked to Cognitive decline in New Study
Published: 2025-04-12
boston — Insufficient vitamin K intake may negatively affect cognitive function as people age, according to a new study by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University.
The research, conducted on rodents, indicates that a vitamin K deficiency can lead to increased inflammation and reduced neural cell proliferation in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory.
Vitamin K’s role in Brain Health
Vitamin K, abundant in green leafy vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green peas, kale, and spinach, is known for its essential role in blood clotting. Emerging research suggests it may also benefit cardiovascular and joint health.
Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables such as the germs of Brussels, broccoli, green peas, kale and spinach. It is already known to play an essential role in blood clotting, and research suggests that it can also have positive effects on cardiovascular health and also on joint health.
Sarah Booth, Director of HNRCA and Senior Author of the Study
Sarah Booth, director of HNRCA and professor at Tufts University’s Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, emphasized the importance of vitamin K.
Tong Zheng, principal investigator at HNRCA, added that vitamin K appears to have a protective effect on brain function, which declines during aging. “Vitamin K seems to have a protective effect. Our research is trying to understand the underlying mechanism for this effect, so that we can one day target these mechanisms specifically,” Zheng said.
Study Details: Learning and Memory Impairment
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, involved a six-month dietary intervention comparing the cognitive performance of mice on a low-vitamin K diet with those receiving a standard diet.
Researchers focused on menaquinone-4, a prevalent form of vitamin K in brain tissue. They found significantly lower levels of this nutrient in the brains of vitamin K-deficient mice, which correlated with noticeable cognitive decline as measured by behavioral tests assessing learning and memory.
In a novel object recognition test, vitamin K-deficient mice showed a reduced ability to distinguish between familiar and new objects, indicating impaired memory. In a spatial learning test, these mice took significantly longer to learn the location of a hidden platform in a water maze compared to mice with adequate vitamin K levels.
Impact on the Hippocampus
Examination of the mice’s brain tissue revealed significant changes in the hippocampus. Vitamin K-deficient mice exhibited a reduced number of proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus,leading to fewer newly generated immature neurons,a process known as neurogenesis.
“We think that neurogenesis plays an essential role in learning and memory, and its impairment could contribute directly to the cognitive decline observed in the study,” Zheng explained.
Furthermore, researchers found evidence of increased neuroinflammation in the brains of vitamin K-deficient mice.
“We have found a higher number of activated microglies, which are the main immune cells in the brain,” Zheng said. While microglia are vital for brain health, their overactivation can cause chronic inflammation, a recognized factor in age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
Focus on a Balanced Diet
booth and Zheng cautioned against rushing to take vitamin K supplements based on these findings.
“People need to eat a healthy diet,” Booth said. “They need to eat their vegetables.”
Booth noted the collaboration between the Tufts team and Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Rush conducts observational studies on health and brain cognition, while Tufts focuses on models to study specific mechanisms.
“We certainly no that a healthy diet works and that people who do not eat a healthy diet do not live so long or do not so well cognitive,” Booth said. “By choreography of animal and human studies together, we can do a better job to improve the health of the long -term brain by identifying and targeting specific mechanisms.”
The USDA Agricultural Research Service and the Robert and Margaret Patricelli family Foundation supported this study. Complete author and methodology data is available in the published article. The content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
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Vitamin K Deficiency Linked to Cognitive decline: Your Questions Answered
A new study from Tufts university suggests a link between insufficient vitamin K intake and cognitive decline as people age. This article answers common questions about vitamin K, its role in brain health, and the recent research findings.
What is Vitamin K and Why is it Vital?
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for blood clotting. It’s also believed to play a role in othre areas of health.
According to Sarah Booth,Director of HNRCA,vitamin K is already known to play an essential role in blood clotting,and research suggests that it can also have positive effects on cardiovascular health and also on joint health. the research suggests it may also benefit cardiovascular and joint health.
What Foods Contain Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is abundant in green leafy vegetables. Some examples include:
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Green peas
- Kale
- Spinach
Eating these types of vegetables is a great way to boost your vitamin K intake.
How Does Vitamin K Impact Brain Health?
Emerging research indicates that vitamin K may also benefit brain health. The recent study from Tufts University’s Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) suggests that insufficient vitamin K intake may negatively affect cognitive function as people age.
Researchers focused on menaquinone-4,a prevalent form of vitamin K in brain tissue.
What Did the Study on Vitamin K and Cognitive Decline Find?
The study, which involved rodent models, revealed that a vitamin K deficiency can lead to:
- Increased inflammation in the brain.
- Reduced neural cell proliferation in the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for learning and memory).
- Impaired memory in rodents.
The cognitive decline was evident in behavioral tests. Vitamin K-deficient mice:
- Showed a reduced ability to distinguish between familiar and new objects (impaired memory).
- Took longer to learn the location of a hidden platform in a water maze (impaired spatial learning).
What is the Hippocampus and Why is it Critically important?
The hippocampus is a region of the brain vital for learning and memory. The study found that vitamin K deficiency impacted this area.
Examination of the mice’s brain tissue revealed important changes in the hippocampus. Vitamin K-deficient mice exhibited a reduced number of proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus, leading to fewer newly generated immature neurons, a process known as neurogenesis. According to Tong Zheng,