WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study from Tufts University shows that not getting enough vitamin K, found in leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, green peas, and kale, might hurt brain health as we get older.
The research, led by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tuft, studied middle-aged mice for six months to see how a low-vitamin K diet affected brain function compared to a normal diet.
'There is also research that indicates vitamin K contributes to brain function and that brain function declines during the aging process,' said lead author Tong Zheng.
'Vitamin K seems to have a protective effect. Our research is trying to understand the underlying mechanism for that effect, so that we might one day be able to target those mechanisms specifically.'
Published in The Journal of Nutrition, the study focused on a type of vitamin K called menaquinone-4, which is found in brain tissue. Mice that didn't get enough vitamin K had much lower levels of this nutrient in their brains. These mice also showed signs of memory and learning problems in several tests.
In one test, the mice had to tell the difference between a familiar object and a new one. The mice with low vitamin K struggled to do this, showing memory issues. In another test, the mice had to find a hidden platform in a pool. The mice without enough vitamin K took much longer to learn where it was.
When the scientists looked at the mice's brains, they found changes in the hippocampus, a part of the brain important for learning and memory. The mice with vitamin K deficiency had fewer new brain cells being made, which is an important process for keeping the brain healthy.
The researchers also found signs of increased inflammation in the brains of the vitamin K-deficient mice, which could make brain problems worse.
'People need to eat a healthy diet,' senior author Sarah Booth urged. 'They need to eat their vegetables.'
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