Vitamin K Reduces the Risk for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Researchers at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic¹ have found that people who have higher intakes of vitamin K have a lower risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma Cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. .  Those in the top quarter of vitamin K-1, from diet and dietary supplements, had a 45% less risk for developing this cancer of immune cells.  This is the first time such a clear link between vitamin K and cancer has been established.  Not surprisingly, the researchers didn’t bother pointing out the obvious implications of their research in terms of the negative effects of the commonly used vitamin K-blocking Coumadin – will it increase the risk for cancer?

“These results are provocative, since they are the first work we have done on the connection between vitamin K and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma Cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. , and this is a fairly strong protective effect,” says the study’s lead investigator, James Cerhan, M.D., Ph.D., a cancer epidemiologist.

The researchers calculated vitamin K intake from diet and supplements.  They were quick to point out that taking a very high dose of vitamin K from supplements did not add additional protective benefit beyond the highest level of dietary and basic supplement intake which conferred protection.  Obviously, taking a supplement with vitamin K1 would offset the all-too-common lack of vitamin K containing greens in the American diet.

While making every effort to downplay the important role of vitamin K1 dietary supplements to help reduce the risk for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, they went to the other extreme in protecting the commonly prescribed blood thinning anti-vitamin K drug known as Coumadin (warfarin Prescription medication that acts an an anticoagulant or reduces the formation of blood clots by blocking the formation of certain clotting factors.).  They warned that people taking certain oral anticoagulants or seizure medications should closely follow their physician’s dietary recommendations with respect to vitamin K intake, since vitamin K can interfere with these drugs.

I wonder why people would want to talk to their doctor.  It’s not like the doctor is going to explain to them the mechanism behind how the drug he is giving them could cause cancer.  No indeed, the doctor is going to say to keep limiting vitamin K intake and not to worry about it.  And that is why the medical profession has lost credibility with so many people.

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble antioxidant.  It works synergistically with vitamin E and glutathione to protect cell membranes from damage.  Antioxidants work in a synergistic manner, often recycling each other so that efficient defense systems can be maintained.  There are several enzymes that act on vitamin K that constantly regenerate its antioxidant function, which collectively are known by scientists as the vitamin K cycle.

Research in 1997 showed that Coumadin completely eradicated the antioxidant activity of vitamin K².  Over the years that study has been generally ignored.  Lymphocytes within your lymphatic system take incoming free radical fire from germs and have to defend themselves against highly reactive free radical generating toxins. This is a daily issue for them.  The damage of their daily battles is offset by the antioxidant system that protects their cell membranes and repairs their DNA.  It is clear that vitamin K-related antioxidant function is a key part of the defense team.  If their cell membranes and DNA are damaged beyond the capacity to repair then mutation can result along with the increased rate of cancer risk.  Theoretically this has been understood for a long time.  The new Mayo Clinic study should be sounding alarm bells in every Coumadin-prescribing doctor’s office across the country.  In our perverted world of Big Pharma health care it is unlikely the FDA will even raise an eyebrow.