Slowing Insulin Resistance

08/27/08 Prevention

The progression of insulin resistance in older non-diabetics can be slowed by regularly taking vitamin K.

Insulin resistance is a pre-cursor to diabetes. The body’s inability to utilize the insulin it produces has also been termed “pre-diabetes.” The pancreas produces more and more insulin that the body doesn’t use, creating excess glucose, which eventually leads to type 2 diabetes.

The study was done on men and women between 60 and 80 years old to determine if vitamin K would have any effect on age-related bone loss and cardiovascular calcification. The 355 participants were divided into two groups. One was given 500 μg per day of vitamin K and the others took multivitamins without vitamin K. All subjects took calcium and vitamin D. Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model (HOMA-IR) which was unchanged after six months. However, after 36 months there was a significant reduction in HOMA-IR among the men on vitamin K supplementation, but not women.

The researchers believe that because the women in the study tended to have a higher rate of obesity and adipose tissue, the vitamin K was not capable of being metabolized with the efficiency of the men. In other words, gender may not play a significant role, but rather the amount of fat on an individual. The women in the study had a significant increase in body fat percentage.

The size of the study is large enough to warrant more research, but is not significant enough to be definitive. A study focusing on individuals with low body fat may well confirm the findings and help determine whether the results are due to body composition or gender or both.

Corie Richter is a nurse and physician's assistant who started her career as a health educator. The survivor of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and partially successful quadruple bypass surgery, she did not let her health challenges hamper her. Neither the limitations of spinal surgery nor of diabetes have deterred her from a mission of service. She now encourages others through writing and speaking engagements to master their disabilities through education and a proactive attitude.