Avoid Diabetes with This Vitamin
Skip the iceberg lettuce and go for the dark leafy greens on your next trip to the salad bar.
Turns out the vitamin K in greens like kale and spinach may reduce your chances of developing insulin resistance -- a major risk factor for diabetes.
Keep Insulin on the Job
In a study, people who took vitamin K supplements for 36 months had lower blood levels of insulin and experienced improved insulin resistance compared with an unsupplemented control group. Contrary to other studies, only the men benefited from K -- possibly because more of the women were overweight or obese. These conditions contribute significantly to insulin resistance and diminish the body's response to vitamin K.
All About Inflammation
How does vitamin K boost insulin function? The researchers aren't quite sure, but they suspect it helps quench inflammation, for one. And although more research is needed to confirm the study's findings, you can't go wrong eating dark leafy greens and other vitamin K-packed foods, since they boost your health in numerous other ways (like these). But if you are on a blood thinner, such as warfarin, talk to your doctor before increasing your vitamin K intake.
Try these yummy K-packed recipes from EatingWell:
- Indian-Spiced Kale & Chickpeas
- Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale & Rice
- Spinach, Avocado & Mango Salad
Here's another way to guard against insulin resistance -- and lose weight in the process!
