10 Studies from Experimental Biology that caught our eye Part 1: Vitamin K2 & D, berries and green tea

The annual multidisciplinary scientific meeting Experimental Biology wrapped up last week in San Diego. We scoured through the abstracts published in the FASEB journal and selected the studies that are worth a share to the dietary supplements world.

The studies here looked at specific demographic population groups: obese African-Americans, aging people, Latinos at risk for diabetes, post-menopausal women, and individuals with Metabolic Syndrome. Here are some highlights:

Vitamin K2 may improve lipid profile in obese African-American children

Researchers from the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the Georgia Prevention Institute delved deeper into the recent focus on vitamin K2 (menaquinones) as a nutrient improvement in lipid related abnormalities.

 They conducted a randomized controlled trial in obese African-American children, and found that the amount of lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides, among others) in the menaquinone supplemented group had a significant downward trend compared to the placebo group.

 “Our study provides the rationale that larger intervention trials are needed to determine whether vitamin K2 supplementation slows atherosclerosis development by increasing MGP carboxylation,” the researchers added.

Study title: Menaquinone-7 Supplementation Improves Lipid Profile in Obese African-American Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Authors: Norman K. Pollock, Joshua Nguyen, Mary Ellen Fain, Barbara A. Gower, Reda Bassali, and Catherine L. Davis