Health tip

Avoid Diabetes with This Vitamin

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 benefitted 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. Get the nitty-gritty on how body fat -- especially around your belly -- can lead to insulin resistance.

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.