Known to support health and vitality, this vitamin may also stimulate brain regeneration and improve cognitive functions.
When memory falters and the mind becomes less sharp, it is often a sign that the brain is aging. Cognitive decline corresponds to a progressive decline in mental abilities: memory, concentration, speed of thinking. This process is natural, linked to age but can also become pathological in its most severe forms. It then leads to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are raising new hope from a vitamin capable of slowing and even reversing this decline. According to them, it would be possible to “restore the brain to normal by replacing neurons exhausted by disease”.
The scientists’ goal was not to preserve existing neurons, but to encourage the brain to make new ones. After discovering the benefits of a vitamin on the brain, they created twelve new forms, slightly modified to reinforce these effects at the brain level. Among them, a version called “compound 7” stood out. In the laboratory, tests showed that this compound passed the barrier between the blood and the brain and then allowed stem cells to transform into neurons more easily. She has “induces the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons” detail the researchers in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry”.
This compound could therefore help prevent or slow down certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. What vitamin was it synthesized from? Vitamin K. Already known for its roles in blood clotting and bone health, it could become valuable for the cognitive health of older people. Researchers also discovered that once in the living organism (in mice), this compound is gradually transformed into natural vitamin K. In other words, it first acts on its own in the laboratory and then slowly degrades into classic vitamin K, which continues to have beneficial effects. For the author of the study,e Dr. Yoshihisa Hirota, hope is born: “A drug derived from vitamin K, capable of slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease or alleviating its symptoms, could not only improve the quality of life of patients and their families.”
Until these results are confirmed, food is a good option for stocking up on vitamin K. It is mainly found in green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, parsley), fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, miso), certain mature cheeses such as gouda or Comté, egg yolk and liver. For older people, the ideal is to consume a little each day, varying the sources. On the other hand, those who take anticoagulant treatment (AVK type: warfarin, Coumadin®, Préviscan®) should avoid suddenly changing their diet and first talk to their doctor.
