A new study finds that a diet rich in vitamin K may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin K can be found in foods like green leafy vegetables, certain fermented foods, and organ meats. New research finds that vitamin K may be key in keeping your heart healthy. The study, published in the Journal of the Medical Heart Association, found that people with the highest intakes of vitamin K1 were 21 per cent less likely to be hospitalised with cardiovascular disease related to atherosclerosis.
For the study, researchers evaluated whether dietary intake of vitamins K1 and K2 was linked to cardiovascular-related hospitalisations—ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, and peripheral artery disease—in Danish individuals. The main dietary sources of vitamin K1 eaten by participants were margarine, lettuce, broccoli, whole‐meal bread, and spinach. Eggs, butter, and hard cheeses were the main dietary sources of vitamin K2.
Compared with people with the lowest amount of vitamin K1, participants with the highest intake were at a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular‐related hospitalisation. For participants with the highest intake of vitamin K2, their chance of hospitalisation was 14% lower than participants on the lower end.
Snack On Rice Krispies Before Your Workouts
For a pre-workout energy boost, some TikTokers are turning to the classic Rice Krispies Treat, claiming the sweet snack helps their workouts. This classic snack is now claimed to be the best pre-exercise fuel. RDs say there’s some merit to the idea, depending on what type of exercise you’re doing. The carbohydrates in Rice Krispies Treats are the easily digestible type, meaning they can give you a quick energy boost, dietitians say.
One user, @Ko0maaa, shared about the trend on July 25 in a video that has been viewed more than 155,000 times. “Apparently rice kirpies [sic] are supposed to give you an insane pump.” In the clip he went on to set his personal record in the weighted squat exercise, squatting 365 pounds — 30 pounds more than his previous record, according to his video.
Caroline Klinger, RD, a sports dietitian in private practice in Nashville, endorsed @Ko0maaa’s claims in her TikTok video that has amassed more than 2.5 million views in just a few days. In it, she explains that carbohydrates are a main source of fuel for the body, a type of fuel the body needs and can digest very quickly before a workout.
Covid-19 Recovery Gives You Immunity
Two recent, non-peer-reviewed studies indicate that people who have recovered from Covid-19 may have a superior level of immunity when compared to vaccines alone. According to the studies, people who recovered from Covid-19 produced a higher immune response greater than vaccination alone and adding one or more vaccine doses offered even stronger protection.
Fully vaccinated people who recovered from a rare breakthrough case also showed a higher level of immunity than people who were only vaccinated. Researchers stress that vaccines alone continue to provide excellent protection against severe Covid-19 symptoms. New research from the United Kingdom found that people who have had Covid-19 and also received both doses of the vaccine had higher levels of antibodies compared to people who had only acquired the virus or had only been vaccinated.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines against the Delta variant and found that while vaccination still provides significant protection, fully vaccinated people who previously had Covid-19 are the best-protected group.
