Painful leg cramps that interfere with restful sleep were reduced among people who received vitamin K2 compared with a placebo in a clinical trial.*

The trial included men and women aged 65 years and older who experienced two or more episodes of nocturnal leg cramps during a two-week screening period. A total of 199 people were randomized to receive 180 mcg of vitamin K2 in the form of menaquinone-7 or a placebo daily for eight weeks.

Among those who received vitamin K2, leg cramps were reduced from an average of 2.6 to 0.96 per week, while cramps increased in the placebo group from 2.7 to 3.63 per week.

Participants who received vitamin K2 also had a greater reduction in leg cramp severity and duration of cramping in comparison with the placebo group.

Editor’s Note: “This randomized clinical trial showed that vitamin K2 supplementation significantly reduced the frequency, intensity, and duration of nocturnal leg cramps in an older population with good safety,” the authors concluded.

* JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Dec 1;184(12): 1443-1447.

Age-Related Hearing Loss Correlated with Low NAD⁺ Levels

Low blood levels of NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) were associated with increased risk of age-related hearing loss, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine and Research found.* 

Results showed that those with age-related hearing loss had significantly lower NAD⁺ levels compared to those without age-related hearing loss.

  With each 1 µM (one micron, a measurement equal to one-thousandth of a millimeter) increase in the NAD⁺ level, the probability of developing sudden hearing loss decreased 0.9-fold. 

Editor’s note: NAD⁺ is a coenzyme that plays an important role in cellular metabolism and facilitating energy production. 

* J Clin Med Res. 2024 Dec; 16(11):519-526. 

Omega-3s May Help with Depression

A randomized-controlled trial showed a decrease in the severity of major depressive disorder among adults given omega-3 fatty acids, compared with a placebo.*

The trial enrolled 60 people with major depressive disorder. They were randomized evenly to receive 3.2 grams of EPA and DHA derived from fish oil, or a placebo daily for 12 weeks.

Blood samples collected at the beginning and end of the treatment period were analyzed for red blood cell omega-3 levels and other factors. Depression severity was rated at the beginning of the study and then every two weeks.

In the group that received omega-3s, depression severity was significantly lower at 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks compared with the placebo group.

Those who received omega-3s also had increased red blood cell EPA and DHA levels at the end of the study, compared to baseline.

Editor’s Note: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that occur in fish oil and the algae they feed on, as well as in some plant foods. Fish oil and algae contain the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are insufficiently supplied by many people’s diets.**

*Nutrients. 2024 Oct 29;16(21):3688.

**Algal Research. 2020 2020/10/01/;51:102047.

Vitamin E Intake May Reduce Osteoporosis Risk

Getting more vitamin E is associated with protection against osteoporosis, according to a recent study.*

Researchers examined data obtained from 5,800 individuals aged 50 years and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2007–2010, 2013–2014, and 2017– 2020 cycles. NHANES’ dietary interview responses were analyzed for the intake of the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E.

Based on bone mineral density measurements, approximately 9.9% of the group had osteoporosis. A declining risk of the disease occurred in association with increasing intake of vitamin E.

Each additional milligram of vitamin E intake per day was associated with 4% lower risk of osteoporosis.

People whose vitamin E intake was among the top 25% of the current study’s subjects had an adjusted 39% lower risk of osteoporosis compared with those whose intake was among the lowest 25%.

Editor’s Note: “The association between dietary vitamin E and osteoporosis was consistent across subgroups according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, education level, BMI, smoking status, prior fracture, hormone use, vitamin D supplementation, and calcium supplementation,” the researchers found.

* Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Oct 21: 15:1410581.