Discovery of anti-diabetic role of vitamin K

Montreal: A team of scientists recently made a great discovery regarding vitamin K against type 2 diabetes.

According to media reports, a team of scientists from the Université de Montreal and the Montreal Clinical Research Institute in Canada has presented research on the anti-diabetic role of vitamin K. This vitamin is generally known to play a role in blood clotting. When someone has a deep wound, vitamin K helps the blood to clot and stop it from flowing.

However, new research suggests that the benefits of vitamin K extend far beyond blood clotting. Although past research has suggested that vitamin K deficiency may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes, the link between vitamin K and its anti-diabetic role has not been clear until now.

Recent findings have come from research on the pancreas. The pancreas contains cells called beta cells that produce insulin. The team found that these cells are responsible for a specific chemical reaction involving vitamin K.

The researchers identified a new protein inside these cells, the beta cells, which they named ERGP. This protein depends on vitamin K to function properly. The function of ERGP is to produce adequate amounts of insulin and vitamin E is essential for ERGP. Vitamin K is what allows the ERGP to produce insulin efficiently.