In the search to find better ways to prevent and treat cancer, a number of nutrients have been studied for their effect on cancer, including vitamin K. Although more studies are needed, it appears vitamin K may affect your risk for developing certain cancers, but not others, and the type of vitamin K may also make a difference in whether it affects cancer risk.
Vitamin K Basics
Vitamin K is essential for normal blood clotting. It also has a role in bone mineralization and cell growth. The type of vitamin K you get through consuming vegetables like kale and broccoli is known as K1 and the type of vitamin K that is synthesized by bacteria in your gut is known as K2. You can also get this type of vitamin K in small amounts from consuming certain types of meat and cheese. A third type of vitamin K, which is a synthetic version, is called vitamin K3.
Vitamin K and Cancer
Vitamin K2, but not vitamin K1, may lower your risk for developing lung or prostate cancer, but does not seem to affect your risk for colon or breast cancer, according to a study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2010. Vitamin K does not decrease the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. However, it may lower the risk of liver cancer in women with cirrhosis, and one type of vitamin K2 may reduce the risk of liver cancer recurring after surgery, according to the American Cancer Society.
Considerations
Although a possible association was suggested between the vitamin K injections given to newborns and the risk of childhood leukemia, later studies showed no increased risk for leukemia due to vitamin K injections, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends continuing to give these injections, since they can prevent a life-threatening vitamin K deficiency.
Safety
The synthetic version of vitamin K, known as vitamin K3, or menadione, can have toxic effects and is not used to treat deficiencies in vitamin K any more, although it is being studied for its possible beneficial effect in treating cancer. It may improve the effectiveness of certain chemotherapy drugs, but so far, this has only been tested in animal studies.
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