Vitamin K2 reduces nighttime leg cramps by 50% in a large clinical study

If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with sudden painful cramps in your thighs, calves, or feet, you know how horrible the experience is—and unfortunately, the frequency of these nocturnal disturbances increases with age.

About 40% of people over 50 experience night cramps – known by many names such as sleep cramps or nocturnal leg cramps (NLCs) – where the muscles in the lower limbs contract painfully and can take several minutes to subside. However, only a minority of patients report this to their doctor.

Now, researchers from the Third People’s Hospital in China and several medical colleges have found a promising means of preventing these waking nightmares, and a clinical trial involving 199 people found that vitamin K2 significantly reduced the episodes, pain experienced, and duration of cramps. decreased.

“This study was based on our previous research, which showed the efficacy of vitamin K2 in relieving hemodialysis-related muscle cramps,” the researchers noted. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the use of vitamin K2 specifically for the treatment of NLCs.”

Until now, lifestyle interventions – exercise, hydration – have been an imperfect way to reduce the risk of frequent NLCs, which become more common as we age and are often independent of underlying diseases or conditions. Although magnesium supplements have shown some effectiveness in relieving cramps in pregnant women, it did not help NLCs in general.

Although a less active lifestyle and poor diet and lifestyle play a role in the condition, it is generally not well understood or treated.

“Quinine has been shown to be effective in treating NLCs, but is not recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to serious side effects,” the researchers noted in a preliminary study. study protocol paper from last year. “Magnesium supplements are often used as a preventive treatment for NLCs, but their effectiveness is controversial.”

Controversial because studies have not shown clinically significant results for older adults experiencing NLCs.

In this eight-week study, 199 participants aged 65 years or older with at least two NLCs in two weeks were recruited for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to test whether vitamin K2 could be a better intervention.

Splitting the group in half, 103 participants were randomly assigned to take a daily dose of 180 µg of K2, while the remaining 96 people received the placebo. A total of 54% were women and the average age was 72 years.

So why this specific isoform of vitamin K? K2, a group of menaquinones synthesized by bacteria in the intestines, is bioavailable in dairy products such as full-fat cheeses, fermented foods such as sauerkraut and other animal products (unlike K1, a phylloquinone, found in leafy greens and certain vegetable oils). Vitamin K is generally important in blood clotting, as well as general blood and bone health.

Although K2 has shown potential in helping reduce the risk and morbidity of certain cancersLittle research has been done on it and its broad health benefits are not well understood.

During the clinical trial, patients were assessed weekly for the occurrence and severity of NLCs, and both cohorts had similar baseline event rates, with 2.60 in the K2 group and 2.71 in the control group. At the end of the eight-week experiment, weekly scores were analyzed to see if there was any sustained benefit from the K2 treatment.

What the team found was that the participants who used K2 showed a statistically significant reduction in NLCs over the eight weeks, with an average of 1.41. The control group, meanwhile, had a mean of 3.63 with a much wider range in number of events than the K2 group.

“The difference in cramp frequency during the intervention phase between the vitamin K2 and placebo groups was statistically significant,” the researchers noted. “The difference between the groups became significant since the first week of the intervention.”

The K2 group also had a greater reduction in pain and episode duration than the placebo cohort, and no negative side effects were experienced by those taking the supplement.

“Our results showed that daily vitamin K2 supplementation alleviates muscle cramps in older individuals affected by NLCs, manifested by reduced frequency, shorter duration, and attenuated intensity,” the researchers added.

They also noted limitations of the study, such as not assessing overall quality of life and sleep, and many participants experienced mild NLCs. Future studies should take this into account to confirm the effectiveness of vitamin K2 as a treatment for the condition.

Although K2 supplements, when taken within the dosage range, are considered low risk when it comes to side effects, some people have initially reported mild digestive problems, such as bloating or gas, or headaches.

The team cautions that everyone should consult a medical professional before taking any new supplements, as K2 can pose problems for people taking other medications, including anticoagulation treatments.

The research was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Source: Chengdu’s Third People’s Hospital via Scimex