Low
phylloquinone (
vitamin K1) intakes have been associated with
low bone mineral density in older adults.
Phylloquinone intakes and serum undercarboxylated
osteocalcin (ucOC) levels were assessed in ninety-seven apparently healthy, free-living Irish women aged 50-75 years.
Phylloquinone intakes were estimated using a detailed dietary history, which measured habitual food intakes from a typical 14 d period, and recently published food composition data for
phylloquinone. Fasting serum ucOC was measured using an
enzyme immunoassay. The median daily intake of
phylloquinone in the group from all sources was 108.8 microg and from food sources only was 106.6 microg, indicating that approximately 99 % of the
phylloquinone came from food. Vegetables and vegetable dishes contributed 67 % of the total
phylloquinone intake, but further analysis showed that broccoli, cabbage and lettuce were the primary sources, making a total contribution of 44 %. Twenty per cent of the women had a
phylloquinone intake below the UK recommendation of 1 microg/kg
body weight per day and 34 % failed to meet the US Adequate Intake value of 90 microg/day. Mean serum ucOC levels in the women were 6.2 (SD 1.7) ng/ml and were predicted by
phylloquinone intake (beta -2.20, generated from log-transformed
phylloquinone intake data; P=0.04). On the basis of comparisons with both UK recommendations and US Adequate Intakes for
phylloquinone, the habitual intakes of
phylloquinone in a high proportion of Irish postmenopausal women may not be adequate.