This Underconsumed Nutrient Helps Prevent Falls & Fractures

Falls and fractures affect most of the population, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating that one in four people 65 years or older fall each year1—and falling once doubles your chances of falling a second time.

While we're aware that vitamin D3, calcium4, and protein5 all play huge roles when it comes to bone health, researchers from the United Kingdom and Australia have found that there's another underconsumed nutrient that can help bone health—and it's easier to incorporate than you might think.

The researchers concluded that adequate consumption of vitamin K helps support musculoskeletal growth, which in turn can help prevent falls and fractures.

Essentially, they determined that most humans need a daily vitamin K1 intake of a little more than 100 micrograms per day.

Invest in a great multivitamin. The easiest way to add more vitamin K to your diet is to take a multivitamin, especially since studies have found that supplementing with vitamin K8 can help prevent chronic bone conditions as you age. Check out the best multivitamins here.

Add more leafy greens to your meals. Consuming dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach, as well as cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, has been shown to effectively help you meet your recommended vitamin K intake6. So cook those veggies and add a huge salad to your lunch. You won't regret it!

Get your protein from a few meat sources. One study indicated that vegans were at a higher risk of fractures due to low protein, vitamin D, and vitamin K levels. If you don't eat meat, be sure to incorporate other forms of protein into your diet and up your vitamin K supplementation.

A recent study has determined that adding adequate amounts of vitamin K to your diet can help prevent fractures and falls, as well as aid bone health, especially among older women.