Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Research: Vitamin K & Vitamin C

Well, my toddler has decided to sleep in and grant me a few minutes more blogging time, so I'm going to add another post. This one is especially intriguing just because of (1) its simplicity, and (2) the success rate it seems to have. It is simply the combination of Vitamin K and Vitamin C! I've run into this repeatedly, so I'm DEFINITELY going to try this one when the time is right.

"Vitamin K alleviates Morning Sickness: In one study 5 mg Vitamin K1 per day combined with 25 mg Vitamin C per day alleviated Morning Sickness in 91% of subjects after three days of usage." - Sprouts handout on Vitamin K

"For morning sickness, I recommend 100 to 200 milligrams of B-6 and 10 milligrams of vitamin K a day. Occasionally, more than 200 milligrams is necessary, but this amount should be taken under a physician's supervision. I also give patients an initial injection of vitamin K, which works in a day or two. Taken orally, the Vitamin K takes somewhat longer to produce results - about ten days."
- Superimmunity for Kids by Leo Gallard & Dian Dincin Buchman, p. 47

"Vitamin C and K: Both these vitamins used in combination have been shown to reduce nausea in 72 hours; used separately they showed little effect. Vitamin C - 250 mg 2-3 times a day combined with Vitamin K: 5 mg/day. Can purchase liquid Vitamin K-1 from our office if desired." - online (forgot to record url)

I have started investigating this option and have run into the problem that vitamin K is generally sold in 100 mcg doses, meaning that to get 5 mg, one would have to take 50 pills! So we're going to go check out a GNC or vitamin shop to see what they have. If liquid vitamin K is available I'll probably try that, as it seems that it might be more bioavailable.

Don't forget that vitamin K comes in three forms, and most references for this remedy refer to K-1. Don't quote me on that, but it's something to watch for.

* Later note: I just read something that says that K1 is the natural form found in plants, K2 is the form made by your body, and K3 is a synthetic form that's not really that great for you. So K1 (and maybe K2) are the ones that you want, and K1 is what you want specifically for this remedy.

1 comment:

  1. Hiya. I'm an HG sufferer on her second HG pregnancy. This one has been more intense than the first. I'm 9 weeks and have already lost 13 pounds. But, my doc prescribed Zofran early enough that I haven't had any rehydration trips to the ER. The only problem is, the Zofran only quells the vomiting, not the nausea for me. So, while I haven't lost any more weight in the past week, the nausea is still relentless. And, I've found, nausea *without* vomitting presents its own horrors.

    Let me share what I've tried.

    Vitamin B-6 50mg plus 25mg unisom three times a day - did it for two weeks - those were the two weeks I lost 13 pounds. Not saying it caused it, but definitely didn't help.

    Acupuncture. I've gone once a week for two weeks, and I can honestly say I feel significant improvement in the severity (NOT the duration - it's still constant) of the nausea. Going back for another round on Monday. I'll keep you posted.

    Read your blog about vitamin K a week ago. I'm lucky enough to work for a major university and was able to get the original article. The study dose was vitamin K (5mg) and vitamin C (25mg) once a day. The problem is, they used vitamin K-3, which can be toxic at this dose. Also, I have read that high doses of vitamin K (any form) in the last trimester of pregnancy has been linked to increased incidence of jaundice in the newborn. All that said, I found only one place online that sold vitamin K-1 in 10 mg capsules. I have been taking 10 mg vitamin K and 100 mg vitamin C for the last two days. I'll let you know if it touches the nausea in the next few days.

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