A clinical trial has shown that the frequency, intensity, and duration of nighttime leg cramps can be significantly reduced simply by supplementing with a specific vitamin.
Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the research team from Chengdu No. 3 People’s Hospital (China) reported conducting a trial involving nearly 200 individuals aged 65 and older, the age group most affected by nighttime leg cramps.
The volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups, with one half receiving vitamin K2 supplements at a dosage of 180 mcg, while the other half received a placebo for comparison.
Vitamin K2 is found in various food sources – (Illustration AI: ANH THƯ).
The trial lasted for two weeks, during which the volunteers were asked to report the number of times they experienced cramps each week. Additionally, the duration of the cramps and their severity on a scale from 1 to 10 were measured. Both groups had similar frequency, intensity, and duration of nighttime leg cramps before the study commenced.
After just two weeks of the study, the vitamin K2 group experienced an average of only 0.96 cramps per week, while the placebo group averaged 3.63 cramps per week.
The average severity of cramps in the vitamin K group also decreased by 2.55 points compared to the initial measurements, while the placebo group showed no significant changes.
Moreover, the vitamin K2 group experienced a reduction of approximately 0.9 minutes in the duration of each cramp.
Consequently, the authors concluded that vitamin K2 may be a safe and effective supplement to combat cramps, especially in older adults.
According to statistics, between 50% to 60% of adults suffer from nighttime leg cramps, with this rate being even higher among the elderly.
Of these, 20% experience significant pain and insomnia, leading them to seek medical intervention.
You can obtain vitamin K2 through supplements or more simply through everyday foods.
There are no specific guidelines for the recommended daily amount of vitamin K2, but experts suggest that around 10-45 mcg of vitamin K2 is sufficient for individuals in good health.
According to WebMD, the richest source of vitamin K2 is natto (fermented soybeans) from Japan, which contains 150 mcg of vitamin K2 in just one tablespoon.
This vitamin is also found in several animal sources, with the highest amounts in eel, followed by lean chicken meat, such as chicken breast. Beef and pork contain negligible amounts of this vitamin.
Additionally, egg yolks are also rich in vitamin K2. Other fermented foods, including cheese, yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut, also have high levels of vitamin K2.
