Vitamin K (VitK) exists in multiple forms, with Vitamin K1 (VitK1) and Vitamin K2 (VitK2) being the most prominent. VitK1 primarily regulates clotting factors in the liver, whereas VitK2 plays a crucial role in activating extrahepatic proteins involved in various physiological processes. VitK plays a pivotal role in various physiological functions, including vascular health, bone metabolism, neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, immune response modulation, dental health, and glucose control. Particularly, activation of the matrix Gla protein and osteocalcin through VitK2 inhibits vascular calcification (VC) and promotes bone mineralization. This review provides an overview of the physiological functions of VitK2, underscoring its role in calcium metabolism modulation and its diverse effects on health. Additionally, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the beneficial functions of VitK, and discusses the significance of adequate dietary intake and oral supplementation of VitK. Particularly, emphasizing on the need for VitK2 supplementation owing to its relatively limited availability in Western diets. VitK2 supplementation effectively counters VC, enhances bone density, and offers neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Thus, the supplementation of VitK2, alongside dietary intake, is essential for preventive healthcare, particularly in the prevention of osteoporosis and vascular diseases. Incorporating adequate VitK2 intake highlights its significance in promoting overall well-being. Illustrated summary of the role of VitK in menopausal women.

Vitamin K (VitK) exists in multiple forms, with Vitamin K1 (VitK1) and Vitamin K2 (VitK2) being the most prominent. VitK1 primarily regulates clotting factors in the liver, whereas VitK2 plays a crucial role in activating extrahepatic proteins involved in various physiological processes. VitK plays a pivotal role in various physiological functions, including vascular health, bone metabolism, neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, immune response modulation, dental health, and glucose control. Particularly, activation of the matrix Gla protein and osteocalcin through VitK2 inhibits vascular calcification (VC) and promotes bone mineralization. This review provides an overview of the physiological functions of VitK2, underscoring its role in calcium metabolism modulation and its diverse effects on health. Additionally, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the beneficial functions of VitK, and discusses the significance of adequate dietary intake and oral supplementation of VitK. Particularly, emphasizing on the need for VitK2 supplementation owing to its relatively limited availability in Western diets. VitK2 supplementation effectively counters VC, enhances bone density, and offers neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Thus, the supplementation of VitK2, alongside dietary intake, is essential for preventive healthcare, particularly in the prevention of osteoporosis and vascular diseases. Incorporating adequate VitK2 intake highlights its significance in promoting overall well-being. Illustrated summary of the role of VitK in menopausal women.

Vitamin K (VitK) exists in multiple forms, with Vitamin K1 (VitK1) and Vitamin K2 (VitK2) being the most prominent. VitK1 primarily regulates clotting factors in the liver, whereas VitK2 plays a crucial role in activating extrahepatic proteins involved in various physiological processes. VitK plays a pivotal role in various physiological functions, including vascular health, bone metabolism, neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, immune response modulation, dental health, and glucose control. Particularly, activation of the matrix Gla protein and osteocalcin through VitK2 inhibits vascular calcification (VC) and promotes bone mineralization. This review provides an overview of the physiological functions of VitK2, underscoring its role in calcium metabolism modulation and its diverse effects on health. Additionally, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the beneficial functions of VitK, and discusses the significance of adequate dietary intake and oral supplementation of VitK. Particularly, emphasizing on the need for VitK2 supplementation owing to its relatively limited availability in Western diets. VitK2 supplementation effectively counters VC, enhances bone density, and offers neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Thus, the supplementation of VitK2, alongside dietary intake, is essential for preventive healthcare, particularly in the prevention of osteoporosis and vascular diseases. Incorporating adequate VitK2 intake highlights its significance in promoting overall well-being. Illustrated summary of the role of VitK in menopausal women.

Women undergo various physical changes because of hormonal changes occurring after menopause. Some representative changes caused by the reduction in estrogen levels in these women are dyslipidemia, abnormal lipoprotein levels, obesity, weight gain, and changes in body fat distribution. A characteristic of women approaching menopause is the shift of fat from their hips and thighs to their abdomen. Notably, fat accumulation is common in internal organs, resulting in male-pattern obesity among women approaching menopause; therefore, these women require more exercise therapy than premenopausal women to prevent and treat obesity. To the best of our knowledge, no effective exercise therapy guidelines have been established for postmenopausal women; therefore, I aimed to suggest more effective diet and exercise therapies for postmenopausal women with obesity. For this purpose, I organized the diet and exercise protocol by collaborating with an obstetrician and a researcher specializing in sports medicine; further, this protocol was actually applied to all participants. The results indicated that the protocol is effective in reducing weight; however, joint pain was commonly noted in participants who dropped out of the program. Based on the evaluation of joint pain, this study found that it is necessary to perform exercise therapy by avoiding weight-bearing activities and reinforcing personalized joint strengthening exercises because reduced estrogen level is an important factor exacerbating arthritis in postmenopausal women.

The mammalian intestines harbor trillions of commensal microorganisms composed of thousands of species that are collectively called gut microbiota. Among the microbiota, bacteria are the predominant microorganism, with viruses, protozoa, and fungi (mycobiota) making up a relatively smaller population. The microbial communities play fundamental roles in the maturation and orchestration of the immune landscape in health and disease.Primarily, the gut microbiota modulates the immune system to maintain homeostasis and plays a crucial role in regulating the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of inflammatory, neuronal, and metabolic disorders. The microbiota modulates the host immune system through direct interactions with immune cells or indirect mechanisms such as producing short-chain acids and diverse metabolites. Numerous researchers have put extensive efforts into investigating the role of microbes in immune regulation, discovering novel immunomodulatory microbial species, identifying key effector molecules, and demonstrating how microbes and their key effector molecules mechanistically impact the host immune system. Consequently, recent studies suggest that several microbial species and their immunomodulatory molecules have therapeutic applicability in preclinical settings of multiple disorders. Nonetheless, it is still unclear why and how a handful of microorganisms and their key molecules affect the host immunity in diverse diseases. This review mainly discusses the role of microbes and their metabolites in T helper cell differentiation, immunomodulatory function, and their modes of action.

BACKGROUND: In the life cycle, bone mineral density (BMD) is the most optimal condition in the 20s. In Korea, vitamin D deficiency status is very serious in Korean women due to recent lack of activity, weight polarization, and inadequate nutritional intake. The purpose of this study was to compare serum vitamin D and BMD according to obesity status in Korean young adult women. METHODS: A total of 143 female college students participated in the research. Body fat and lean body status were analyzed using a body composition analyzer. Nutrient intakes of the subjects were assessed by 3-days food record method. The BMDs was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The subjects were divided into normal weight group and obesity group on their body mass index. RESULTS: Obesity group showed significantly higher weight, body fat (%), and body fat (kg) than normal weight group and T-scores of lumbar-2 spines were significantly lower. Obesity group showed high triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and vitamin D levels were significantly lower. Physical fitness and activity status showed that sit and reach and sit up were significantly lower in obesity group. The intake of carbohydrates was higher in the obesity group than in the normal weight group, and the intake of vitamin C and vitamin D was significantly lower. Factors affecting serum vitamin D were analyzed as body fat (%), lumbar-2 T-score, triglyceride, and carbohydrate intake. CONCLUSIONS: Obese women need more effort to manage their serum vitamin D status and balanced nutrition to prevent bone loss.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adipose Tissue ; Ascorbic Acid ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Bone Density ; Carbohydrates ; Cholesterol ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Cycle Stages ; Lipoproteins ; Methods ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Physical Fitness ; Spine ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins ; Young Adult

Several gut commensals have been shown to modulate host immune response. Recently, many food derived microbes have also been reported to affect the immune system. However, a mechanism to identify immunostimulatory and immunoregulatory microbes is needed. Here, we successfully established an in vitro screening system and identified an immunoregulatory bacterium, Lactobacillus pentosus KF340 (LP340), present in various fermented foods. LP340 induced a regulatory phenotype in mice Ag presenting cells which, in turn, induced IL-10 and IFN-γ producing Type 1 regulatory T cells (Tr1 cells) from naïve CD4⁺ T cells. Naïve CD4⁺ T cells co-cultured with LP340 treated dendritic cells highly expressed cytokine receptor IL-27R and were CD49b and lymphocyte-activation gene 3 double positive. Oral administration of LP340 in mice with atopic dermatitis reduced cellular infiltration in affected ear lobes and serum IgE levels, thus, ameliorating the disease symptoms. This suggests a systemic immunoregulatory effect of LP340. These findings demonstrate that LP340, a bacterium derived from food, prevents systemic inflammation through the induction of IL-10 producing Tr1 cells.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Dendritic Cells ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Ear ; Immune System ; Immunoglobulin E ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10 ; Lactobacillus ; Mass Screening ; Mice ; Phenotype ; Receptors, Cytokine ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

OBJECTIVES: Atrophic vaginitis (AV), which is common in postmenopausal women, is characterized by vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, and discomfort. There are a variety of therapeutic agents for the treatment of AV, besides hormone replacement therapy. We performed this systematic review to compare the effectiveness of various therapies for symptom improvement in AV patients. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and other literature (Google Scholar, Web of Science, and hand search) for studies published between January 2010 and March 2015. AV was evaluated by the following outcomes: vaginal pH, dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, or cytological change (endometrial thickness, percentages of superficial cells and parabasal cells). They measured treatment efficacy with various outcomes pertaining to AV symptoms. RESULTS: Meta-analysis suggested that ospemifene was effective against dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, endometrial thickness, and percentage changes in superficial and parabasal cells. Vaginal pH was most affected by soy isoflavone vaginal gel. Ospemifene was effective for AV symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review compared the effects of several therapeutic agents on symptoms of AV through a network meta-analysis. This study provides objective evidence for clinical treatment and efficacy management in AV.
Atrophic Vaginitis ; Dyspareunia ; Female ; Hand ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Postmenopause ; Treatment Outcome ; Vagina ; Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies

BACKGROUND: The importance of bone health is emphasized throughout the life cycle. Young adults have problems with bone health due to irregular lifestyle and unbalanced diet, but studies related to them are insufficient. The purpose of this study was to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of college students and to analyze the differences in BMD according to lifestyle. METHODS: BMD was measured by bone ultrasound in 161 male and female college students. The questionnaire was surveyed about lifestyle, eating habits, and nutrient intake status. RESULTS: Osteopenia was 8.8% in male and 10.8% in female. The body fat percentage of female was significantly higher than male. Male college students, smoking, fast food consumption, and overeating rate were significantly higher than female. Nutrient intake was not significantly different between male and female students. But energy and vitamin A and C levels were inadequate, and protein and sodium intake was excessive compared with the recommended nutrient intake for Koreans. BMD was significantly lowest in male who often intake fast food than male who did not intake at all or intake sometimes. Female who often intake fast food had significantly lower BMD than female who did not eat at all. CONCLUSIONS: College students have different BMDs according to lifestyle. There was a difference in BMD according to smoking and fast food consumption.
Adipose Tissue ; Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Diet ; Eating* ; Fast Foods ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Life Cycle Stages ; Life Style ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sodium ; Ultrasonography ; Vitamin A ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Even young adults are highly interested in their osteological health, yet their calcium intake does not match the level of such interest. Increase in bone loss is known to be associated with higher intake of caffeine and coffee consumption among the young Korean is rising steadily. This study was conducted to reveal the relationship between coffee consumption and serum vitamin D level in Korean young adults. METHODS: This study analyzed potential difference in lifestyle and concentration of vitamin D in blood in relation to coffee intake frequency of 2,523 subjects on the basis of data from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: According to the analysis, groups of males, with high income, frequent social activity followed by alcohol consumption and smoking, and high rate of dining out showed a high frequency of coffee consumption. Vitamin D concentration among the groups was 16.2±5.3 mL and 80.3% of them were considered to be vitamin D-deficient. All the groups appeared to have deficiencies compared to males who did not consume caffeine at all. CONCLUSIONS: The practice of having an adequate amount of coffee is needed, and more efforts should be done to improve vitamin D intake among young adults.
Alcohol Drinking ; Caffeine ; Calcium ; Coffee* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins* ; Young Adult*