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Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study

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Abstract

Summary

A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual natto intake was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was insignificant, showing the natto–bone association to be primarily mediated by vitamin K.

Introduction

Low vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, but reports have been inconsistent on its effect on BMD. Our first aim was to examine the association between BMD and intake of fermented soybeans, natto, which contain vitamin K1 (20 μg/pack) and K2 (380 μg/pack). Our second aim was to examine the association between undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K intake, and BMD to evaluate the role of vitamin K in this association.

Methods

Of the Japanese men aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, 1,662 men without diseases or medications known to affect bone metabolism were examined for associations between self-reported natto intake or serum ucOC levels with lumbar spine or hip BMD.

Results

The subjects with greater intake of natto showed significantly lower level of serum ucOC. Analysis after adjustment for confounding variables showed an association of greater intake of natto with both significantly higher BMD and lower risk of low BMD (T-score < −1 SD) at the total hip and femoral neck. This association became insignificant after further adjustment for ucOC level.

Conclusion

Habitual intake of natto was associated with a beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men, and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto, although the lack of information on dietary nutrient intake, including vitamin K1 and K2, prevented us from further examining the association.

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Acknowledgments

The Fujiwara-kyo Study Group, chaired by Norio Kurumatani with Nozomi Okamoto as a secretary general comprising Nobuko Amano, Yuki Fujita, Akihiro Harano, Kan Hazaki, Masayuki Iki, Junko Iwamoto, Akira Minematsu, Masayuki Morikawa, Keigo Saeki, Noriyuki Tanaka, Kimiko Tomioka, and Motokazu Yanagi, performed most non-skeletal measures in the present study and provided the data to the FORMEN study. The FORMEN study was supported by several grants as follows: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (no. 20659103: 2008–2009, no. 21390210: 2009–2011, no. 20590661: 2008–2010) from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (no. 20790451: 2008–2010) from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; a Grant-in-Aid for Study on Milk Nutrition (2008) from the Japan Dairy Association; a grant (2007) from the Foundation for Total Health Promotion; a St. Luke's Life Science Institute Grant-in-Aid for Epidemiological Research (2008); and a grant (2008) from the Physical Fitness Research Institute, MEIJIYASUDA Life Foundation of Health and Welfare. The authors acknowledge Eisai Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) and Sanko Junyaku Co. Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) for their cooperation in measuring ucOC in sera, Toyukai Medical Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) and Toyo Medic Inc., (Osaka, Japan) for DXA scanning, and SRL Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) for their technical assistance in laboratory measurements.

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Oono-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan

    Y. Fujita, M. Iki, J. Tamaki, K. Kouda, A. Yura & E. Kadowaki

  2. Department of Human Life, Jin-ai University, 3-1-1 Ohdecho, Echizen, Fukui, 915-8586, Japan

    Y. Sato

  3. Faculty of Human Sciences, Taisei Gakuin University, 1060-1 Hirao, Mihara-ku, Sakai, Osaka, 587-8555, Japan

    J.-S. Moon

  4. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijocho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan

    K. Tomioka, N. Okamoto & N. Kurumatani

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  1. Y. Fujita
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Correspondence to M. Iki.

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Fujita, Y., Iki, M., Tamaki, J. et al. Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study. Osteoporos Int 23, 705–714 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-011-1594-1

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