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In 1929, a Danish researcher discovered the key to stanching blood flow, aptly naming it vitamin K, for "koagulation." By the end of the century, K's role in blood clotting remained its only claim to fame. Now, scientists are discovering the nutrient's possible participation in bone strength, heart health, control of inflammation and prevention of diabetes.
"There are plenty of potential roles for vitamin K on the horizon that were unthinkable 10 or 20 years ago," says John Suttie, Ph.D., a vitamin K researcher retired from the University of Wisconsin.
