Consuming nutritional supplements that contain vitamin K could help non-diabetic people slow down the development of insulin resistance, a new study suggests.

Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes that occurs when the body becomes unable to process insulin, resulting in high levels of glucose in the blood.

Researchers at Tufts University say that vitamin K nutritional supplements may be one of the health resources that people can use to slow this process.

As part of the study, a group of men and women aged 60 to 80 were given 500 micrograms of vitamin K, calcium and vitamin D supplements. Their results were compared with a control group, which did not receive vitamin K.

At the end of the study, men in the first group were found to have improved insulin resistance, as well as lower levels of blood insulin, compared with the control group.

The women, however, did not achieve the same effect. The scientists suggested this could be due to the fact that more female participants were obese or overweight, which may have interfered with the absorption of the vitamin.

Vitamin K also plays a significant role in blood clotting and also contributes to bone health.