What Are All The Health Benefits Of Vitamin K2 As MK?

They recognized the synergistic effect it can have when administered with vitamin D, which supports the results of Kobayshi et al. Although the study was conducted with the use of MK-4, the IOF gave MK-7 as an alternative due to its longer half-life, which would allow for lower vitamin K2 intake but increased and prolonged serum levels. In 1996, Kameda et al. investigated the effect that both vitamin K1 and K2 had on osteoclasts.

Apparently, there is only one short-term effect of giving MK-7 to healthy individuals. Many conditions are closely related to vascular calcification, including hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease and diabetes. These diseases can increase the risk of calcification and formation of atherosclerotic plaques. A study in hemodialysis patients showed an increase in MK-7, resulting in decreased levels of non-carbylated osteocalcin and MGP, but only with adequate intake of vitamin K2.

So, as Lara explained in the video above, there are several sources of the MK-4 form of vitamin K2. But you’d have to eat ridiculous amounts of the food to get enough vitamin K2 to harvest bone and other health benefits. You still absorb vitamin MK-7 in your small intestine before it’s sent to your liver. But it won’t be used to activate blood clotting proteins (unless you’re severely deficient in vitamins K1 and MK-4).

In fact, mgP relies on vitamin K for its functions, and this protein prevents calcium from being deposited in blood vessels and other soft tissues. To support this mechanism, several observational studies have linked higher intakes of vitamin K2 to lower coronary calcification. Often confused with vitamin K1 or simply overlooked, vitamin K2 is a unique form of an essential micronutrient that plays an important role in heart health. Let’s see how much vitamin K2 you need, where to get it, and its potential benefits and side effects.

Vitamin K1, phylloquinone, helps with blood clotting and is mainly found in leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, kale and broccoli. Vitamin K2, menaquinone, is the form produced by gut bacteria and is found in natto and some fermented cheeses and animal products. Unlike its vitamin K1 counterpart, vitamin K2 is rare in the Western diet and therefore has not received much general attention. However, emerging research shows that vitamin K2 may play an essential role in preventing bone loss, improving vascular health, and reducing the risk of cancer. In fact, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies hasn’t even indicated an upper limit for vitamin K1 or K2. This is because no adverse effects of any of the forms of vitamin K in humans or animal models have been documented when consumed through food or supplements.

Since this discovery, research on the subject has blossomed, which has resulted in the collection of a large amount of information, allowing for a better understanding of the vitamin. Evidence has elucidated its vital role in the clotting pathway, with more recent research on the effect it has on extrahepatic processes in the body. In particular, vitamin K2 has been shown to have a significant effect on calcium metabolism. Vitamin K as a family plays a crucial role in blood clotting, and that’s how the nutrient got its name. The good news is that K2 is effective in the small doses you can get in your diet, so there’s no real need for supplementation when you consume K2-rich foods. Additionally, by eating fatty meats, organ meats, whole dairy, and grass-fed eggs, you get the added benefit of eating whole foods that provide synergistic nutrients D and K, along with complete proteins and healthy fats.

However, the two main forms available in supplement form are menaquinone-4 (MK-4) and menaquinone-7 (MK-7),2 Mk-4 is rare as a supplement because it has such a short viable shelf life. Therefore, your body has a limited window to make use of the nutrient and eventually has to take several doses a day to make it worthwhile. As such, if you buy a K2 supplement, chances are you’re buying menaquinone-7, so we’ll focus the rest of the discussion on MK-7. In natural vitamin k2 another study, postmenopausal women who ate more natto, a Japanese dish made from fermented soy and the richest food source of vitamin K2, experienced less bone loss over time. Of course, before taking a new supplement, it’s always a good idea to first discuss your health history with your doctor. Depending on your needs and current diet, adding a vitamin K2 supplement may be helpful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular incidents and bone fractures.


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