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Nutritionist and dietician
Cheese with a high fat content, eggs and beef liver are probably not the first foods you think of when it comes to a heart-healthy diet. However, in recent years, researchers have been looking intensively at which nutrients are particularly important for the health of the cardiovascular system. In the process, they have discovered vitamin K2, which is contained in precisely these foods.
While vitamin K1 plays an important role in the prevention of blood clots and bleeding disorders, vitamin K2 performs completely different tasks in the human body.
Unfortunately, many people do not get enough vitamin K2 from their diet.
We always talk about vitamin K1 and K2, but there are actually a whole range of different compounds that fall into this category.
Unlike other vitamins, vitamin K2 was only discovered a few years ago.
Vitamin K2 performs numerous tasks in the body. The most important of these is its involvement in calcium metabolism. Vitamin K2 prevents the calcification of arteries, which can otherwise cause heart disease.
If we could only use vitamin K2 for one thing, it would be to prevent calcium deposits in the body, especially in soft tissue. Too little K2 intake can promote deposits in the arteries as well as tartar and contribute to hardening of tissues, which can lead to arthritis symptoms, bursitis, reduced mobility, stiffness and pain.
Some study results published in the "Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism" also suggest that K2 has anti-inflammatory properties and can protect against cancer to a certain extent.
Vitamin K2 is a group of menaquinone compounds abbreviated as "MK". MK7 is therefore a specific type of menaquinone that is responsible for many of the benefits attributed to vitamin K2. MK4 has often been the subject of various K2 studies. However, MK7 and MK8 also have unique properties.
MK4:
Vitamin K2 MK-4 from food supplements is a natural, plant-based product. MK-4 is found in animal foods such as offal, dairy products and egg yolk.
MK-4 is the only form of vitamin K2 that is active in the brain and appears to be concentrated there. MK-4 activates proteins that are involved in maintaining the structure of brain cell membranes. These proteins are also called vitamin K-dependent proteins. MK-4 also contributes to a healthy response to inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain. This form is also stored in the pancreas, salivary glands and arteries. Stored MK-4 cannot be measured. MK-4 takes over certain biological activities in the tissues (in addition to the formation of GLA proteins).
However, unlike vitamin K2 MK-7, vitamin K2 MK-4 only has a short half-life (just a few hours). This means that a supplement must be taken regularly every few hours. In addition, quite high doses are required, which must be ingested. However, these high doses of vitamins are classified and prescribed as medication and are therefore not offered as food supplements.
The greatest benefits of vitamin K2:
The most important role of vitamin K2 is to control where calcium accumulates in the body. Vitamin K2 supports our skeleton, heart, teeth and nervous system by helping to regulate the use of calcium, particularly in the bones, arteries and teeth.
Doctors often experience something called the "calcium paradox" in their patients. Taking calcium supplements can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, but at the same time increase the risk of heart disease.
Why can this happen? Due to a lack of vitamin K2!
Vitamin D is responsible for releasing calcium from the intestine into the bloodstream. Next, vitamin K2 must activate certain proteins called osteocalcin. These pull calcium out of the bloodstream and deposit it in the bones and teeth.
Vitamin K2 is responsible for the optimal function of many proteins, not just osteocalcin. This is why the vitamin is so important for growth and development. Vitamin K2 is involved in the maintenance of arterial walls, the bone and joint system, teeth and the regulation of cell growth.
Vitamin K2 is one of the best vitamins for men because it can protect against heart conditions, including atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), one of the leading causes of death in industrialized countries. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is responsible for more than half of all deaths among men each year.
In 2015, scientists published a report in the "Medicine Clinician's Journal" and explained: "Vitamin K2 is associated with inhibiting arterial calcification and hardening. A sufficient intake of vitamin K2 could reduce the risk of damage to the blood vessels. K2 activates matrix GLA proteins (MGP), which prevent calcium from accumulating on the vessel walls."
The Rotterdam Study, a large-scale study in the Netherlands involving more than 4800 adult men, found, among other things, that the highest vitamin K2 intake was associated with the lowest risk of aortic calcification. Men with the highest K2 intake had a 52 percent lower risk of aortic calcification and a 41 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Vitamin K2 even appears to have life-saving properties: In the study, the men with the highest K2 intake benefited from a 51 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease. The overall mortality risk (from any cause) fell by 26 percent.
What is even more astonishing in this context is that vitamin K2 is the only known substance on the planet that can reverse plaque build-up in the arteries. This makes the vitamin a unique weapon in the fight against heart disease.
Vitamin K2 benefits the health of our bones. It supports the incorporation of calcium into bones and teeth, helping to strengthen and reinforce them. In a number of studies, scientists have investigated whether vitamin K2 can help in the prevention and treatment of fractures, osteoporosis and bone loss. Some clinical studies have concluded that K2 can slow bone loss in adults and even help to increase bone mass.
K2 can increase the accumulation of osteocalcin in the extracellular matrix of the osteoblasts in the bones. This means that vitamin K2 promotes bone mineralization. Animal studies have even shown that the vitamin can counteract bone loss during the menopause.
K2 also helps to maintain the structure of teeth and jaws. In many traditional cultures, people ate a diet rich in vitamin K2 because they believed it could prevent tooth decay and plaque formation. These effects were observed in the 1930s by dentist Weston A. Price, who found that simple cultures with K2-rich diets had strong, healthy teeth, even though their dental hygiene was not up to Western standards.
It has been shown that an increased intake of vitamin K2 during pregnancy has a positive effect on the development of the fetus. It was also Price who first observed this. However, the reason for this was not discovered until much later. In the womb, activation of only a few osteocalcins (due to insufficient vitamin K2) means that the child's facial bone and jaw structure cannot develop properly. Some experts believe that this is the reason why so many children today need braces.
A high vitamin K2 intake reduces the risk of cancer and the mortality rate in the event of cancer. Vitamin K2 can protect against leukemia, prostate, lung and liver cancer in particular.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the administration of vitamin K2 was shown to slow down the loss of bone mineral density. The amount of RANKL, an inflammation-promoting substance in the blood, was also reduced. These results suggest that vitamin K2 may be a useful supplement for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Vitamin K2 is needed in the bones to form osteocalcin hormones. This has a positive effect on metabolism and hormone balance. Fat-soluble vitamins are of great importance for the formation of sex hormones, including oestrogen and testosterone. Due to the balancing effect of vitamin K2 on hormone balance, women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome may benefit from increasing their vitamin K2 intake.
Vitamin K2 promotes blood sugar balance and insulin sensitivity, which reduces the risk of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity. Some research suggests that K2 is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism by modulating osteocalcin and certain pro-inflammatory pathways.
Vitamin K2 can have a positive effect on the kidneys by preventing calcium from being deposited in the wrong places. This can prevent kidney stones. This may also apply to other organs, such as the gallbladder.
In addition, a lack of vitamin K2 and D is associated with an increased risk of kidney disease.
The following is a list of the most important foods that contain vitamin K2, sorted according to their vitamin K2 content (in descending order) per 100 g. The most important sources of vitamin K2 include
Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally found in animal foods, which also provide fats, mainly saturated fats and cholesterol. For example, butterfat, cheese, offal, eggs and pasture-raised meat are good sources of vitamin K2.
Animals have the ability to produce vitamin K2 in their bodies by converting vitamin K1 from plant foods. The more vitamin K1 an animal ingests through food, the more K2 it deposits in its tissues. This is the reason why pasture-raised products are superior to barn-raised products. Let's remember that vitamin K2 is found in different forms. MK7 is most commonly found in animal foods. All other forms tend to be found in fermented products. MK4 is the synthesized form of vitamin K2.
Vegans find it difficult to meet their K2 requirements - unless they like natto! This fermented soy product smells like stinky socks and has a taste that takes some getting used to. However, it is also the only vegan source of vitamin K2. Fortunately, natto is particularly high in vitamin K2.
The minimum requirement of vitamin K2 for adults is between 90 and 120 micrograms per day. However, we recommend a daily intake of between 150 and 400 micro grams, ideally by eating foods containing vitamin K2 and, if necessary, by taking supplements.
People with an increased risk of heart disease or bone loss can benefit from a higher vitamin K2 intake (200 micrograms or more). Everyone else can maintain their health with a little less.
Most vitamin K supplements contain vitamin K1. However, our capsules contain the more valuable vitamin K2! Our capsules also contain the better form: MK7 instead of MK4.
MK4 is the form of vitamin K2 that is contained in most supplements. This synthesized form of the vitamin has a short half-life. To get the full benefit, you need to take it several times throughout the day. Often the amount of MK4 contained is thousands of micrograms to compensate for the short half-life just mentioned. MK7 from natto has a much longer half-life and can be taken in reasonable doses. We therefore recommend preparations that contain MK7.
Please note that vitamin K, like other fat-soluble vitamins (e.g. vitamins A and D), can only develop its full effect if it is consumed together with healthy fats. This is the case, for example, if you consume eggs and raw milk products with a full fat content. If you have an increased risk of osteoporosis, you should not only increase your vitamin K2 intake, but also your calcium intake at the same time.
The symptoms of a vitamin K2 deficiency include
Vitamin K deficiency is considered rare among adults in industrialized countries. However, newborns and infants are more susceptible to it. This is because their digestive system is not yet fully developed and therefore cannot yet produce vitamin K2.
Adults are at increased risk of vitamin K2 deficiency if they suffer from the following diseases/conditions:
Side effects are very rare if you consume high amounts of vitamin K2 with food. When taking a supplement, however, side effects may very well be noticeable at high doses. However, this will not be the case for most people. Studies suggest that, for example, 15 mg of vitamin K2 taken three times a day is perfectly safe. Too much vitamin K can cause complications in patients with blood clotting disorders.
The best way to increase your vitamin K2 intake is to eat appropriate foods. However, if you decide to take a supplement, make sure that it explicitly contains vitamin K2 (menaquinone) in the form of MK7. There are numerous interactions between vitamin K supplements and various medications. It is therefore essential that you speak to your doctor if you have to take medication regularly and also want to use vitamin K.
Sources (in English):
Schwalfenberg, G. K. (2017, June). Vitamins K1 and K2: The Emerging Group of Vitamins Required for Human Health. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2017: 6254836, doi: 10.1155/2017/6254836
Flore, R., Ponziani, F. R., Di Rienzo, T. A., Zocco, M. A., Flex, A., Gerardino, L. et al. (2013, September). Something more to say about calcium homeostasis: the role of vitamin K2 in vascular calcification and osteoporosis. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 17(18):2433-40
Maresz, K. (2015, February). Proper Calcium Use: Vitamin K2 as a Promoter of Bone and Cardiovascular Health. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 14(1): 34–39
Geleijnse, J. M., Vermeer, C., Grobbee, D. E., Schurgers, L. J., Knapen, M. H., Van der Meer, I. M. et al. (2004, November). Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. The Journal of Nutrition, 134(11):3100-5, doi: 10.1093/jn/134.11.3100
Gröber, U., Reichrath, J., Holick, M. F. & Kisters, K. (2014, January-December). Vitamin K: an old vitamin in a new perspective. Dermato Endocrinology, 6(1): e968490, doi: 10.4161/19381972.2014.968490
Holden, R. M., Morton, A. R., Garland, J. S., Pavlov, A., Day, A. G. & Booth, S. L. (2010, April). Vitamins K and D Status in Stages 3-5 Chronic Kidney Disease. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 5(4): 590–597, doi: 10.2215/CJN.06420909
Khan, A. & Khan, S. R. (2014, February). Calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis and expression of matrix GLA protein in the kidneys. World Journal of Urology, 32(1): 123–130, doi: 10.1007/s00345-013-1050-2
Choi, H. J., Yu, J., Choi, H., An, J. H., Kim, S. W., Park, K. S. et al. (2011, August). Vitamin K2 Supplementation Improves Insulin Sensitivity via Osteocalcin Metabolism: A Placebo-Controlled Trial. Diabetes Care, 34(9): e147, doi: 10.2337/dc11-0551
Yamaguchi, M., Uchiyama, S. & Tsukamoto, Y. (2003, March). Inhibitory effect of menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) on the bone-resorbing factors-induced bone resorption in elderly female rat femoral tissues in vitro. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 245(1-2):115-20
Habu, D., Shiomi, S., Tamori, A., Takeda, T., Tanaka, T., Kubo, S. et al. (2004, July). Role of vitamin K2 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in women with viral cirrhosis of the liver. JAMA, 292(3):358-61, doi: 10.1001/jama.292.3.358
Karamali, M., Ashrafi, M., Razavi, M., Jamilian, M., Kashanian, M., Akbari, M. et al. (2017, May). The Effects of Calcium, Vitamins D and K co-Supplementation on Markers of Insulin Metabolism and Lipid Profiles in Vitamin D-Deficient Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes, 125(5):316-321, doi: 10.1055/s-0043-104530.
Iwamoto, J., Takeda, T. & Sato, Y. (2004). Effects of vitamin K2 on osteoporosis. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 10(21):2557-76