What’s so special about Vitamin K?  Often overlooked and underappreciated, Vitamin K has historically demonstrated benefits on bone and cardiovascular health, blood clotting as well as many other supportive roles in the body.  In fact, Vitamin K deficiency can lead to prolonged bleeding times.  Vitamin K1 and K2 both play crucial roles in blood clotting, K1 is primarily involved in activating liver proteins, while K2 is more involved in bone and cardiovascular health.

In this health tip we explore natural sources of vitamin K, its different forms, and how vitamin K may be the missing piece in your supplement regimen!

Naturally occurring vitamin K is found as either K1 (phylloquinone):
found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, kiwi, prunes, and black pepper
or K2 (menaquinones): synthesized by bacteria and are obtained from animal-based and fermented foods such as egg yolks, beef, chicken, natto, sauerkraut, dairy products, liver and organ meats.

Menaquinones are designated as MK-n, where n denotes the length of the molecule’s aliphatic side chain such as menaquione-4 (MK-4) or menaquione-7 (MK-7).

The structural differences between K1 and K2 menaquinones impact their I. bioavailability and bioactivity.

• K1 in our diet is absorbed primarily from the small bowel, and then taken up and mainly metabolized by the liver. It is rapidly metabolized and excreted by the body.  Absorption from the gut is limited due to it being membrane-bound and to each person’s digestive and absorptive variability, as well the fiber, phytates, oxalates in plants.
• K2 as MK-7 has a longer side chain which makes it very hydrophobic (not water soluble) and lipophilic (fat soluble) and therefore more highly transportable by plasma lipoproteins than is K1. K2’s fat solubility increases its distribution throughout the body and its availability to tissues beyond the liver: bones, arteries, etc., and is more slowly metabolized than is K1, which produces a longer half-life than K1. This is why you see recommendations for supplementation of vitamin K in the form of K2.

Crucial Benefits of K2:
Bone Support:  Vitamin K has really emerged as a key player when it comes to bone health. It is necessary for bone mineralization, it activates osteocalcin, the protein needed to bind calcium to the mineral matrix in bone and works synergistically with vitamin D to benefit bone health. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of MK-7 (e.g., doses of 45-90 mcg/d) to increase osteocalcin carboxylation and increase ratios associated with bone health. Other studies showed an osteogenic (ability to promote bone formation/regeneration) effect of MK-7 administration and protection of bone integrity by reducing the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 or interleukin-6 by osteoclasts.

Cardiovascular Benefits: Vitamin K benefits cardiovascular health by participating in the carboxylation of matrix Gla protein (MGP), a protein regarded to be the most potent inhibitor of arterial calcification. MGP is vitamin K dependent and plays a crucial role in maintaining vascular health and preventing calcification-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification, calcific aortic disease and vascular calcification linked to strokes, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Researchers have demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin K reduces arterial calcium deposits and that long-term intake of long-chain menaquinones is inversely correlated with calcium accumulation in arteries.

Other Health Benefits of Vitamin K2:

• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity
• Apoptosis: Vitamin K participates in the induction of programmed cell death where the body rids itself of unneeded or abnormal cells. This action is especially important for cancer patients where the process of apoptosis is often blocked in cancer cells making them harder to kill.
• Specific receptor binding sites that allow Vitamin K to regulate gene activity involved in blood clotting, bone health, and cancer.
• Brain function – helps maintain proper brain function, helps with brain development, and may reduce risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Cancer prevention – can help inhibit cancer cell growth by suppressing cancer cell proliferation.
• COVID-19 – Recent research shows that protein S, another vitamin K-dependent protein, can prevent the cytokine storm observed in COVID-19 cases. The reduced activation of protein S due to the pneumonia-induced vitamin K depletion was correlated with higher thrombogenicity and possibly fatal outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
• Diabetes management – may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce risk of diabetes related complications.
• Dental health – helps build stronger teeth and prevents tooth loss. A 2023 study showed that VK2 serum levels were associated with most of the clinical parameters such as bleeding on probing attachment loss, and bone loss and that decreasing of VK2 was associated with the worsening of all clinical parameters of periodontitis.
• Immune health – helps regulate the function of the immune system and help reduce inflammation.
• Skin health – may help prevent wrinkles, reduces the appearance of scars, skin elasticity and youthfulness.

Supplementation: Even with properties of superior absorption and availability, research has suggested that higher levels of menaquinones are needed than previously thought. For  most of us, that means it is challenging to get adequate consumption of K2 in our foods.  That means supplements are an important addition to our health and resilience plan, and the reason we included our K2 product in our line of high-quality nutraceuticals.

Vitamin K Supplements are available in three forms: synthetic K1; MK-4, which is structurally similar to K1; and natural, long-chain MK-7.

Truth for Health Foundation’s TruK2™ provides MK-7 as Vitamk7™, a naturally derived and solvent-free vitamin K2 that has been obtained through a patent-granted biofermentation process of Bacillus subtilis natto cultures. This is the formulation of MK-7 that increases tissue bioavailability and is a more potent antidote for oral anticoagulation than K1, and why this is the product we selected for our Truth for Health Store.

CAUTION: Vitamin K and Anticoagulants

Vitamin K 1 can interfere with the effects of warfarin, a common anticoagulant medication, and decrease warfarin effectiveness to prevent blood clots.  If you are taking an anticoagulant medication, it’s crucial to consult with your healthcare professional before taking vitamin K supplements.   Some research suggests that vitamin K2 may not have the same effect on anticoagulation as vitamin K1, and may even be beneficial for some individuals taking anticoagulants.  Current studies have found that MK-7 doses of 50 mcg are not likely to affect the INR value in any relevant way

But the bottom line is that if you are taking anticoagulant Rx, check with your physician before adding K2 supplements. Individuals taking anticoagulants should be closely monitored.

Because of the bone benefits, especially for post-menopausal women, in addition to the cardiovascular benefits, I added K2 to my personal regimen and to our health and resilience formula.  I do think K2 is an important part of any health regime especially if you are concerned with bone health and cardiovascular health. As always, check with your personal physician about whether this is an option for you.

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To Your good health,
Dr. Vliet

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Truth for Health Foundation focus on Little Pharma™.  represents a return to our roots in Biblical and Hippocratic medicine, where God’s design for our bodies and health, and God’s design of natural medicines from nature, is the focus.  We bring you reliable resources and our expert guidance to safely and effectively use natural medicines from God’s “pharmacy” to improve your health and resilience.  Our goal is to empower all of us to become less dependent on Big Pharma, Big Health Insurance, & Big Medicine. Our natural medicines are
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