K2, at 28,251 feet above sea level, is the second highest mountain, the second tallest point on earth after Mount Everest. This obscure fact has virtually no effect on the daily lives of people.
In contrast, another K2 enormously influences the health and well-being of our daily lives. Vitamin K2 is gaining recognition as a vital player in the normal metabolism and function of the body. It can and does impact bone health and cardiovascular health.
In 1929, the Danish scientist Carl Peter Heinrich Dam observed unexpected bleeding in baby chicks. He theorized that there was lacking, very tiny amounts of “accessory food factors.” In 1935, Dam identified the deficient, fat soluble clotting factor, and named it vitamin K from the German word for coagulation that starts with the letter K — “Koagulation.”
In the middle of World War 2, in 1943, Henrick Dam shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology, or Medicine with the American, E. A. Doisy, for their research concerning Vitamin K — Dam, for the discovery of Vitamin K, and Doisy, for the determination of the chemical nature of Vitamin K, and the synthetic production of that vitamin.
What Is Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is a group of fat soluble vitamins that dissolve in fats and oils, and is stored in the body’s liver and fatty tissues.. There are two types of vitamin K;
Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone)
Is found primarily in leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and spinach. It’s essential for blood clotting (coagulation).
Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone)
Is found in sauerkraut, cheese, eggs, fermented soybeans (natto), liver, and meat. K2 is important for many metabolic functions which will be discussed below. The two most studied variants of K2 are: MK-4 (Menaquinone-4) and MK-7 (Menaquinone-7).
MK-7 is the formula doctors use to prescribe K2. It stays in the bloodstream longer than MK-4 and is more effective for bone and cardiovascular health. What does K-2 do?
Benefits of Vitamin K2
Heart and Blood Pressure Health:
Vitamin K2 keeps calcium out of the arteries. It plays a pivotal role in calcium metabolism by activating proteins that prevent calcium from depositing in the wrong places, such as in the coronary arteries. This prevents arterial calcification, improves the elasticity of blood vessels and supports heart and blood pressure health. People with the lowest levels of vitamin K2 have the worst coronary calcification.
Bone Health
Vitamin K2 activates osteocalcin, which is a protein found in bones. The activated osteocalcin draws calcium into the bones, increasing bone mineral density, making bones stronger, and reducing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
Vitamin K2 activates MGP, which is a protein that binds to calcium that prevents vascular calcification and lowers the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Dental Health
K2 is found in high concentration in a person’s saliva. It activates osteocalcin which binds calcium to teeth, making them stronger by increasing the density of the teeth. Low levels of K2 in the saliva is associated with an increased risk of dental disease and heart problems.
Insulin Sensitivity
The pancreas has high concentrations of K2, and helps prevent the overproduction of insulin. Vitamin K2 improves insulin sensitivity, meaning less insulin is needed to lower blood glucose levels. Improved insulin sensitivity helps blood sugar regulation and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. The opposite is the situation with insulin insensitivity; more insulin is needed and there is a greater risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
Cancer Prevention
Some studies suggest that higher vitamin K2 intake may reduce the risk of prostate, colon, and liver cancer.
Vitamin D and Vitamin K2
Vitamins D and K are both fat-soluble vitamins that have a synergistic effect on bone and cardiovascular health. A synergistic effect implies that vitamins A and D working together have a greater beneficial effect on bone, heart, and blood pressure health compared to the vitamins working individually.
Vitamin D works to absorb calcium from your gastrointestinal tract into the body’s bloodstream. Vitamin K2 works with vitamin D to get calcium into your bones, reducing the
incidence of osteopenia—a condition characterized by lower-than-normal bone mineral density (bone mass) which can lead to osteoporosis making a person more susceptible to fractures.
Current reports support the viewpoint that supplementing vitamins D3 and K2 together are more effective than the consumption of either of these vitamins alone. The synergistic effect of vitamins D3 and K2 has also rekindled the notion to eat a healthy diet that incorporates a variety of vegetables and fermented foods for bone and cardiovascular health, in addition to other health benefits.
Addendum
A note of caution: if you are taking anticoagulants, blood thinners, check with your physician before taking vitamin K since the vitamin can interfere with the anticoagulant medication.
Glossary
Mount Everest is considered the highest mountain, the tallest point on earth at 29, 032 feet.
Fat soluble vitamins are vitamins that are absorbed along with fats and oils in the diet. They can dissolve in fats and oils, and are stored in fatty tissue and the liver. They don’t dissolve in water, and include vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Vitamin K1 (K one) activates proteins that convert prothrombin to thrombin—blood clotting reactions.
INR, or international normalized ratio, is a blood test that measures how long it takes for your blood to clot. This blood test is used to monitor treatment for patients who take blood thinners such as coumadin.
MGP — Matrix Gla Protein binds to calcium, and directly inhibits calcification by disrupting calcium phosphate deposition.
Osteoclasts are bone-building cells.
References
- Britannica; Mount Everest, August 17, 2024
- The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1943
- Adriana J. van Ballegooijen; The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review; Int J Endocrinol. 2017
- Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD; Vitamin K2: The Surprising Benefits From Your Heart to Your Bones; 2023
- Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD; Vitamin K From Birth to Safety: How Vitamin K Protects Newborn Infants; Doctors Column, HC Smart 2024
- Shira G. Ziegler, ... Carlos R. Ferreira; Disorders and Mechanisms of Ectopic Calcification Genetics of Bone Biology and Skeletal Disease (Second Edition), 2018
- Charles W. Marshall; Vitamins and Minerals; George F Stickley Company
- Cristina Vassalle, Giorgio Iervasi; New insights for matrix Gla protein, vascular calcification and cardiovascular risk and outcome; Atherosclerosis, May 12, 2014
This article is intended solely as a learning experience. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options.