Vitamin K2

Most people have never heard of vitamin K2. This vitamin is rarely found in the Western diet and has not received much attention.
Yet, this powerful nutrient plays a fundamental role in many aspects of health. In fact, some suggest that vitamin K2 could be the missing link between diet and several chronic diseases.

Vitamin K was discovered in 1929 as an essential nutrient for blood clotting.
The initial discovery was reported in a German scientific journal, where it appeared as "Koagulationsvitamin." This is where the K in vitamin K comes from.

There are two main forms of vitamin K:

Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone): found in plant-based foods, such as leafy greens.
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone): found in animal-based foods and fermented foods.
Vitamin K2 can be further divided into several different subtypes. The most important are MK-4 and MK-7.

Effects of Vitamin K2

Vitamin K activates proteins that play a role in blood clotting, calcium metabolism, and heart health. One of its most important functions is regulating calcium deposition. In other words, it promotes the "calcification" of bones and prevents the calcification of blood vessels and kidneys.
Some scientists believe that the roles of vitamins K1 and K2 are quite different, and many believe they should be classified as completely separate nutrients.
In controlled human studies, researchers have also observed that vitamin K2 supplements generally improve bone and heart health, while vitamin K1 does not offer significant benefits.

Where is vitamin K2 found?

Many widely available foods are rich sources of vitamin K1, but vitamin K2 is less common.
The body is partially capable of converting vitamin K1 into K2. This is useful because the amount of vitamin K1 in a typical diet is ten times that of vitamin K2. However, current evidence suggests that the conversion process is inefficient. As a result, you may benefit much more from consuming vitamin K2 directly. Gut bacteria in the colon also produce vitamin K2. Some evidence suggests that broad-spectrum antibiotics contribute to vitamin K2 deficiency. Still, the average intake of this important nutrient is incredibly low in the modern diet.
Vitamin K2 is found mainly in certain animal-based and fermented foods, which most people do not consume much of.
Rich animal sources include high-fat dairy products from grass-fed cows and egg yolks, as well as liver and other organ meats.

Vitamin K is fat-soluble, which means that low-fat and lean animal products do not contain much of it.

Animal-based foods contain the MK-4 subtype, while fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and miso, contain more of the longer subtypes, from MK-5 to MK-14.

If these foods are unavailable to you, taking nutritional supplements is the recommended alternative.
The benefits of K2 supplementation can be further enhanced by combining it with a vitamin D supplement. These two vitamins have a synergistic effect, meaning they work more effectively together.