Why Vitamin K2 Is Important

Kari B, leader of Lincoln, Nebraska, wrote:

“Would you like to review Vitamin K2 in the nutrition section someday? I was researching bone health online and found an article discussing how important this vitamin is to bone health. Vitamin K2 Is stated to be part of a bone health package that includes magnesium, calcium, weight exertion, minimal inflammation in the body, and a healthy intestine (microflora).

Some documents seem to instruct patients to take a simple method, perhaps taking calcium supplements with vitamin D.

What if I could shed some light on this? Knowing how much vitamin K2 you take each day can be very helpful. Consider Thank you! “

I’m happy to comment on this interesting topic! Vitamin K is a term attached to a family of similar but slightly different compounds. Therefore, vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and several types of vitamin K2 (menaquinone) are collectively called “vitamin K”. You can also read about the various forms of vitamin K2, MK-4, MK-7 or MK-9. This is all the chemistry we need now.

Vitamin K has historically been known as a “coagulant vitamin” because it plays an important role in coagulating blood. In fact, a typical symptom of vitamin K deficiency is abnormal bleeding.

Recently, research has been conducted on the role of vitamin K in bone health. Both vitamins K1 and K2 are involved in the process of increasing bone strength, but vitamin K2 seems to be the most protective in this particular task. Vitamin K K2 deficiency is associated with osteoporosis (fragile bone) and arterial calcium deposition (commonly referred to as arteriosclerosis).

The current recommended intake of vitamin K over the age of 19 is 90 micrograms (mcg) for women and 120 mcg for men. This includes both K1 and K2 forms.

As the role in bone and heart health is becoming apparent, some researchers now believe that vitamin K requires its own recommended daily requirements. Also, it is not yet clear whether to take K2 supplements.

A randomized controlled trial (best type) in 2020 tested different doses of vitamin K2 in 311 older men and postmenopausal women. One year later, the most effective dose for reducing bone loss in the femoral neck (hip) of postmenopausal women is 90 micrograms (mcg) daily with or without the addition of calcium or vitamin D3. ) Turned out to be. Interestingly, there were no changes in bone health in the men in this study.

At this time, it is best to include a dietary source of vitamins K1 and K2 in your diet. And their sources are different.

Vitamin K1 is abundant in leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach. Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods (especially natto and fermented soybeans), cheese, egg yolks and meat (especially liver).

Why animal food? According to experts, animals have a unique ability to synthesize vitamin K2 from grass-derived vitamin K1.

Thank you for writing!

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and diabetes educator at a community hospital on the Monterey Peninsula. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition” (Westbow Press, 2015). Please send an email to barbara@quinnessentialnutrition.com.