Health Hotline Magazine | June 2022

Get Hooked on Health with Vitamin K Essential for blood coagulation, calcium metabolism, and bone and cardiovascular health, vitamin K is not a single vitamin, but a group of fat- soluble vitamins that are necessary for optimal health. The two main forms of vitamin K are K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone). K1 was discovered in 1936 as an essential factor in blood clotting and as an anti-hemorrhagic; it is required to activate and regulate the process that is known as the “coagulation cascade,” the steps the body takes to stop bleeding through clot formation and then turn o clotting once the bleeding has stopped. Its primary function is to activate proteins to promote healthy coagulation—without vitamin K, the body cannot produce prothrombin, a protein produced in the liver that is required for blood clotting. K1 is found in dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens. K2 has its own health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular incidents, strokes, bone fractures, certain cancers, diabetes, obesity, varicose veins, and other ailments. Our Western diet—dubbed the SAD diet (Standard American Diet)—is full of processed trans fats and vegetable oils, fast food, and junk food, while being almost entirely devoid of the foods that are the best sources of vitamin K2, like organ meats, fermented foods, pasture-raised eggs, and butter from grassfed cows. It is also important to note that trans fats and vegetable oils inhibit vitamin K2’s action in the body (so do common statin drugs and warfarin). There is clearly a need to supplement with this essential “forgotten” nutrient.

K2 Gets to the Heart of the Matter Vitamin K2’s main physiological function is to activate specific proteins that direct calcium to where it needs to go (the bones and teeth) and away from soft tissues like the arteries. In fact, there’s something called the "calcium paradox" associated with K2 deficiencies. According to the book Vitamin K2 and The Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life , “…millions of people take calcium and vitamin D supplements thinking they're helping their bones, but the truth is, without the addition of vitamin K2, such a health regimen could prove dangerous. Without vitamin K2, the body cannot direct calcium to the bones where it's needed; instead, the calcium resides in soft tissue like the arteries—leading to a combination of osteoporosis and atherosclerosis, or the dreaded ‘calcium paradox.’” While it’s more popular than ever to supplement with calcium and vitamin D, this should sound a warning about the dire need for adequate K2.

The Rotterdam Heart Study, one of the first large-scale population-based studies that looked at the connection between K2 and heart disease, found that subjects who consumed the largest amounts of vitamin K2 in their diet experienced a 57 percent reduction in death from heart disease compared to people who consumed the least amount. They also had less calcium buildup in the aorta. The amount of K2 that was associated with the lowest risk of heart attack and aortic calcification was around 33 mcg a day.

K2’s Bone Benefits Are Solid A number of human studies have also confirmed vitamin K2’s role in preventing and treating osteoporosis. Studies have found that supplemental K2 can increase spinal and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD), significantly reduce the risk of fractures in women with osteoporosis, and increase overall BMD in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. It has also been shown to reduce fractures and increase BMD in osteoporosis associated with Parkinson’s disease, long-term steroid use, anorexia, and those who are bedridden. Vitamin K2 (in the form of MK-4) has been used as an approved treatment for osteoporosis in Japan for nearly two decades.

K2 for Moms and Babies Another nod to vitamin K2—it’s deemed essential for infants and pregnant and breastfeeding moms. After birth, babies’ vitamin K stores are low, and since human milk is relatively poor in this nutrient, breast-fed infants are at particular risk of a bleeding disorder called “vitamin K deficiency bleeding.” Vitamin K2 (in the form of MK-7), has a documented history of safe and e ective use. The research indicates that it’s “an ideal choice for supplementation by pregnant and nursing women and children, in both healthy subjects and in those su ering from various malabsorption and health disorders.”

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