15 Outstanding Vitamin K2 Benefits Backed by Science

Vitamin K2 has benefits all over the body. The fat-soluble nutrient positively affects your teeth, skin, brain, bones, and heart health.

In this article, you’ll discover how this vitamin can help with cancer, kidney health, diabetes, and much more!

Key Takeaways:

• Vitamin K2 supports fertility, bone, skin, brain, kidney, dental, neurological, and cardiovascular health.
• It reduces the risk of cancer, diabetes, PCOS, Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, and bleeding.
• The recommended daily dose is 120 mcg for men and 90 mcg for women.

What is Vitamin K2?

Vitamin K2, also called menaquinone, is a fat-soluble vitamin from animal sources.

Beef liver, eggs, chicken, butter, and cheese are foods high in vitamin K2. Organ meat is especially rich in K2, but you do not need a carnivore diet to get the vital nutrient.

Other good sources are fermented foods like natto and sauerkraut.

The bacteria in the gut also produce some vitamin K2_, which comes from vitamin K1.

Vitamin K₂ is the more biologically active form.

It is drawing a name for itself as a treatment for different diseases, such as diabetes¹, apart from its recognized role in blood clotting.

It helps your body absorb calcium and is vital for bone, brain, and heart health.

What Is the Difference Between Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2?

Vitamin K1 and K2 vary² in structure, bioavailability, absorption rate, and tissue distribution.

Vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, is the primary form of vitamin K. However, the body has a hard time absorbing it.

Vitamin K2, specifically menaquinone-7, is ten times more absorbable³ than vitamin K_1.

The two are also stored differently.

Vitamin K1 is stored in the liver, pancreas, and heart, while vitamin K2 is stored in the brain and kidneys.

Food sources of vitamin K1 are primarily plants.

When ingested, vitamin K1 can be converted into vitamin K2 by bacteria in the gut.

Since vitamin K is fat-soluble, you will need a fat source for vitamin K1 to be absorbed by the body.

What is Menaquinone-7?

Menaquinone-7, or MK-7, is a form of vitamin K2 that helps fight cardiovascular disease, inflammation, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and peripheral neuropathy⁴.

Menaquinone-4, or MK-4, is another form use for vitamin supplementation. According to studies⁵, MK-7 is the more effective form.

How Much Vitamin K2 per Day?

The adequate intakes⁶ for vitamin K2 in adults 19 years and above are:

• Male: 120 mcg
• Female: 90 mcg
• Pregnant: 90 mcg
• Lactating: 90 mcg

Reach out for natural sources of vitamin K2 and speak to a healthcare professional before supplementing the nutrient.

What Happens When You Take Vitamin K2?

Vitamin K₂ activates the calcium-binding actions of two proteins that are crucial for health benefits:

• Osteocalcin: It transports calcium and minerals to the bones and teeth. Osteocalcin is mainly responsible for the vitamin K2 benefits of dental health and osteoporosis prevention.
• Matrix GLA: The non-bone and teeth-related benefits of vitamin K2 are mainly associated with the matrix GLA protein (MGP) action. It needs vitamin K2 for activation.

This activation process is called carboxylation. The non-carboxylated MGP, known to form due to vitamin K deficiency, is associated with cardiovascular disease. It also affects the kidneys and lungs.

What Are the Benefits of Vitamin K2?

Here are 15 significant vitamin K2 benefits backed by science.

1. Helps Stop Bleeding

Vitamin K is widely known for its role in blood clotting⁷.

It helps synthesize proteins necessary for clotting, helping to stop bleeding. Prothrombin is one of the crucial proteins that vitamin K creates to support blood clotting.

If bleeding occurs in any part of the body, vitamin K works to stop it.

2. Reduces Cancer Risk

Evidence⁸ shows that vitamin K2 can help suppress cancer cells.

Help reduce the risk, recurrence, and regression of certain types of cancer.

This effect is shown in the reduced risk of prostate cancer⁹, reduced recurrence of liver cancer¹⁰, and delayed progression of liver cancer¹¹.

3. Regulates Blood Sugar

Research¹² shows that taking vitamin K2 supplements helps raise insulin sensitivity.

As a result, the nutrient helps regulate blood sugar more efficiently and helps reverse insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

4. Prevents Kidney Deterioration

According to new studies¹³, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are low in vitamin K₂.

Vitamin K2 supplementation is safe and effective in improving the markers of deficiency.

However, talk to a medical professional before starting a supplementation regime.

5. Supports the Nervous System

Vitamin K helps synthesize and regulate sphingolipids¹⁴.

Sphingolipids are a vital part of your brain cell membranes. They are also crucial players in regulating the aging process and preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Hence, the researchers suggest that vitamin K is a relevant nutrient for cognition.

6. Boosts Brain Health

You have around 85 billion¹⁵ neurons or cells in your brain.

As you grow older and go through life, many things can happen to your neurons, including death.

Vitamin K2¹⁶ and vitamin K1 stop the accumulation of free radicals and cell death.

This way, it prevents oxidative damage¹⁷, which causes brain injuries.

7. Fights Alzheimer’s

Currently, no cure for Alzheimer’s¹⁸ has been discovered.

According to a study¹⁹, Vitamin K2 can treat Alzheimer’s disease since it protects brain cells against damage and degeneration.

8. Improves Cardiovascular Health

This recent review²⁰ points out the increasing evidence supporting vitamin K2 and its cardio-protective effects.

These include calcification homeostasis, slowing down arterial stiffness, diabetes, and heart failure.

9. Prevents Bone Loss

Vitamin K2 is known to be effective and safe in treating bone loss²¹.

It helps with the structural integrity of a protein in the bone matrix called osteocalcin.

Another study²² used randomized trials to show that phytonadione and menaquinone-4 supplementation helps reduce bone loss and fracture.

Japanese health authorities have approved and used Vitamin K2 as an effective treatment for osteoporosis²³ since 1995.

10. Fights Depression and Anxiety

A study²⁴ on rats who suffered from depression, anxiety, and memory loss was conducted in 2016.

The results show that the treatment of vitamin K2 is effective in preventing the development of depression and anxiety.

11. Helps With PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) causes women to have too much androgen.

Increased dehydroepiandrosterone levels (DHEAS) and high testosterone levels are also prevalent²⁵.

A randomized controlled trial²⁶ was conducted to determine the effects of vitamin D, vitamin K, and calcium supplementation.

The co-supplementation effectively reduced serum-free testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels.

12. Supports Male Fertility

The effects of vitamin K in other organs like the testis are not well-documented.

However, according to this study²⁷, MK-4-fed rats had considerably high testosterone levels in their testis and plasma.

MK-4 can even prevent the degrading testosterone levels in older adults.

13. Prevents Varicose Veins

Matrix GLA protein^28, or MGP, is a protein that depends on vitamin K.

A French study²⁹ shows high MGP levels in the varicose veins can help remodel the venous wall.

14. Supports Skin

Vascular calcification can reduce blood flow and contribute to various cardiovascular issues. Since the skin has a network of blood vessels, MGP helps maintain vascular health in the skin.

The skin contains various connective tissues, including collagen and elastin, contributing to its strength and elasticity. MGP helps maintain calcium balance in these tissues, ensuring their proper structure and function.

People with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) have low levels of MGP³⁰ and mineralized elastic fibers, the tissue under the skin. The results are premature wrinkles.

Researchers suggest vitamin K can help with aging skin in people with PXE.

15. Boosts Dental Health

Apart from bones, osteocalcin is also present in teeth³¹.

This protein is activated by vitamin K2 and could contribute to dental health.

Menaquinone-4³², in particular, can improve the maturation of dental pulp stem cells into osteoblasts.

This action can, in turn, improve the regenerative capability of bone.

Dental pulp stem cells^33, or DPSCs, are gaining attention in regenerative medicine due to their role in osteogenesis.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

References

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