Vitamin K2: The Most Important Vitamin You May Have Never Heard Of
Many vitamins have received time in the spotlight. Unfortunately, vitamin K2, which is also known as menaquinone, is not one of them. Vitamin K2 turns out to be crucial for optimal health and may be the missing nutrient responsible for many of today's chronic illnesses. Most of you have probably heard of vitamin K, and you might even know it is associated with blood clotting. So, what is vitamin K2? I will get to that in a bit, but first, a little background.
Vitamin k was first identified by Henrik Dam in 1925 when he associated the lack of it to hemorrhaging in the chicks he was studying. In 1935, he proposed the name "koagulationsvitamin"; Vitamin K. He identified a few variations of the vitamin K molecule but erroneously assumed they all had the same effect. (1)
Henrik Dam
Around that same time, Weston Price was traveling the world, finding numerous populations following traditional diets who possessed marvelous health. They all had virtually no tooth decay, perfectly straight teeth, immunity to tuberculosis, no cancer, no obesity, and had no diabetes or heart disease. He attributed their incredible vitality to several nutrients, including vitamins A and D, and a mysterious substance he called "activator X".
The numerous benefits were only possible if all three were present in the foods consumed. Price concluded that, on average, the healthy populations were consuming ten times the amounts of these vitamins, including activator X, compared to their unhealthy counterparts.
Since the 1970s, and more so in the 1990s, researchers differentiated the forms of vitamin K int K1 and K2 when they noticed that they caused different benefits. Vitamin K2 turns out to be "activator X". There are many variations, MK-4 and MK-7 are the most relevant.
Where to Find Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is one of the fat-soluble vitamins. As such, it is not found in plant-based foods naturally. The best sources ore from animal fats, especially full-fat dairy, organ meats, egg yolks, and fattier cuts of meat. Bacteria can create it during fermentation; therefore, foods like sauerkraut contain K2. The best fermented source is natto, but it smells terrible and is hard to find. For a laugh, watch to following video of children encountering natto for the first time, it is hilarious.
Recommended Allowances of Vitamin K2
For Males, The RDA is 120 mcg/day and for females, it is 90. There is no upper limit for vitamin K2.
Supplemental forms are widely available, but since so many foods contain it, there is little reason to use them.
According to the NIH, two-thirds of Americans are deficient in Vitamin K2
(2)
The Functions of Vitamin K2
It boosts mitochondrial ATP production. Our mitochondria are found in our cells and are responsible for our energy production. Our main currency of energy is ATP (adenosinetriphosphate). Vitamin K2 aids in ATP production and, therefore, mitochondrial function. (3) The easier we can produce ATP, the healthier we are. Measurement of Mitochondrial function via lab tests shows that it decreases with aging and physical inactivity. It is no surprise that altered mitochondrial function is associated with many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart failure, stroke, and Alzheimer's Disease. (4)
Calcium metabolism is highly dependant on vitamin K2. Matrix GLA protein is a protein found within our soft tissue. It is responsible for keeping calcium from depositing within the soft tissue. The protein will not function without vitamin K2, causing soft tissues to become hardened by unwanted calcium deposits.
Conversely, osteocalcin is vital for calcium deposition in teeth and bone. It is also dependant on vitamin K2 to function, and weaker hard tissues result from its deficiency. (5)
Diabetes is a disease related to the hormone insulin and dysregulated blood glucose levels. The result is high blood glucose levels. Insulin is made by beta cells in our pancreas, which seem to be regulated by vitamin K. The less insulin we have, the higher our blood sugar will be. (6)
Both vitamin K1 and K2 appear to be associated with the production of several clotting factors. The process is more dependant on vitamin K1 than K2. (7)
The Benefits of Vitamin K2
One of the prime functions of K2 is to boost mitochondrial function. Since mitochondria are abundant in heart muscle, it is no surprise that cardiac output increases in healthy active individuals with adequate K2 intake. (8)
Heart disease is linked to calcifications in the arteries supplying the heart. Since K2 improves Matrix GLA protein's ability to keep calcium out of soft tissues, coronary artery disease risk is lower when vitamin K2 is adequately supplied. (9)
We already know that vitamin K2 is associated with calcium metabolism. As expected, osteoporosis responds quite dramatically to Vitamin K2. Several Japanese studies have corroborated this. (10) As a result, vitamin K2 for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in Japan is encouraged.
There are a few studies that show a positive correlation between vitamin K2 and cancer survival. Two studies demonstrated less recurrence of liver cancer (11), while another showed less prostate cancer in men with higher K2 status. (12)
Clotting Factors
Improved blood clotting is associated with vitamin K1 and K2, although K1 is better.. It is interesting to note that the popular drug coumadin used inhibits vitamin K1, and therefore inhibits clot formation. The drug helps patients who suffer from too much clotting, as in stroke, heart attack, and deep vein thrombosis sufferers. For heart disease patients, preventing clots is considered to be paramount, so much so that the coumadin administered diminishes the patient's ability to clear coronary artery calcifications. Imagine that, more calcification but fewer clots—Yay western medicine.
Finally, as you may have guessed, vitamin K2 helps regulate hard tissue formation, teeth, and proper facial development are dependant on it. It works in tandem with the other fat-soluble vitamins A and D. I highly recommend Weston Price's book called "nutrition and Physical Degeneration" for much more on the subject. You can obtain a free copy here.
I recommend using an app like MyFitnessPal to track your vitamin K2 status for a few days to see how you are doing. The odds are that you may need to increase your intake. Luckily, it is not hard (unless you want to use natto to achieve it).