Incredible Benefits of K2, the Forgotten Vitamin

Updated Dec. 14th, 2024

I have spoken in depth about vitamin D3. On its benefits for health and immunity. I have also showed evidence of it being protective against COVID. And I also mentioned taking K2 along with D3, as both work together in regulating calcium. But that isn’t the only reason people should take vitamin K2 (Mk-7). K2 in its own right, has tremendous benefits for the entire body. It is somewhat the forgotten vitamin, essential for health. In fact, even today, many manufactures of multi-vitamins don’t even include vitamin K in their formulations. And if they do, it is usually K1, not K2 (Mk-7).

“K2 (MK-7) has been shown to have advantages given its superior bioavailability and higher half-life in circulation when compared with other K vitamers. In addition, the vast majority of available clinical studies are still related to the effects of vitamin K1 in health, while K2 has been shown to have a prevalent function in extra-hepatic tissues with a protective role in the vascular system reducing the risk of CVD, mitigating cognitive diseases, and suppressing inflammation.” Supplemental Vitamin K Impact in Human Health: Current Evidence in Age-Related Diseases (Portugal 2020)

Supplements aren't miracle pills. All they do is improve bodily functions to an optimal level. So if the body is missing the necessary nutrients to complete those tasks, you can see how we could run into trouble. In retrospect, I know I must have been short of vitamin K2, when they found some plaque build up in my artery ten years ago. We are all short of it. You look at the list of foods that contain K2 (Mk-7) and it becomes obvious most people are not getting enough. This also goes for D3 and Magnesium. Just look at the foods we eat, and what amounts we should be getting of these nutrients daily. Shortages on these 3 nutrients are present on a global scale.

“Although overt deficiency is rare, sub-optimal vitamin K status appears to be common (especially in aging populations) and may be associated with an increased risk of chronic disease.” New insights on vitamin K biology with relevance to cancer (Albany, NY 2022)

“There is an alarmingly high prevalence of vitamin K deficiency and suboptimal recommended intake among the general population in the USA.” Vitamin K2 - a neglected player in cardiovascular health (Cleveland, Ohio 2021)

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer worldwide. And one is not usually diagnosed with this condition until they suffer a heart attack. So if there was ever a health concern to be proactive about, it would be this. Barry Franklin, Ph.D., director of Preventive Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Beaumont Health in Royal Oak, Michigan says,.. “If you’re over 50 and grew up eating McDonald’s and Ben & Jerry’s, you probably have some heart disease — that’s just a fact.” The Age When You Should Stop Shoveling Snow Is Way Earlier Than You Think

Big Macs and Chunky Monkey have been two of my favorite foods for most of my life. So there is no doubt I have some undiagnosed heart disease. Not to mention my sedentary lifestyle since becoming severely arthritic.

Diseases of the heart comes in many forms. And all are life threatening. Whether it's congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, aortic stenosis, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, pericarditis, etc... all cause improper heart function. The many different names listed, have to do with what part of the heart is malfunctioning and/or diseased. We hear a lot of news lately about myocarditis. That is a disease of the heart muscle. Pericarditis is a disease of the membrane that surrounds the heart.

So let’s take a general overall look at K2 (Mk-7). Briefly going over its mechanisms of action, and benefits to multiple organ systems, particularly cardiovascular health. Because when you improve your cardiovascular health, more nutrients and oxygen can be supplied to all the organs and tissues of the body, improving and/or optimizing their biological functions and output.

In addition to the well-known biological functions of blood coagulation and bone metabolism, emerging studies show K2 is involved in multiple cellular and physiological processes,… such as inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation and cancer progression. With diverse roles in many organ systems and tissues of the body,… such as the testis, brain, intestines, muscles, bones, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, fat tissue, and the cardiovascular system.

Role of Vitamin K2 [Mk-7] in Intestinal Health (China 2022)

Its mechanisms of action in producing all these benefits has a lot to do with it activating a set of proteins, (21 and counting) present in various tissues. Matrix Gla proteins (MGP) are mineral-binding proteins secreted by vascular smooth muscle cells that line blood vessel walls. They are powerful inhibitors of soft-tissue calcification. However, they are completely dependent on K2. So without K2, these proteins are physiologically inactive and of no use. That’s how essential K2 is to us. Importantly, studies have shown that inactive MGP levels (dp-ucMGP) can be decreased markedly by daily vitamin K2 supplementation. And it should be noted,… high levels of circulating dp-ucMGP, is not only a marker of a K2 deficiency, but also, a risk marker and strong predictor of cardiovascular disease and mortality. High levels of these inactivated proteins (dp-ucMGP) have been shown to be in abundance in various disease states such as,.. diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and obesity. Also illustrating how important K2 is to the body,… it has its own active transport system to the liver after intestinal absorption. K2 also supports mitochondrial function, with it increasing energy production, even in a rested state. But for K2 to have these systemic effects throughout the body, enough must be taken, because the liver will take what it needs first for clotting factors. Then the bones will take K2 for mineralization. So enough must be taken to supply these critical processes, before the rest can spill over and have body-wide benefits.

“The allocation of vitamin K in the body follows a triage-based distribution, i.e. functions related to short-term survival will be prioritized at the expense of other functions. When vitamin K levels are scarce, hepatic functions (such as activation of prothrombotic proteins) will be favored at the expense of extra-hepatic functions such as lung tissue.” The association of vitamin K status with lung function and disease (Denmark 2023)

The Biological Responses of Vitamin K2 (China 2023)

Probably the most startling result I have seen from K2, comes from the Rotterdam Study back in 2004. They looked at close to 5,000 healthy adults at baseline, aged 55 and up, and followed them for 10 years. Those consuming 45mcg of K2 daily had a 50% reduction in arterial calcification. And that is the number one risk factor for heart disease. They also found a 50% reduction in cardiovascular death. Those two results go hand in hand. If you reduce arterial calcification, you reduce your chances of dying from heart disease. But the most surprising result they found, was a 25% decrease in all cause mortality. And when you look at the charts above, you can plainly see why that is. If it has benefits for all those organs and biological processes, it’s no wonder it could improve one’s life span. It should be mentioned vitamin K1 did not have this effect. K1 has no extra-hepatic (outside liver) activity. And this study was not a one off. Many other studies have shown this as well…

A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease (Netherlands 2009)

Dietary Intake of Vitamin K Is Inversely Associated with Mortality Risk (Spain 2014)

Vitamin K intake and mortality in people with chronic kidney disease (Hong Kong 2015)

dp-ucMGP is associated with mortality risk in patients with chronic stable vascular disease (Czech Republic 2014)

With the Rotterdam study showing a 25% decrease in all-cause mortality, it is reasonable to assume it also has anti-cancer properties. In this review of the evidence found in the scientific literature they conclude…

“Clinical trials demonstrated that VK2 has the potential to improve the prognosis of patients with cancer. In addition, evidence indicates that VK2 treatment can prevent HCC [liver cancer] in patients with hepatic cirrhosis, and the dietary intake of VK2 can decrease the risk of developing cancer, particularly prostate and lung cancer. Furthermore, VK2 is confirmed to restrain tumor cell growth in animal studies, with cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis involved in this inhibition.” Research progress on the anticancer effects of vitamin K2 (China 2018)

Since K2 has well established benefits for bone health, it's not surprising it also benefits your teeth, possibly reversing cavities. Your saliva has ample amounts of K2.

According to this study, the best source of K2, next to Natto (1000 mcg/100g), the fermented soybean dish in Japan, is Munster cheese (80mcg/100g). So 3.5 ounces of Munster will give you your daily RDI (recommended dietary intake). Munster has the most amongst cheeses. Chicken (10mcg/100g) is tops among meats. But aside from Natto, these foods contain mostly the Mk-4 variety of K2, which has a very short half life (hours) compared to Mk-7 (3.5 days). Also Mk-7 possesses a higher bioavailability.

“Later studies, in which the long-chain menaquinone-7 (MK-7) was used to counteract warfarin-induced calcification, showed that this form of menaquinone was even more potent than menaquinone-4 [Mk-4]. This is consistent with population-based [human] studies in which only the long-chain menaquinones had cardioprotective effects.” The Role of Vitamin K in Soft-Tissue Calcification (Netherlands 2012)

Here's an article listing all the foods with the highest K2 content, and what kind of K2 they have. And what is striking is,... there are hardly any foods with Mk-7, nor are they found in foods we are familiar with.... The Top 20 Foods High In Vitamin K2 - Nutrition Advance

As shown in the article, Natto by far, has the most K2 (Mk-7) of any food on earth. So much so, some studies on K2 just use straight Natto, not bothering to specifically use or extract the Mk-7.

Of Note: Natto is also the source of the powerful clot busting enzyme, Nattokinase. Which also has great benefits for heart health. It’s been shown to reduce plague buildup in numerous studies. But you would need a concentrated form (supplement) of the enzyme, taking at least 300mg (6,000 FUs) or higher to have beneficial effects on plague buildup.

Recommended Dose for K2 (Mk-7)….

“Major health organizations, such as WHO, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have established RDI for vitamin K, [Adults 120 mcg] which is solely based on the dose of K1 to retain an appropriate blood clotting function.” Vitamin K: Insights beyond Coagulation between Vitamin K1 and K2 in Health and Disease (Germany 2019)

The is no RDA for K2. There is also no tolerable upper intake limit either. That is suggestive of how safe it is. No toxicity has ever been found with K2. So how much should one take? I think one should take enough to have systemic benefits throughout the body. Most bottles of Mk-7 have capsules of 100 mcg. We saw in the Rotterdam study 45 mcg produced great results. But here is a molecular biologist, (in video below) who has done studies showing cardiac output and mitochondrial health improved at 325 mcg per day. And he didn’t see these improvements at doses much lower than that. So a starting point of 300 mcg might be an optimal range to consider. Plus,… if you are supplementing generous amounts of D3, you might want to consider raising your dose of K2 (Mk-7) even a bit higher,… as more D3 will tax K2 stores to deal with the added calcium absorption and bone metabolism.

Now 325 mcg might sound like a lot to take, but it is not. In this study,.. 45 mg of Mk-4 were given daily for a full year, and no adverse events were found related to it. 45 mg is equivalent to 45,000 mcg. Funny thing about this study,… they found no benefit with K2 on bone health. Which is contrary to the many studies that clearly show a benefit. So much so, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has accepted the health claim on vitamin K, for its role in bone health. Noting a cause and effect relationship has been established. In other words, manufactures can claim these health benefits on bottles of vitamin K2. I don’t know how rare that is in the EU, but here in the states, the only nutritional supplement allowed by the FDA to make a health claim on labels,… is the mineral selenium, with its benefits towards cancer.

This video made by a molecular biologist, cites powerful studies in order to educate medical practitioners on the importance of this essential nutrient. Most of what I learned of K2, came from his presentation. One of the best videos I have ever seen on any nutrient. After watching this presentation, you will better understand why diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and even cancer, continue to rise even with all the advances in science and medicine…

                 Everything You Need To Know About Vitamin K2 - YouTube

And just a final note touching on K2 and COVID….

Dutch researcher Dr. Rob Janssen, exploring a possible link between Vitamin K deficiency and Covid-19 deaths says that,.. in light of the initial findings he would encourage a healthy intake of vitamin K, except to those on blood-thinning medications such as warfarin. Dr. Janssen said,.. “I have worked with a Japanese scientist in London and she said it was remarkable that in the regions in Japan where they eat a lot of natto, there is not a single person to die of Covid-19; so that is something to dive into, I would say.” Vitamin K found in some cheeses could help fight Covid-19, study suggests - The Guardian

From his study,….

"Extrahepatic vitamin K status is severely reduced in Covid-19 patients, reflected by elevated dp-ucMGP levels. Reasons for this could include premorbid low vitamin K status in combination with accelerated utilization during infection.

dp-ucMGP levels are elevated in various diseases that are associated with elastic fiber calcification and degradation such as diabetes, hypertension, CVD, chronic kidney disease and obesity.... Partially degraded and mineralized elastic fibers – which are prevalent in diabetic, hypertensive, renal and cardiovascular patients – are more vulnerable to further proteolysis and calcification. This increases the need for MGP synthesis to protect elastic fibers, draining vitamin K stores for MGP carboxylation [activation] and leading to higher dp-ucMGP levels.” Vitamin K metabolism as the potential missing link between lung damage and thromboembolism in COVID-19 (Netherlands 2020)

Is it a coincidence that diabetes, hypertension, CVD, chronic kidney disease and obesity are the top most dangerous comorbidities to have when contracting SARS-CoV-2? I think not. 

One other study worth mentioning….

“Early in acute COVID-19, both vitamin K and vitamin D deficiency were independently associated with worse COVID-19 disease severity, suggesting a potential synergistic interplay between these 2 vitamins in COVID-19. Our findings suggest a potential relationship between vitamins D and K at the time of acute COVID-19 and an association with worse disease severity. Interestingly, both vitamin D and vitamin K may display complementary effects on the cytokine storm, thrombosis, and lung damage during COVID-19. Specifically, they display similar inhibitory effects on inhibition of NF-kB and cytokine release, and vitamins D and K appear to work synergistically to help protect against calcification and damage in the lungs. While vitamin D promotes MGP synthesis, vitamin K is crucial for activation of MGP. Active MGP helps remove calcium from soft tissues. Without this action, accumulation of calcium on elastic fibers leads to degradation. Low active MGP results in a higher risk for elastic fiber damage in the lungs. As such,…. optimizing vitamins K and D before acute COVID-19 infection may help to regulate overwhelming calcification, inflammation, and coagulopathy, which may subsequently lead to improved clinical outcomes.” Vitamin K & D Deficiencies Are Independently Associated With COVID-19 Disease Severity (Cleveland, Ohio 2021)

Vitamin K2 (Mk-7) promotes health, wellness and longevity,…. and its benefits are clearly being overlooked.

Stay safe and be well…..