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While vitamin K might not be as popular as vitamins like A or D, it is far more critical than most people realize. Initially discovered in 1929 by a Danish scientist, vitamin K first appeared in a German Journal called "Koagulationsvitamin," hence the name vitamin K.
As the German word suggests, vitamin K is primarily involved in blood coagulation, the scientific term for blood clotting. However, despite the name, vitamin K is not a single vitamin but a group of compounds with similar chemical structures. The two forms most important to human health are vitamin K1 (phylloquinone, mostly from green plants) and vitamin K2 (menaquinones are from gut bacteria, meats, cheeses, or converted from K1), with several studies reporting, ironically, more health benefits with K2 than with K1, such as less heart disease.
In this article, we will look deeper at the health benefits of vitamin K2 and see if the claims are backed by scientific evidence.
Vitamins K1 and K2 are essential for blood clotting proteins. Blood clotting is a process that prevents excessive bleeding when the skin and blood vessel is injured. As a result, a deficiency of vitamin K or clotting factors leads to easy bleeding from the nose, skin, or a wound, that is prolonged and difficult to stop.
Fortunately, vitamin K deficiency is rare, thanks to the large amount of vitamin K found in various food sources, such as leafy green vegetables and many fish. In addition, vitamin K2 is also synthesized by bacteria in your colon, making vitamin significant K deficiency very unlikely.
However, just because a person may not be deficient does not mean they have optimal levels of vitamin K, which may provide additional health benefits, as we will discuss.
However, besides its importance in blood coagulation, plenty of evidence suggests that vitamin K2 may offer additional health benefits when supplemented. Research indicates that vitamin K2 supplementation may help prevent cardiovascular diseases, promote bone metabolism, contribute to skin health, and improve brain function.
According to studies, one of the crucial ways vitamin K2 benefits the body is by regulating calcium deposition and promoting bone calcification while simultaneously preventing the calcification of blood vessels and kidneys.
Listed as mcg/100 grams:
Plenty of evidence supports the potential role of vitamin K2 supplementation in improving overall health. However, it becomes especially beneficial if you take blood thinners like warfarin, have a coagulation disorder, experience a gut condition that causes fat (including vitamin K) malabsorption, or suspect your dietary intake of vitamin K might be low.
Traditionally, those on the blood thinner warfarin (coumadin) have been told to avoid vitamin K-rich foods. However, many doctors now advise one to stay consistent on their vitamin K intake so that the doctor can adjust the dose based on this diet. Consult your physician first; however, if you do, take Coumadin.
Besides playing a critical role in blood clotting, some of the health benefits of vitamin K2 include the following.
Cardiovascular health conditions have become the leading cause of death worldwide, representing 1 in 3 of all global deaths. However, while death is not preventable, dying prematurely from heart disease may be avoidable. Research has shown that a high calcium level in the coronary arteries is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. As a result, it may be possible that anything that can reduce this calcium buildup may help prevent heart disease. Interestingly, research indicates that vitamin K may prove helpful as it can potentially prevent calcium deposition.
According to the 2004 Rotterdam study, an adequate menaquinone intake (vitamin K2) is essential for preventing coronary artery disease. In this study, the researchers followed 4807 participants for ten years to evaluate the relationship between dietary vitamin K2 intake and the risk of aortic calcification, heart disease, and all-cause mortality. The researchers found that menaquinone intake significantly reduced the risk of heart disease, aortic calcifications, and all-cause mortality. Likewise, another Dutch study published in the Journal Atherosclerosis showed that a high dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary artery calcification.
Osteoporosis is a significant health problem for postmenopausal women. It affects one in two postmenopausal women, with many experiencing fractures in their lifetime. Many experts believe that vitamin K2 activates proteins required for bone growth and development and prevents the action of osteoclasts, cells involved in bone resorption. Many researchers believe a diet high in vitamin K2 is associated with a lower risk of bone fractures in aging men and women, especially hip fractures.
As a result, in a 2013 study, researchers aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin K2 (MK-7) on bone loss among 244 healthy postmenopausal women who received a placebo or 180 μg of MK-7 a day (in capsules) for three years. The study[xi] showed that Vitamin K (MK-7) supplementation significantly decreased the age-related decline in bone mineral density and strength, prompting researchers to recommend vitamin K2 for postmenopausal women.
Likewise, a 2006 systematic review and meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials showed that vitamin K2 reduces the incidence of bone fractures among the participants, especially vertebral and femoral fractures. Lastly, vitamin K2 has been approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in Japan since 1995, although most doctors in Europe and the United States rarely advise it.
With the obesity epidemic rampant throughout the world today, type 2 diabetes is also rising. Over half a billion people between the ages of 20 and 79 are living with diabetes. This number is expected to grow over the next decade. However, managing weight and improving diet that helps improve glycemic control are very effective at preventing diabetes and reducing the risk of diabetes complications.
Many researchers believe vitamin K2 can help with impaired insulin sensitivity and glycemic control. For example, a 2008 study published in the Diabetes Care Journal of the American Diabetes Association showed that 36 months of vitamin K intake significantly reduced the progression of insulin resistance in older men compared to the placebo.
Furthermore, a 2020 study involving 40 people with type 2 diabetes showed that vitamin K2 supplementation decreases serum glucose levels and increases carboxylated osteocalcin levels, the deficiency of which is associated with type 2 diabetes. Lastly, a 2016 literature review published in the Journal Nutrition indicates that vitamin K2 may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance by increasing osteocalcin levels, decreasing inflammation, and lowering serum cholesterol and other lipids.
Interestingly, nature has bestowed women with a more robust immune system than men, which may explain their longer lifespans. However, a stronger immune system also means greater susceptibility to autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, three times more common in women than men.
Furthermore, as the world population ages, the global burden of osteoarthritis (a degenerative condition) is also rising. Fortunately, vitamin K2, thanks to its immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory benefits, may offer some relief for both types of arthritis.
For example, a 2013 study consisting of 158 female participants revealed that vitamin K2 supplementation reduces inflammatory markers of rheumatoid arthritis and may hold the potential to improve disease activity besides osteoporosis.
Similarly, the authors of a 2020 review also found that vitamin K supplementation reduces inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) may benefit the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, many studies have also linked lower vitamin K levels to increased risk for osteoarthritis. For example, in a 2008 study, researchers found a 47 percent decrease in joint space narrowing — a sign of osteoarthritis that causes bones to rub on each other — among participants who were deficient in vitamin K. Likewise, a 2020 study in Nutrients agrees with clinical observations that sufficient vitamin K levels protect older people against osteoarthritis and joint fractures.
Besides improving heart health, reducing diabetes risk, and preventing osteoporosis, vitamin K2 may also help with another serious health problem facing the general population; age-related cognitive decline.
Alzheimer's, for example, has become one of the leading health problems worldwide and will continue to affect our aging population. Recent research paints a clear picture between vitamin K intake and age-related mental decline. Vitamin K synthesizes chemicals called sphingolipids, whose altered metabolism has been linked to brain and memory deterioration. Similarly, higher levels of vitamin K2 reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, the hallmark of neurodegeneration.
To add more, in a 2022 study, researchers estimated associations between brain vitamin K levels and cognitive outcomes in 325 descendants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. The researchers found that higher Vitamin K (MK4) concentrations were associated with 17 to 20 percent lower odds of dementia or mild cognitive impairment before death.
While the effects of vitamin K2 on skin health are not well-studied, limited evidence suggests that it may suppress pigmentation, promote wound healing, and exert anti-aging effects. For example, a 2007 study found that the lack of vitamin K2-activated GLA-proteins leads to the calcification of the elastin fibers in the skin. A 2019 randomized control trial found that topical application of Vitamin K speeds up wound healing and significantly reduces healing time.
Vitamin K is available in capsules, gummies, and topically. The suggested dose is as recommended on the label. Caution: If you take the blood thinner coumadin (Warfarin), you must consult your physician, as Vitamin K can thicken your blood. Vitamin K does not affect other types of blood thinners.
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By Dr. Eric Madrid, M.D.
