Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is an important vitamin especially those with cardiac disease, osteoporosis or MS.

Those supplementing with vitamin D should also be taking vitamin K2 as vitamin D increases the need for vitamin K2.

Most are aware of vitamin K1 which is involved with blood clotting, Newly discovered vitamin K2 is a related molecule with different functions.

Vitamin K2 (menaquinone)

•      Directs calcium away from soft tissues such as blood vessels and toward bones and teeth, improving vascular and bone health [1]

•      Is essential to building part of the myelin sheath [2], [3]

•      Protects myelinating cells and neurons [4], [5]

•      Improves overall longevity:

[6-10]

•               1.         S. Cockayne, J. Adamson, S. Lanham-New, M.J. Shearer, S. Gilbody and D.J. Torgerson, Vitamin K and the prevention of fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006; 166: 1256-1261

•               2.         N.A. Denisova and S.L. Booth, Vitamin K and sphingolipid metabolism: evidence to date. Nutr Rev. 2005; 63: 111-121

•               3.         G. Ferland, Vitamin K and the nervous system: an overview of its actions. Adv Nutr. 2012; 3: 204-212

•               4.         S.A. Back, N.L. Luo, N.S. Borenstein, J.M. Levine, J.J. Volpe and H.C. Kinney, Late oligodendrocyte progenitors coincide with the developmental window of vulnerability for human perinatal white matter injury. J Neurosci. 2001; 21: 1302-1312

•               5.         J. Li, H. Wang and P.A. Rosenberg, Vitamin K prevents oxidative cell death by inhibiting activation of 12-lipoxygenase in developing oligodendrocytes. J Neurosci Res. 2009; 87: 1997-2005

6         Rees K, Guraewal S, Wong YL, et al. Is vitamin K consumption associated with cardio-metabolic disorders? A systematic review. Maturitas. 2010 Oct;67(2):121-8.

7           Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. 2004 Nov;134(11):3100-5.

8                    Gast GC, de Roos NM, Sluijs I, et al. A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. Nutr. Metab. Cardiovasc. Dis. 19 (2009) 504-510.

9                      Beulens JW, Bots ML, Atsma F, et al. High dietary menaquinone intake is associated with reduced coronary calcification. Nutr. Metab. Cardiovasc. Dis. 19 (2009) 504-510.

10           Vermeer C. Clinical trial on beneficial effects of long term menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) intake by postmenopausal women. ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT00642551.

Kroon A. The effects of vitamin K2 supplementation on the progression of coronary artery calcification. ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT01002157.