K2: Hidden, Ignored, and Banned
OR
Get On Top of K2
By: Kenneth Murr
We know vitamins are essential for life. Vitamins were first postulated in 1905 when researchers fed animals a diet of only pure proteins, carbohydrates, fats, salts, and water. The animals did not thrive so they determined there must be contributing factors in a healthy diet, other than the five substances they were fed. The unknown factors were later discovered and called “vitamins” because they were thought to be vital ‘amines’ — the building block of amino acids. It Turns out vitamins are not amines, but the name stuck. Scientists, for decades now, have identified a long list of vitamins, but one in particular, Vitamin K,
holds particular promise in reversing heart disease, treating bleeding disorders, and serves as an excellent addition to cancer treatment.
Vitamin K was isolated in 1929 by Herik Dam, a Danish scientist, discovered Vitamin K. Dam was attempting to study the role cholesterol played in the body, and was using chickens as his test subjects for his experiments. Part of the experiment involved depriving the chickens of cholesterol, a move which caused the chickens to hemorrhage and bleed. Dam realized the bleeding had not stopped, even after replacing the cholesterol in the chickens’ diet. He theorized something else must have been removed in the process of withdrawing the cholesterol from the food the chickens were being fed. It dawned on him the missing ingredient was the “Koagulations vitamin”, the vitamin responsible for aiding in blood coagulation. Thus, Vitamin K was discovered by Dam.
Another scientist, Edward Adelbert Doisy of Saint Louis University, was also researching Vitamin K, and is credited for helping to accurately identify the nature and chemical structure of Vitamin K. Dam and Doisy both received the Nobel Prize in 1943 for their contributions to the discovery of Vitamin K, it’s structure and function.
Since Vitamin K’s discovery, several other forms of the vitamin have either been discovered, K1 and K2 being the primary forms. Bacteria in the large intestine can convert K1 into K2, and there are three synthetic forms of the vitamin: K3, K4, and K5.
There are two natural forms of Vitamin K: K1 and K2. The first, Vitamin K1, is a vitamin found in green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, and spinach. K1 can be consumed by ingesting these vegetables, and from there, in the large intestine the body uses healthy bacteria in the gut to convert K1 into K2 (menaquinones).
Because people often overuse antibiotics, the healthy bacteria in the intestines of some individuals may be compromised, leading to the body’s inability to effectively produce enough K2. If the healthy bacteria in one’s digestive system has been compromised, a vitamin K2 deficiency can occur because the conversion from K1 to K2 cannot take place.
Symptoms of vitamin K deficiency include but are not limited to: bleeding within the digestive tract, heavy menstrual bleeding cycles, bruising easily, bleeding gums, and uncontrollable bleeding at puncture or surgical sites. In some countries, newborns are injected with vitamin K to prevent bleeding, although the practice is controversial. The rationale behind the injections is that newborns have not yet developed a digestive tract which contains healthy flora, so an injection is required as preventative medicine against brain bleeding in newborns.
To combat vitamin K deficiency, it’s recommended to eat green, leafy vegetables to obtain the appropriate daily intake of K1. Combined with eating more greens add a probiotic, which contain the micro-flora (healthy bacteria) necessary to convert K1 into K2. Lastly, it’s important to avoid as much as possible taking antibiotics. Those medicines kill all the healthy bacteria that live in the gut. Without such organisms residing in the digestive system, vitamin K2 cannot be produced.
Researchers are now just beginning to understand the importance of vitamin K2 to overall health. According to a recent study, postmenopausal women, who were given K2 supplementation, saw a dramatic increase in their bone density. Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones deteriorate over time, and affects mostly seniors. According to one Japanese study, patients who took K2 supplements say an 87 percent reduction in bone fractures. Vitamin K2 is essential for bone health.
But the benefits of K2 are not limited to just bone health. According to one European study, K2 is very beneficial to help prevent heart disease, reverse atherosclerosis (calcification and hardening of the arteries), and even prevent deaths by heart attacks by as much as 50 percent.
There are two versions of vitamin K2 which are commercially available in Canada and elsewhere as MK4 and MK7. MK4 used in dietary supplements is created through chemical synthesis. MK7 is produced by bacterial fermentation of soy. As a result of recent studies, which hold out promise for K2 as a viable supplement for both osteoporosis and heart disease, the Japanese have established a recommended daily dose has been established of 45mg of MK4 or MK7. And even though the vitamin serves as a coagulant, other studies demonstrate K2 taken at extremely high doses (as high as 135mg/day) pose no risk of blood clot formation.
Unfortunately, access to MK4 supplementation is difficult because of governmental regulations. Currently, in Canada, the maximum amount of K2 available without a prescription is 120mcg (a mcg is a one thousandth of a gram). In order to get the recommended daily dose of K2, you would have to consume 375 pills .
Several Japanese studies confirm that commercially available MK7 is just as effective at improving bone density and preventing against bone fractures as K2 which has been converted in the intestines from K1. But experts agree that MK7 shouldn’t be taken alone, rather it should be combined with vitamin D3 to fully realize it’s bone density replenishing properties. And teeth can also benefit from MK7 and D3 supplementation as well.
Vitamin K2 has also been shown to work as an anti-inflammatory supplement as well as an antioxidant (helps to prevent cell damage). It’s also been stated that Vitamin K is effective at helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. Scientists are beginning to come to a consensus that many cancers have their origins in inflammation. So, if K2 works to help reduce inflammation, then it’s conceivable that it works to help prevent many forms of cancer.
it’s important for us to spend a bit of time on potential interactions, some of which are important. Blood thinners such as Warfarin and Coumadin work to keep the blood as thin as possible so that the risk of stroke and heart attack is minimized. Patients taking these drugs or patients with a heart condition should consult with their health care practitioner to see if vitamin K supplementation is right for them. Vitamin K counteracts the effect of drugs like Warfarin and Coumadin.
The best place to get vitamin K is from food. A good food source of vitamin K2 is cheese. Gouda cheese is one of the best sources with 20mcg of K2 per ounce, and other cheeses like Brie, Jarlsberg’s and Edam are also good sources of K2. Organ meat is a good source of K2, but not palatable for many people. Eggs yolks as well as butter and meats of cows raised on grass instead of grain also contain significant amounts of K2. Substitute grass-fed meat and dairy for standard varieties to increase Vitamin K intake.
Another other way to get higher doses of K2 is by consuming a Japanese food product known as “natto”. Natto is made from fermented soybeans which means it’s slimy, stinky, and has a strong flavour. Natto is the highest dietary source of vitamin K2 with an astounding 775 mcg per 100 gram serving. People who eat natto seem to live longer.
One of the easiest ways to add vitamin K to your diet is by eating more green leafy vegetables. Add to that a good, viable probiotic supplement. Probiotics provide the healthy bacteria necessary for converting K1 into K2.
Those individuals who have a family history of heart disease and osteoporosis now have another glimmer of promise that they, too, can escape the cycle of bone degeneration and heart attacks. Looks like K2 is a mountain we should all try to climb!
