
Molecular Pathways and Roles for Vitamin K2-7 as a Health-Beneficial Nutraceutical. This is echoed in a 2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizing vitamin K2’s health benefits Jadhav N, Ajgaonkar S, Saha P, Gurav P, Pandey A, Basudkar V, Gada Y, Panda S, Jadhav S, Mehta D, Nair S. “By activating a protein called matrix Gla protein, vitamin K2 helps inhibit calcium deposits,” he adds. Calcification, or hardening of the heart arteries, is a contributor to heart disease. “Vitamin K2 may play a role in cardiovascular health by helping to prevent arterial calcification, which is the accumulation of calcium in the arteries,” says Dr. Efficacy of vitamin K2 in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The Frontiers in Public Health review also suggests that vitamin K2 may help prevent fractures, but more research is needed to confirm this finding Ma ML, Ma ZJ, He YL, Sun H, Yang B, Ruan BJ, Zhan WD, Li SX, Dong H, Wang YX. Vitamin K2 may be even more effective when used in combination with other treatments such as vitamin D, calcium or alendronate, research suggests. Indeed, a 2022 Frontiers in Public Health systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that vitamin K2 can help prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women by indirectly promoting bone mineralization and bone strength. “Vitamin K2 activates osteocalcin, a protein that helps bind calcium to the bone matrix, contributing to bone mineralization and strength,” says Dr. Researchers have studied vitamin K2 in the following areas. The half-life of a nutrient measures how long it takes for half of a nutrient to be removed from the body through metabolism and excretion. “It’s been suggested that vitamin K2, with its longer half-life compared to vitamin K1, travels throughout the body and plays a larger role in bone, cartilage and soft tissue,” says Jacqueline Wyman, a New York City-based private practice registered dietitian. The most well-researched menaquinones are MK-4, MK-7 and MK-9. The number of units is denoted by the number after MK, so MK-4 has four units, MK-5 has five units and so on. Menaquinones vary in length from four to 13 units. Most menaquinones are also produced by bacteria in the human gut. Menaquinones are types of vitamin K2 found in animal products and fermented foods. “With increasing research about the health benefits of vitamin K2, it’s starting to garner more interest.” “While both forms are important, they differ in their sources,” says Akil Palanisamy, M.D., a California-based integrative medicine physician, department chair for integrative medicine at the Sutter Health Institute for Health and Healing and author of The TIGER Protocol: An Integrative, 5-Step Program to Treat and Heal Your Autoimmunity. Vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin, refers to a group of compounds including vitamin K1 (or phylloquinone) and a range of vitamin K2 forms (menaquinones). Vitamin K2: What It Is, Benefits And Where To Find It While we work hard to provide accurate and up-to-date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Health does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof.

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