Why vitamin K2 is the new star in the field of health and research and development of innovative nutritional supplements

Yes, you read that right - we are not talking about the well-known vitamin K1, but about its structural "brother", vitamin K2. They are completely different in their action in our body, and in this article, find out the peculiarities, differences and benefits of these important fat-soluble vitamins.

As vitamin K1 deficiency is rare, it often happens that the much more common vitamin K2 deficiency is overlooked - a lesser-known form of vitamin K that is increasingly in the focus of health professionals today due to its proven beneficial effects on heart and bone health.

 

Vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 - the differences 

Over time and numerous educations, we have come to see that there is a lot of "confusion" going on about the differences between vitamin K1 and K2. With this article, we would like to help clarify things finally. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists naturally in several forms: vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) or vitamin K2 (menaquinone).

Most of the vitamin K present in food is vitamin K1, and its main sources are vegetables, especially leafy greens, while broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, peas, green tea and avocado are also good sources. It is resistant to heat treatment, so it is not lost by cooking food. K1 has a short half-life and is mainly used by the liver to support blood clotting. Its insufficient dietary intake is extremely rare.

 

Although these two vitamins belong to the same category, their action in the body is completely different. Major health organizations, such as the WHO, EFSA and FDA, have established recommended daily allowances for K vitamins, which are mainly based on the dose of vitamin K1 required for normal blood clotting function. Organizations should definitely recognize the differences between K1 and K2 as soon as possible and investigate them in detail, as well as the recommended daily dose for vitamin K2 according to indications and different age groups.

Vitamin K2 has different functions in the body than vitamin K1 and these vitamins should not be used interchangeably or for the same nutritional purposes.

Why do we need K2 (menaquinone)?

Vitamin K2 is an essential vitamin that is needed by the whole body, at every stage of our life. No matter who we are or what we do, we all need vitamin K2, and it's usually found in animal products and fermented products. Unlike K1, vitamin K2 is used by our bones and blood vessels. K2 activates many calcium-binding proteins, such as osteocalcin or matrix Gla protein, which play a role in building and maintaining bone mass and preventing calcification of arteries and other soft tissues.

Thus, vitamin K2, through controlling the transport and distribution of calcium, sometimes serves to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth, and sometimes to prevent and reduce harmful calcium deposits on the arteries - it depends on what our body primarily needs. The role of vitamin D3 in this story is to help absorb calcium into the bloodstream. 

K2 has two, for our health, most important subtypes: MK-4 and MK-7

Vitamin K2 has dozens of subtypes called menaquinones (all named after the length of their molecular chain). Two subtypes of vitamin K2, the most important for our health, are menaquinone-4 (abbreviated: MK-4) and menaquinone-7 (abbreviated: MK-7). Research has shown that most vitamin K1 is converted to vitamin K2 (MK-4) in the tissues where it is stored, but the exact biochemical pathways are still unknown.

MK-7 is crucial for the health of the bone and cardiovascular system, and is produced by synthesis from phylloquinone through bacterial fermentation.

Due to its extremely high bioavailability, supplementation in the form of vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (MK-7), to ensure sufficient intake for carboxylation of target proteins outside the liver.

 

Another difference between vitamin K2: cis and trans forms

In nature, menaquinones are found in a linear configuration called trans. This is what is known as the bioactive form, that is, the form that our body can use in food supplements. Due to inferior manufacturing methods or stability issues, it can take on a non-linear cis form. Cis forms fail to activate vitamin K-dependent proteins, rendering them biologically inactive.

That is exactly why we are for our formulation Motion Support+ selected K2VITAL® by Kappa Bioscience. Namely, their patented ingredient K2VITAL® is 99.7% all-trans K2 MK-7. What does that mean? This means that MK-7 is identical to the naturally occurring K2 molecule and is fully bioactive, so that by using it, everyone gets the best possible benefits for their bones, heart and whole body health.

Availability in food - why are so many of us in a deficit of K2 intake?

For a long time, the human diet provided an abundance of vitamin K2 through the process of food fermentation. However, throughout history, looking at the eating habits of mankind, we discover that our modern "Western" diet does not contain it nor the approximate amount of fermented food as it once (about 60 or so years ago and of course more) contained.

 

That's why it's not surprising that epidemiological studies show that 97% of the population that follows a Western diet does not get enough vitamin K2.

Sources of vitamin K2 (both MK-4 and MK-7) are found, in very small concentrations, in: meat (especially liver and meat from grass-fed animals) and dairy products (full-fat cheeses and butter).

A vegan source extremely rich in vitamin K2 is natto – a food product made from fermented soybeans, named after the bacteria Bacillus natto that converts vitamin K1 into vitamin K2. However, as it has a distinctive smell and taste that is not for everyone, most people do not even know or even consume this food.

Dietary recommendations range between 75 and 120 µg per day, but they can be higher for certain populations. The nutritionist's recommendation is to definitely include food sources of vitamins K1 and K2 in your daily diet and, if there is a need or established deficit, to introduce appropriate supplementation. But don't worry, vitamin K2 isn't (anymore) so hard to come by because it's in our nutritional supplement for bone, cartilage and muscle health Motion Support+ in powerful synergy with patented collagen UC-II® and vitamin C.

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