It has been speculated that vitamin K1 can be converted into K2 by the body by intestinal bacteria, however current studies question the amount of vitamin K2 that can be obtained from intestinal fermentation because most of the vitamin K1 goes to the liver. to fulfill its regulatory functions of coagulation since the transformation into vitamin K2 takes place in the upper part of the intestine, while the highest concentration of bacteria that can produce vitamin K2 is found in the lower part of the intestine, the colon , which also does not reach the bile salts that are necessary for the absorption of vitamin K. That is why the intake of vitamin K2 is revealed to be very important.
Vitamin K2 deficiency
How do I know if I need vitamin K2?
When you don't get enough of the vitamin K your body needs, you may experience any of the following symptoms:
- hemorrhages. Nosebleeds can be caused by environmental conditions. ...
- Appearance of bruises. ...
- Purpuric syndrome. ...
- Excessive calcification in the joints.
What disease is caused by a lack of vitamin K?
Severe vitamin K deficiency can lead to bruising and bleeding problems because blood clots more slowly. Vitamin K deficiency may reduce bone strength and increase the risk of osteoporosis since the body needs vitamin K for bone health.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A DEFICIT?
The amount of vitamin K1 that is converted to vitamin K2 depends on individual factors. Deficiency can be detected by measuring the blood levels of osteocalcin .
People who do not consume enough vegetables, those who suffer from intestinal microbiota disorders or inflammatory bowel disease are most at risk of vitamin K2 deficiency.
Those who take anticoagulant drugs ( warfarin , aspirin...), to reduce cholesterol or antibiotics are also more at risk.
Vitamin K2: essential for your skin and healthy bones
Recent studies suggest that this unknown vitamin K has key properties to prevent bone and circulatory problems and some types of cancer.
The good condition of the bones, blood vessels and heart depends on many factors, but there is one key nutrient that has received very little attention until now: vitamin K2. In fact, if they tell you K2 and you think of the mythical mountain of the same name rather than a vitamin.
The main reason for this lack of knowledge is that vitamin K1, the most well-known form of vitamin K, is transformed into vitamin K2 and K1 deficiency was not a concern because it is abundant in green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin K2 meets all the requirements to be considered an essential nutrient and to determine the minimum amount recommended per day for the body.
Are wrinkles an inevitable fact of our aging? Or is it possible that laugh lines and crow's feet could indicate a more serious underlying health problem? Like, for example, the deficiency of Vitamin K2.
There is additional research that reinforces the notion that a sufficient dietary intake of vitamin K2 results in smoother skin. In them, a reduced renal filtration rate is associated with an increase in the appearance of facial wrinkles.
And what does reduced renal filtration predict?
As you imagined. According to American studies published a year later, it predicts a vitamin K2 deficiency .
Benefits of Vitamin K-2 for bone and heart health.
There are several functions of vitamin K2 in the body, so its consumption is associated with a series of benefits:
1. PROTECTS THE HEART AND BONES
A Research from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam suggests that increasing the dose of K2 could halve the risk of heart attack . On the other hand, a study from the University of Athens showed that it produces positive changes in bone density.
And it is that vitamin K2 is essential, among other things, to fix calcium in the bones and not in the arteries . In this way it prevents from osteoporosis and osteoarthritis to arteriosclerosis and heart attacks.
Vitamin K2 teams up with vitamin D , another essential vitamin for bones. Vitamin D ensures that blood calcium levels are elevated.
But vitamin K2 activates osteocalcin , the protein that promotes the accumulation of the mineral in bone. Therefore, both are essential.
2. OTHER BENEFITS
Other scientific works relate K2 to dental health , the prevention of some types of cancer –such as prostate cancer– or neurodegenerative diseases.
Among the studies that suggest that vitamin K2 could have a protective effect against cancer , it indicates that it reduces the recurrence of liver cancer. Another study concluded that high doses reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 63%.
Apart from the function of regulating blood coagulation processes common to all K vitamins, vitamin K-2 is necessary to activate osteocalcin, a molecule necessary to deposit calcium in the bones and which has a synergistic effect with vitamin D, in the formation of bone and in the prevention of osteoporosis, that is why it is very important both in the growth periods in which the bone is formed, as well as in the menopause or when aging when the bone tends to lose its structure and there is an increased risk of osteoporosis. A study carried out in the Netherlands, in 181 postmenopausal women, observed that the administration of a daily supplement of a mixture of minerals (calcium, magnesium and zinc) with vitamin D and vitamin K2, improved the bone mineral density of the hip by 1 .7% more than women who had not received this supplement. The same mixture of minerals and vitamin D but with vitamin K1 also had an improvement, but less, 1.3%. And in Japan, another study found that women who ate nattō (a food rich in vitamin K2 in the form of menaquinone-7) had a lower risk of hip fracture. Other studies have confirmed this benefit of vitamin K and interesting data is obtained from the results of another study, which compared the effects of supplementing the diet with different products containing different types of vitamin K: vitamin K1 ( phylloquinone ) or vitamin K2 (MK-7) on bone metabolism in menopausal women and found that the most favorable changes were obtained with vitamin K2 (MK-7).
It could also be said that vitamin K2 helps drive calcium from the bloodstream to the bones, preventing it from accumulating in the blood vessels.
Calcification of blood vessels, especially arteries, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, because calcium deposits increase the rigidity and fragility of the vessels and because they are the main mineral component of atherosclerotic plaques that form. They form from cholesterol that is deposited in the arteries. These atheromatous plaques can clog arteries or rupture, leading to clot formation. A study carried out in more than 10,000 people without symptoms of cardiovascular disease, smokers and non-smokers, observed that the highest risk of dying from a heart attack in the following five years corresponded to people with the highest amount of calcium present in the vascular system . Young smokers with high calcium levels were also found to have a four to nine times higher risk of dying than non-smokers of a similar age.
Vitamin K-2 has shown in different studies that it is capable of reducing the risk of calcification of the arteries and death from cardiovascular accident, as demonstrated in a large study carried out in Rotterdam that included 4,807 patients and in which it was seen that long-term consumption of vitamin K-2 reduced the risk of fatal cardiovascular events by 50%. A recent study, with a three-year follow-up of healthy postmenopausal Dutch women, demonstrated that the regular consumption of 180 micrograms of MK-7 daily provided protection of bone structures, with improvement of mineral density and bone resistance, both at level of the vertebrae as well as the neck of the femur and reduced the risk of osteoporosis. This same study also found important benefits at the cardiovascular level in the prevention of vascular stiffness and elasticity in the long term.
Vitamin K2 in children
During the development and growth of bones in childhood and adolescence, an adequate supply of vitamin K2 is needed. A higher level of vitamin K2 has been found to be associated with better bone mass, bone structure and mineral content and since, according to a 2005 study, most adults and children are deficient in vitamin K intake at diet, consideration should be given to giving children an adequate amount of vitamin K2 to promote better bone structure. Starting from a good structure and mineral composition of the bones at a young age decreases the risk of suffering severe osteoporosis in adulthood.
Contraindications of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7)
Who should not take vitamin K2?
I do not recommend vitamin K2 supplementation without prior consultation with a specialist for people with:
- History of thrombosis or hypercoagulation problems,
- Anticoagulant treatments ( warfarin , acenocoumaron (Sintrom), aspirin)
- Antidiabetic treatments.
- Pregnancy or lactation.
At normally recommended doses, vitamin K2 has been shown to be very safe for healthy people, however, people taking anticoagulant therapy, although they may experience reduced bone quality, should not take vitamin K supplements at any of its forms without medical supervision, as it could interfere with the treatments.
What foods contain vitamin K2?
If you want to ensure a sufficient intake of vitamin K2, you should know that it is a very elusive nutrient and extremely difficult to achieve with a modern diet.
Vitamin K2 content of selected foods: Goose Liver, Hard Cheeses (Gouda style), Soft Cheeses ( Brie style ), Egg Yolk (Holland)
How much vitamin K2 should be consumed daily?
Recommended daily dose: 90 micrograms / day for women and 120 micrograms / day for men.
