Should I take vitamin K2?

Our read is that vitamin K2 is considered essential for optimal health, playing a role in preventing arterial calcification, supporting bone and dental health, and contributing to improved longevity and cardiovascular outcomes.

Experts suggest that vitamin K2, primarily found in animal foods, works in conjunction with vitamin D to deposit calcium into bones and teeth, and its deficiency may contribute to issues like tooth decay and vascular calcification.

While vitamin K1 is involved in blood clotting, vitamin K2 is highlighted for its distinct benefits, with some experts noting that relying on K1 for K2 needs is not optimal due to poor conversion.

To obtain vitamin K2, sources suggest consuming animal foods such as meat, liver, raw cheese, eggs, and butter. Some experts also mention natto as a source of MK7.

• 01Rhonda Patrick stated that vitamin K2 supplementation can prevent arterial calcification caused by high vitamin D levels.
• 02Paul Saladino noted that nutrients such as vitamin K2, calcium, choline, and B vitamins are essential for optimal health.
• 03Paul Saladino indicated that mothers with robust vitamin K2 status can support healthy breastfeeding and infant development.
• 04Rhonda Patrick mentioned that vitamin K1 primarily goes to the liver to activate blood-clotting proteins.
• 05Paul Saladino claimed that a raw vegan diet may lead to cavities due to vitamin K2 deficiency.
• 06Paul Saladino stated that nutrients such as vitamin K2, carnitine, carnosine, anserine, taurine, vitamin B12, and riboflavin found in real animal foods are not present in plant-based alternatives made from mushroom mycelium, fruit juice, and spices.
• 07Paul Saladino reported that The Rotterdam Study indicated a correlation between higher intake of Vitamin K2 and improved health outcomes.
• 08Paul Saladino highlighted that animal foods contain unique compounds essential for optimal human health, including B12, creatine, carnitine, choline, anserine, taurine, vitamin K2, and riboflavin.
• 09Rhonda Patrick noted that rainbow chard is a good source of vitamin K1, and both vitamin K1 and K2 are required as cofactors for proteins involved in blood coagulation, preventing vascular calcification, and maintaining bone homeostasis.
• 10Paul Saladino explained that Vitamin K2 works with Vitamin D to deposit calcium into bones and teeth by activating osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein.
• 11Paul Saladino emphasized that animal foods contain vitamin K2 (menaquinone), which is associated with improved longevity and cardiovascular health, unlike vitamin K1 found in plants.
• 12Paul Saladino suggested that cheese, preferably raw, provides essential nutrients including Vitamin K2, calcium, and riboflavin necessary for optimal health.
• 13Paul Saladino stated that tooth decay is controlled by adontoblasts and immune cells in the teeth, which function properly when sufficient fat-soluble vitamins (like K2 and A) are present.
• 14Paul Saladino mentioned that a diet historically rich in animal foods provides nutrients such as K2, B12, choline, creatine, retinol, zinc, and collagen.

Some experts suggest that fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, not sugar, causes tooth decay, and that vitamin K2 from foods like liver and meat is sufficient for healthy teeth and bones, potentially negating the need for fluoride. Concerns were raised that heated or partially hydrogenated seed oils may be harmful due to the production of dihydro vitamin K1, which inhibits vitamin K2 formation. Statins were noted to inhibit vitamin K2 synthesis, potentially increasing the risk of vascular calcification. Vegans and vegetarians may be deficient in vitamin K2, as phylloquinone (vitamin K1) intake is not associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes. It was also noted that most mainstream physicians do not differentiate between vitamin K1 and K2, and that K2 is primarily obtained from animal foods, not plants. Relying solely on Vitamin K1 from plants or Vitamin K2 from natto is likely not optimal for human health, and relying on Vitamin K1 for Vitamin K2 needs is not a good strategy due to poor conversion. Modern animal farming practices, such as grain-feeding and indoor housing, may result in meat products with low Vitamin K2 content.

The verdict could change if new evidence emerges demonstrating that vitamin K1 effectively converts to K2 in humans, or if plant-based sources are found to reliably provide sufficient K2 for optimal health outcomes. Additionally, if studies show that the benefits attributed to K2 are primarily due to other confounding factors in animal-based diets, or if K2 supplementation is found to have significant adverse effects, the verdict might be re-evaluated.