Vitamin K2: unknown but essential for your bones

The good state of bones, blood vessels, and heart It 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 best known form of vitamin K, is transformed into vitamin K2 and K1 deficiency did not concernbecause it is found abundantly in green leafy vegetables.

Discover the symptoms that indicate a lack of vitamin K in the following video.

Furthermore, vitamin K1 is required only in small doses, about 90-120 mcg daily, to allow blood clottingits main function.

However, we now know that only a small part of vitamin K1 is transformed into K2 and that, due to its properties, this vitamin is essential for the health of the bones, the circulatory or nervous system. In fact, according to a recent study published in the journal NutrientsDue to its important functions, vitamin K2 meets all the requirements to be considered an essential nutrient and to determine the minimum amount recommended per day for the body.

What is vitamin K2 used for?

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

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, for 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 mineral accumulation in bone. Therefore, both are essential.

2. Other benefits

Other scientific papers relate K2 to the dental healththe prevention of some types of cancer –such as prostate cancer– or neurodegenerative diseases.

Among the studies suggesting that vitamin K2 might have a protective effect against cancer, we found one from the Saga Medical School (Japan) that indicates that it reduces the recurrence of liver cancer. Another, from the Heidelberg Cancer Research Center (Germany), concludes that high doses reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 63%.

Symptoms of vitamin K deficiency

The vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) It is found in plant foods and is essential in the blood clotting process. AND

The vitamin K2 (menaquinone) it is the result of the transformation of K1 by intestinal bacteroides and bifidobacteria and activates proteins that regulate the fate of calcium, collaborating in its fixation in the bones.

These important functions of both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 cause its deficiency to be reflected in these symptoms:

The main symptom of vitamin K1 deficiency is the tendency to suffer bleeding and bruisingas well as blood stains under fingernails.The early and deep wrinkles on the face and neck can be a symptom of K2 deficiency and risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a study published in Endocrine Reviews.

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 discovered by measuring the osteocalcin blood levels.

People who do not consume enough vegetables, those who suffer alterations of the intestinal microbiota or inflammatory bowel disease are who are at higher risk suffering from a vitamin K2 deficiency.

Those who take anticoagulant drugs (warfarin, aspirin…), to reduce cholesterol or antibiotics.

Foods rich in vitamin K2

The minimum daily needs The reference value for vitamin K1, according to the Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetic Societies, is 90 micrograms for women and 120 micrograms for men.

At the moment there is no recommended minimum amount for K2, as it is expected to be produced by the intestinal flora.

The best strategy to increase the consumption of vitamin K2 is:

eat green vegetables daily and in abundance, because they contain vitamin K1, which digestive bacteria are responsible for transforming into K2. The main sources of the precursor vitamin K1 are green leafy vegetables such as kale (882 micrograms in 100 grams), the cabbage (623 micrograms) and the spinach (494 micrograms).Take care of intestinal health for the conversion to be successful.

there are some foods that provide vitamin K2 directly. It is found, for example, in full-fat dairy products and in the fat of animals that are fed on grass. But it is also found in fermented vegetables:

He natto of soybeans contains up to 900 micrograms in 100 grams. sauerkraut It provides about 4-5 micrograms per 100 grams.

The vegan people They are not usually deficient in vitamin K2, unless they do not eat enough green leafy vegetables each day or have a disorder that makes it difficult to convert to K2. Some authors suggest that K2 should be obtained from foods of animal origin or fermented, but there is no consensus on this.

How to supplement it

The toxic potential of this vitamin is so low that a maximum dose has not been determined. Multivitamins contain 10 to 25 micrograms. Some doctors recommend 50 to 100 micrograms people with osteoporosis or osteopenia.

Remember that supplements They are not a substitute for a balanced diet.