The vitamin no one takes, but should
Vitamin K2 works with vitamins A, D, and calcium to strengthen bones and keep our bodies healthy and running efficiently. Without vitamin K2, calcium could end up in joints and arteries. Lack of this essential vitamin is linked to osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, bone fractures, plaque in coronary arteries, vitamin D toxicity, insulin resistance, MS, excess body fat, and even cancer. “Vitamin K2 completely blocks free radical accumulation” (pg 112). “Vitamin K deficiency is also linked to Alzheimer’s’” (pg. 113) and “…increases our risk of diabetes” (pg 112). How does Vitamin K do this? It has many roles, one being that Vitamin K improves insulin absorption. If you think vitamins are not important, a reminder is that doctors insist on pregnant women to take prenatal vitamins to prevent disease and deformity in their unborn children.
Never heard of K2? Most people haven’t. When people think of Vitamin K, that’s K1 from green leafy green vegetables, which doesn’t readily convert to K2. It’s rare that people are deficient in Vitamin K1. K2 sources used to be abundant, but because of practices to increase profits, instead of increasing nutrients in the foods we eat, most people are deficient in K2.
K2 comes from fat, butter, and liver from animals that roam freely in the sun and eat grass (now they are fed blood, organs, and grain, and are sheltered in small confined spaces), and from bright orange egg yokes from chickens who are out in the open air, getting natural vitamin D from sunshine. K2 also comes from natto, which is spoiled, slimy soybeans that is found in some Japanese diets. You can get your K2 from kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish with vegetables (I tried it and my stomach hurt for hours), and from emu oil (which you can buy and use to moisturize your skin).
Joint pain could be caused from eating sugar, a lack of exercise, or from a deficiency of K2; Calcium can settle in joints instead of building bones. K2 pushes calcium where it needs to go and ushers it away from where it shouldn’t. K2 deficiency could also be an indication of frozen shoulder where the shoulder becomes calcified, resulting in pain and limited range of motion.
When searching for a K2 vitamin, look for K2 with MK-7. You don’t want Vitamin K2 with MK-4, that’s synthetic, and potentially harmful. If you’re vegan, you don’t want MK-4 because that’s from animal products. Even if you’re not vegan, MK-4 isn’t the most beneficial form of K2. You want the natural non-animal form of K2, which is MK-7. Look for one that is non-GMO and has the GMP designation, which stands for good manufacturing practices.
Dr. Kate Rheamume-Bleue, author of “Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox,” recommends taking vitamins A, D3, K2, magnesium and calcium together with some fat. You can omit the Vitamin A as long as you take these vitamins with food containing protein. If you’re taking blood thinners, she recommends no more than 50 mcg of K2 MK-7 per day (see 2nd link below). If you cannot find this small amount of MK-7 by itself, you can, instead search for a multi-vitamin which will typically have less MK-7. She recommends 120 mg of MK-7 for most people, but she ups the dosage for her type 2 diabetic and overweight patients to 240 mg of MK-7.
This is one I ordered:
K2 MK-7 90 mcg $11.86 60 soft gels https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-MK-7-mcg-Count/dp/B0013OVVFA/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1524754518&sr=1-4&keywords=jarrow+k2
For those on blood thinners:
Low dose 45 mcg MK-7: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Low-Dose-Vitamin-Softgels/dp/B001KSNDSM/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1524755902&sr=1-4&keywords=life%2Bextension%2Bvitamin%2Bk2%2Bmk-7&th=1
1. Source: Rheaume-Bleue, Dr. Kate. Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox. How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life. Wiley. 2012. Print.
Photo: Me
