Vitamin K2 - properties, occurrence, contraindications

When you read this introduction, your bacterial flora is producing vitamin K2! Yes, vitamin K2 has made itself at home in your gut and takes care of its proper concentration in your body. In this text, you will find the most important information about this chemical compound.

Supplement manufacturers recommend products with vitamin K2, but since your body produces it itself, do you need to supplement it at all? From this article, you'll learn what role vitamin K2 plays in the body, the most tasty sources and who is at risk of deficiency. 

See also:

• Vitamin K [action + deficiency symptoms]
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• Vitamin D3 K2 [whether you need to combine + expert opinion]
• Vitamin D3 drops [ranking + use + expert opinion]
• Vitamin K2 [properties + occurrence]
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• Best vitamin D3 [ranking + expert opinion]
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• Vitamin D deficiency [symptoms + treatment]
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• Vitamin D [dosage + standards and recommendations]
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• Vitamin D overdose [symptoms + effects + what to do]
.
• What is vitamin D? [sources, table, examples]
.
• Maximum dose of vitamin D [what + expert opinion]
.

Vitamin K - breakdown

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When we write about vitamin K, we mean a group of organic chemical compoundsand fat-soluble. 

Consists of:

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• vitamin K1 - phylloquinone, of plant origin, 
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• vitamin K2 - menaquinone, of animal origin and produced in the intestines, 
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• vitamin K3 - menadione, a synthetic form of vitamin K.
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The main function  of all vitamin K  is to activate proteinsand which have important functions in blood clotting, heart and bone health. Due to differences in absorption and transport to tissuesand throughout the body, vitamin K1 and K2 may have different effects on your health. 

Vitamin K1 or K2?

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The two vitamins  differ  in absorption, transport and tissue distribution .  The biological half-life of vitamin K2  is higher than that of vitamin K1 . In  studies involving humansand  researchers observed that vitamin K2 supplements generally improved bone and heart health, while vitamin K1 did not provide significant benefits.

Other studiesand  analysing the effects of vitamin K1 supplementation on bone density and vascular calcification are negative or show no difference. In contrast, studies using vitamin K2 show improvements in bone quality rather than bone density, with significant reductions in fractures and prevention of vascular calcification. 

In this article, we will focus on vitamin K2 and explain what its role is in the body. You will encounter this form in dietary supplements, often in combination with other fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E. Click a vitamin to find out more about it.

K2 MK7 - the only right vitamin?

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Vitamin K2 is a group of compounds that differ in the number of isoprenoid units in the side chain (from 4 to 13). It is assumed that the notation gives the symbol K2 together with the number of carbon atoms in the side chain given in brackets, e.g. K2 (6), or the symbol MK with the corresponding number of isoprenoid units, e.g. MK-6.

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Did you know that you don't need to supplement vitamins D3 and K2 together? Read why in the article about vitamin D3 K2.

Vitamin K2 - properties

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Vitamin K2 is produced by the bacteria that make up the intestinal flora  in our digestive system .  The synthesis of this vitamin by the microorganisms found in the jejunum and ileum covers a significant part of our daily requirement for this vitamin . And what role does vitamin K2 play for us?

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Vitamin K2:

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• provides proper  blood clottingand,
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• helps prevent  calcium deposition in the arteries ,
• its normal levels prevent  atherosclerosis,  stroke,  heart attack ,
• plays an important role in  bone metabolism ,
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• may help prevent  osteoporosis ,
• may reduce the likelihood of recurrence  of liver cancer .

Vitamin K2 deficiency

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At the outset, let me reassure you - vitamin K2 deficiency  is rareand. You can get it from your diet (I'll give you some inspiration later in the text) and it is produced by the gut flora. Unfortunately, despite this, there are some risk factors for deficiency - check them out.

Causes of vitamin K2 deficiency

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Sometimes diet and the hard work of our gut flora is not enough to have the correct levels of vitamin K. Risk factors for vitamin K2 deficiency include:

• fat malabsorption,
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• disorders of the digestive system (coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, short bowel syndrome)and,
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• eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) ,
• excessive, prolonged consumption  of alcohol ,
• diseases of the liver,
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• use  antibiotics  or anticoagulants .

Symptoms of vitamin K2 deficiency in adults

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How might your body manifest a vitamin K2 deficiency? Worrying  symptomsand are:

• coagulation disorders (prolonged wound healing time, haemorrhages, easy formation of bruises) intestinal disorders,
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• abundant menstrual periods,
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• cirrhosis,
• frequent diarrhoea,
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• frequent diarrhoea,
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• lower immunity,
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Effects of vitamin K2 deficiency

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Unmedicated deficiency is dangerous to health. Vitamin K2 deficiency has deplorable effects on:

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Bone system

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Osteocalcin  is a protein synthesised in cells that is responsible for calcium ion balance and stimulates bone mineralisationand. Osteocalcin function depends on the correct concentration of vitamin K2 in the bodyand. 

Deficiency of this vitamin results in an inability of osteocalcin to bind calcium in the bones. This may contribute to an increased risk of bone fractures and lead to osteoporosis. 

Cardiovascular system

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When we are deficient in vitamin K2, our cardiovascular system suffers. Deficiency of this vitamin leads to calcification of the arteriesand. We put ourselves at risk of developing congestion, heart attack, atherosclerosis, stroke.

Remember that deficiency of this vitamin is not common , unlike, for example, vitamin D. It's good to know what the causes and consequences of a deficiency are - but don't worry about it in advance. And you know what's even rarer than a deficiency? An excess of vitamin K2.

Vitamin K2 excess

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Excess of this vitamin is rare.  Symptoms of overdoseand reported in the literature include excessive sweating, feeling hot, breakdown of red blood cells and the onset of symptoms of haemolytic anaemia.

Researchers are looking at  toxicity ofand vitamin K3 (synthetic vitamin K, menadione), which is used to treat deficiency or prevent and control bleeding associated with low blood prothrombin levels. 

Summary:

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Vitamin K2 deficiency and excess are rare occurrences. If you take care of your intestinal flora and have a varied menu, you are not in danger of lacking this vitamin, and certainly not in excess. If you have any doubts, share them with your doctor.

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Contraindications to use

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Contraindications to vitamin K2 (and K2 Mk7 supplements) include pregnancy, breastfeeding, use of anticoagulant medications containing vitamin K antagonists (warfarin, acenocoumarol) or kidney diseaseand.

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If in doubt, speak to your doctor. However, as you already know from the article, supplementation with vitamin K2 or K2Mk7 is rather unnecessary in your case.

Daily vitamin K2 requirements

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The requirement for this vitamin varies and depends on age, gender and health status, among other factors. Due to  insufficient evidenceand regarding the function, absorption as well as occurrence of menaquinones (K2) in humans, standards have been set only for phylloquinone - vitamin K1.

However, let's assume that in order to be healthy and meet your daily requirement for this vitamin, you should consume about 60 µgand. OK, but what does this mean? What does it look like in practice? Read below what are the sources of vitamin K2 in food.

Vitamin K2 in infants

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Supplementation of vitamin K for infants is recommended by the Polish Neonatal Societyand. The recommendations are dictated by the low content of this vitamin in breast milk and, at the same time, by the incompletely developed bacterial flora of infants' intestines.  All newborns and within the first 5 hours of life should receive vitamin K (usually by injection).

Vitamin K2 deficiency in infants can appearand manifest in this way:

• bleeding from the site where the umbilical cord was removed,
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• bleeds in the skin, nose, gastrointestinal tract or other areas,
• bloods from the skin, nose, gastrointestinal tract or other areas.
• bleeding from the penis (if the child has been circumcised),
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• current bleeding into the brain,
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If you are a new parent and are concerned about your child's vitamin K2 deficiency, be sure to raise the issue with your family doctor.

See also health articles:

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• Blood tests [how often to do them + how to prepare] 
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• Cortisol testing [standards + price]
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• Thyroid tests [which ones to perform + norms + results]

Sources of vitamin K2

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The best sourcesand of vitamin K2 are:

• natto (Japanese food made from fermented soybeans) - 998 µg,
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• soft cheeses (e.g. mozzarella, feta) - 506 µg,
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• mould cheese - 440 µg
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• goose liver - 369 µg
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• hard cheeses (e.g. gouda, edam) - 282 µg,
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• beef liver - 106 µg
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• carb 63 - µg,
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• hen's egg yolk 67 µg to 192 µg,
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• pepperoni - 41.7 µg,
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• turkey sausage - 36.6 µg,
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• chicken meat - 35.7 µg,
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• frankfurter turkey - 31.2 µg,
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• salami - 28 µg,
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• whole milk - 38.1 µg,
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• bacon - 35 µg,
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See also other articles on vitamins and minerals:

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• Vitamin B12 deficiency [causes + symptoms + treatment]
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• Vitamin D deficiency [symptoms + treatment]
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• Potassium [deficiency + norm + what it's in]
• Zinc [properties + deficiency + excess]
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• Iron [properties + sources + deficiency]
• Selenium [properties + dosage + supplementation]
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• Iodine [properties + dosage + deficiency symptoms]
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Let's just say it was... an interesting experience. And you, are you familiar with natto? Let me know in the comments.

Let me know.

Summary

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