8 Secret Benefits OF Taking Vitamin K2

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8 Secret Benefits OF Taking Vitamin K2: Vitamin K is a nutrient well known for its essential role in blood clotting, but it also impacts a range of bodily functions, including cardiovascular and cognitive health. It comes in two forms, vitamin K1 and vitamin K2—the latter of which may play a bigger role in bone health. And while both forms of vitamin K are present in foods, those food sources differ.

8 Secret Benefits OF Taking Vitamin K2

1. Aids in blood clotting

  • One of the main functions of K vitamins is to allow your blood to clot. In fact, the “K” in vitamin K is in reference to the German word “koagulation,” which translates to “coagulation” or the ability to clot (or thicken) blood.
  • Blood clots may sound like a bad thing — and they can be. After all, blood clots can travel to your brain and cause strokes. And clots in your arteries cause heart attacks.
  • But a certain amount of clotting-ability in your blood is important for your health. The ability for your blood to clot is what keeps you from bleeding out after an injury. Blood that’s too thin can make you bruise more easily and even leave you at risk for dangerous internal bleeding.
  • Vitamin K can help keep your blood not too thick and not too thin. In the words of Goldilocks, it keeps your blood just right.
  • At this point, researchers have yet to determine if vitamin K1 or vitamin K2 are equally responsible for clotting or if one is any more effective than the other when it comes to blood clotting.

2. Builds healthy bones

  • When you think of strong and healthy bones, you may be tempted to think of calcium as the main nutrient to prevent fractures and osteoporosis.
  • And it’s true that calcium is an important part of bone health. But research is showing that calcium doesn’t act alone.
  • “Having low levels of vitamin K is associated with a higher risk of bone fractures,” Zumpano notes. “We’ve always put so much emphasis on calcium for bone health. But in reality, vitamin D, vitamin K and calcium all actually work together.”
  • Vitamin K helps activate a protein called osteocalcin, which binds to calcium to build bones. That makes vitamin K an essential component of bone health.
  • Some early studies are showing that vitamin K2 supplements may reduce fractures and improve bone quality in people with osteoporosis.
  • In Japan and other parts of Asia, one kind of vitamin K2 (MK-4), is used as a treatment for osteoporosis.

3. Improves heart health

  • In addition to its positive effects on blood clotting and strong bones, vitamin K helps keeps your heart healthy. That’s because of the way it acts to clear out calcium from your blood vessels.
  • When calcium builds up in your body, it can lead to hardening (or calcification) of your tissues, organs and blood vessels. Calcium deposits in your arteries can lead to high blood pressure, kidney disease and more.
  • “Vitamin K has been shown to help activate a protein that helps prevent calcium from depositing in your arteries,” Zumpano explains. “Calcium deposits contribute to the development of plaque, so vitamin K does a lot of good for your heart health.”
  • Some early research has shown that vitamin K2 may be more effective at clearing out calcium than vitamin K1.
  • One study found that people who took in at least 32 micrograms per day of vitamin K2 in their diet were 50% less likely to die from heart disease related to hardened arteries. People in that study didn’t consume any vitamin K1.
  • Other research showed that women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) who had a high intake of vitamin K2-rich foods (but not vitamin K1) were less likely to experience cardiovascular events, like heart attacks and strokes. For every 10 micrograms of vitamin K2 they consumed per day, their risk of heart disease decreased by 9%.
  • The European Food Safety Authority has approved a health claim for vitamin K, noting that “a cause-and-effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of vitamin K and the maintenance of normal bone.”

4. Helps in Heart health

  • Vitamin K-2 may lower the risk of cardiovascular damage and improve overall heart health.
  • According to a 2015 review, K-2 activates a protein that prevents calcium deposits from forming in the walls of blood vessels. The author cited findings suggesting that a diet high in natural vitamin K2 may decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.

5. Helps in Anxiety and depression

  • High blood glucose levels may increase a person’s risk of developing depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment.
  • A 2016 investigated the effects of vitamin K-2 in rats with metabolic syndrome, high blood glucose levels and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and memory deficit.
  • After 10 weeks, treatment with vitamin K had normalized blood glucose and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, it did not improve memory deficit in the rats.

6. Helpful in Cancer

  • Vitamin K-2 has antioxidant properties that may help protect against cancer. In addition, findings suggest that K-2 may suppress genetic processes that lead to tumor growth.
  • According to a 2018 study, vitamin K-2 that scientists had modified with a sialic acid-cholesterol conjugate significantly suppressed tumor growth in mouse cells.
  • A 2019 suggests that K-2 significantly reduces the activity of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1A) in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. HIF-1A is an important target for cancer drug therapy.

7. Helps in Cardiovascular Health

  • “Vitamin K2 may play a role in cardiovascular health by helping to prevent arterial calcification, which is the accumulation of calcium in the arteries,” says Dr. Palanisamy. Calcification, or hardening of the heart arteries, is a contributor to heart disease. “By activating a protein called matrix Gla protein, vitamin K2 helps inhibit calcium deposits,” he adds. This is echoed in a 2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizing vitamin K2’s health benefits.
  • However, a 2022 randomized clinical trial in Circulation of elderly men with aortic valve calcification showed that taking vitamin K2 and vitamin D supplementation for two years did not influence the progression of the calcification.
  • Additionally, in a 2023 American Journal of Transplantation randomized controlled trial involving kidney transplant recipients, researchers concluded that taking vitamin K2 supplementation (in the form of MK-7) didn’t change the likeliness of blood calcification, but it did help slow down the hardening of the arteries. Research on the impact of vitamin K2 on cardiovascular health is ongoing.

8. Helps in Brain Health

  • “Vitamin K2 may also impact brain health,” says Sharon Puello, a New York-based registered dietitian and adjunct professor at City University of New York. She cites a 2022 Alzheimer’s and Dementia study examining the association of vitamin K with cognitive health in over 300 elderly participants.
  • Participants with higher brain MK-4 (a form of vitamin K2) concentrations had a 17% to 20% lower risk of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

Author

  • JASMINE GOMEZ

    Jasmine Gomez is the Wishes Editor at Birthday Stock, where she cover the best wishes, quotes across family, friends and more. When she's not writing for a living, she enjoys karaoke and dining out more than she cares to admit. Who we are and how we work. We currently have seven trained editors working in our office to produce top-notch content that you can rely on. All articles are published according to the four-eyes principle: After completion of the raw version, the texts are checked by (at least) one other editor for orthographic and content accuracy.

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