Vitamin K2: Natural Medicine Week

Vitamin K2 is essential for blood health, vascular health, and normal coagulation.

Vitamin K dependent proteins include procoagulants (e.g., prothrombin), anticoagulants, osteocalcin (regulator of mineral deposition), matrix Gla protein, periostin (tissue regeneration, mediates cell activation, inhibition of calcification), among others.

There is increasing evidence that micro-calcification plays a role in atherosclerosis and is an active player in plaque progression and destabilisation.

Vitamin K2 has shown beneficial effects in arterial stiffness, vascular calcification, and micro-calcification.

In the Knappen study, healthy postmenopausal women received either placebo or MenaQ7 (180 micrograms/day) for 3 years. MenaQ7 favourably affected bone strength. MenaQ7 significantly decreased age-related decline in bone mineral content and bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. MenaQ7 significantly decreased the loss in vertebral height of the lower thoracic region at the mid-site of the vertebrae.

A 3-year double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy postmenopausal women found that 180 micrograms/day of Vitamin K2 (MenaQ7) decreased arterial stiffness compared to placebo.

Supporting Natural Medicine Week

References:
Sato T, et al. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 31;12(4):965.
Florea A., et al. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2020 Mar 2,
Knapen M.H., et al. Thromb Haemost. 2015;113(5):1135-44.

Presented for information purposes only. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to a health professional.