The Twinning of Vitamin K: Introducing Vitamin K2

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May 8, 2019

Did you know that vitamin K has a twin? The vitamin K most of us are familiar with is vitamin K1. It has an equally and medically important twin brother (not an evil one) identified as vitamin K2.

Unknown to most of us, there are two main types of vitamin K: vitamin K1 which is also called phylloquinone and the not so popular vitamin K2 or menaquinone. Vitamin K1 is mostly found in green leafy vegetables. Vitamin K2 is mostly found in fermented foods and from animal products like meat and dairy. You’ll also be happy to know that unlike vitamin K1, vitamin K2 is produced by the good bacteria found in your large intestines.

Just so we’re clear here, vitamin K is like an umbrella term for several vitamins included in that group. To add to the confusion, there are also numerous subtypes of vitamin K2 (up to 12). They all have different jobs to do in your body. We humans can’t make vitamin K1 on our own. But most of the 12 subtypes of vitamin K2 can be synthesised by good bacteria in our large intestines. We need both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 to live healthy lives.

The Benefits of Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 has a positive effect on the health of people with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease where the quality and density of bone is decreased making them more susceptible to fracture. Osteoporosis can be caused by many conditions like postmenopausal osteoporosis, stroke, drug-induced osteoporosis, biliary cirrhosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Vitamin K2 is a well-recognised and prescribed treatment in people with osteoporosis in Japan. In simple terms, vitamin K2 strengthens the bone-building process and at the same time decreases bone loss. It’s actually a lot better than vitamin K1 at accomplishing this.

Both vitamins K1 and K2 activate proteins that interact with calcium. Your liver uses vitamin K1 to activate calcium-binding proteins concerned with blood clotting. Vitamin K2, on the other hand, is utilised to activate proteins that are responsible for the distribution of calcium in your body.

Vitamin K2 reduces calcium deposits in your arteries and lowers your risk of heart disease. Both vitamins K1 and K2 wake up a protein the helps block calcium from being deposited in the walls of your arteries. Though some studies have observed vitamin K2 to be better at this than vitamin K1. Unfortunately, all of the studies have yet to determine the exact amount or dose needed to establish these effects. Don’t worry though as more studies are being conducted.
The Twins and Blood Clotting. Both forms of this vitamin affect blood clotting. If you’re taking blood-thinning medication like warfarin, you have to watch out for your vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 intake. This is best accomplished by identifying food sources rich in these vitamins. A lot of the proteins concerned with blood clotting depend on your vitamin K intake to accomplish their jobs. Blood clotting can be a bad and a good thing. You can bleed out too much and even end up unconscious (or lifeless) if you don’t have enough vitamin K in your body to help blood clot. If you’re taking blood-thinning medications, ask your healthcare practitioner first before taking any vitamin K supplements or eating large quantities of foods rich in vitamin K.

Vitamin	Common Food Sources
K2	Natto, sauerkraut, organ meats like liver, egg yolks, and fermented cheeses
K1	Kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, broccoli, parsley, lettuce, spinach, watercress
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In summary, vitamin K2 may be better than vitamin K1 at two important jobs. These are to strengthen bone and lower your risk of heart disease. It’s vital to know which foods are high in vitamin K2 to appreciate these benefits. Supplements are also available if you prefer them. So, whenever you read about vitamin K on a supplement label or article, determine which of the twins they’re talking about. They’re both important at different things. Happy twinning.