VITAMIN K2 (MK-7) 100mcg - 60 veg caps

What is MK-7 Vitamin K-2?

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 by Now Foods is a supplement made from Vitamin K that provides the active form K2.

What is Vitamin K?

Vitamin K is an essential fat soluble vitamin, whose main properties for our health are:

• Regulating the blood coagulation process
• Supporting our cardiovascular health
• Supporting the process of bone protein synthesis, apart from improving the bone density
• Improving the immune function

Types of Vitamin K

There are 3 types of vitamin K:

• Vitamin K1: also known as phylloquinone. It comes from green vegetables and legumes. The absorption of this vitamin by our organism is quite low - only around a 10% is used.
• Vitamin K2: also known as menaquinone. It is the type that has the highest absorption rate. Animal products and fermented food are sources of vitamin K2. There are several K2 subtypes, such as MK-4 and MK-7.
• Vitamin K3: it is synthetic and it is the one that is injected to newborns.

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 as the best form of Vitamin K

The vitamin K2 from MK-7 Vitamin K-2 is the best option when choosing a source of vitamin K. It is the type Menaquinone-7.

The difference between the absorption of K2 and K1 is the fact that vitamin K2 is is obtained through bacterial fermentation (K2 is found in fermented dairy products). Moreover, unlike other animals such as ruminants, the conversion of K1 to K2 is not effective in humans.

The presence of K1 in the diet is usually 10 times higher than K2.

The functions of K1 and K2 in the body are also different. The functionality of vitamin K relies on the modification of proteins to give them the ability to bind to the mineral calcium (activating the binding or chelation properties of calcium to protein). Thus, on the one hand, vitamin K1 is mainly used by the liver to activate proteins that bind to calcium and which are involved in the blood coagulation process. On the other hand, besides supporting the coagulation, K2 is used by other tissues to deposit the calcium in the correct places, such as the bones and teeth. Moreover, it makes sure that it is not deposited in the wrong places, such as soft tissues.

In terms of growing healthy bones and other health benefits, vitamin K2 is believed to be the most powerful form

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 and Natto

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 includes Natto, one of the best sources. Natto is a type of food obtained from fermented soy in the traditional Japanese way.

Natto is obtained by fermenting soy, which is also an excellent supply of protein, fiber and isoflavones.

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 and its Benefits

The main benefits of the vitamin K-2 (Menaquinone-7) from MK-7 Vitamin K-2 are:

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 and Bone Health

Vitamin K2 will help to deposit the calcium in the systems of our body that need it. Therefore, it will help to avoid the onset of kidney stones due to a bad distribution of calcium.

Thus, K2 is necessary to help calcium and other minerals join the bone matrix to strengthen bones, preventing them from accumulating in soft tissues, since it can cause calcification.

In fact, some studies claim that vitamin K could be effective not only to stop bone loss in people with osteoporosis but also to reverse it (Study 1). This same study found out that it could reduce up to an 80% of the fractures in patients with osteoporosis thanks to K2 supplements.

As you can see, having low levels of vitamin K is as dangerous as not having enough calcium

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 and Cardiovascular Health

A good supply of vitamin K2 will help us avoid the calcification of arteries, lowering the risk of heart attack. As mentioned in the previous point, the function of vitamin K will be to 'redirect' the calcium to the bones, so that it will not be deposited in other tissues.

Other supplements that are essential for this function will be Magnesium and Vitamin D3.

Who can benefit from MK-7 Vitamin K-2?

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 is recommended for:

• People with family history of osteoporosis and/or risk of heart conditions.
• Those who need to increase their calcium levels or as a preventive measure
• People who suffer from nutrient malabsorption as a result of some pathology, such as Crohn's disease.

MK-7 Vitamin K-2 and Advice

Apart from taking Vitamin K2, it is advisable to take Magnesium and Vitamin D3 at the same time in order to avoid a possible calcification.