Sources of vitamin K2 and what are its health benefits?

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for the function of several proteins involved in physiological processes. It comes in natural forms such as vitamin K1 and vitamin K2.

Vitamin K1 is mainly derived from green plants and is well known for its role in blood clotting, while vitamin K2 is mainly derived from fermented foods and animal products such as eggs, meat and liver, and is essential for hormone production and utilization as well as bone and heart health. 

The role and function of vitamin K2 have not received the attention it deserves, and it is likely that dietary intake of vitamin K2 is severely deficient. Although a fat-soluble vitamin, the body stores very little and if it is not ingested regularly through the diet, it will be quickly depleted.

What are the health benefits of vitamin K2?

1. A recent study has suggested that therapeutic vitamin K2 supplementation can prevent or stop possible vascular calcification, while other studies have shown that people who consume the most vitamin K2 have the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. The role and function of vitamin K2 can activate osteocalcin, a protein hormone of bone formation, which requires vitamin K2 to activate through carboxylation. One of the main roles of osteocalcin is to bind calcium and transport it to the bones. At the same time, the role and function of vitamin K2 are also essential for oral health.

3. Vitamin K2 plays a role in reducing inflammation and promoting kidney health, and the inflammatory response is a key component of many chronic diseases and diseases of the elderly. Scientific evidence shows that both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 have anti-inflammatory activity.