Studies have shown that vitamin K2 is the new champion in bone health.

By Pamela Young

As chiropractors, you realize the vital connection of bone health to spinal health. There’s no question that strong bones support the body.

You know that calcium citrate and vitamin D3, with the addition of vitamin K, help prevent brittle bones. But new information has emerged indicating that these alone may not be the best nutrients for bone health. New studies show that vitamin K2 is responsible for building bone density and can help in the prevention of osteoporosis.

The studies

A 1995 study in Japan compared vitamin K levels in the blood of 24 women who had osteoporotic fractures and 36 elderly women who had no fractures. While vitamin K1 levels were virtually identical in both groups, vitamin K2 levels were twice as high in the group with no fractures.

The studies indicated lowered risk for vertebral fractures by 60 percent, hip fractures by 77 percent, and nonvertebral fractures by 81 percent.¹ A 45 mg/day dose of MK-4 (vitamin K2) supplements used in a three-year placebo-controlled study of 325 postmenopausal women also found improved measures of bone strength compared to a placebo.²

Additionally, the Harvard School of Public Health quoted two studies that also link vitamin K levels to the risk of osteoporotic fractures.

The first was the Framingham Heart Study (1988 to 1989) where more than 888 elderly men and women were monitored for seven years. Those whose vitamin K2 intake was in the top quartile had a 65 percent lower risk of hip fracture than those with the lowest amount of vitamin K2.

The second study, the Nurses’ Health Study, followed more than 72,000 women for 10 years. The conclusion was that the women whose vitamin K intake was in the bottom quintile of the group had a 30 percent higher risk of hip fracture. In fact, the nurses who had a daily serving of leafy greens (110 micrograms of vitamin K) cut their risk of hip fracture in half as opposed to the nurses who were only served greens once a week.

A recent study on vitamin K2 led by Bruce Ames, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California at Berkeley, revealed that K2 deficiencies impact the body by the role they play in the production of certain proteins.

He found that when the body lacks vitamin K2, these essential functions are compromised, leaving the body vulnerable to disease. In other words, the body goes into an emergency mode when it lacks enough vitamin K2. The result is that vital processes break down leaving the body vulnerable to weak bones, cancers, and artery problems.

Other studies have demonstrated vitamin K2’s ability to protect osteoblasts (the cells that build new bones) from self-destructing, while it inhibits the formation of osteoclasts (the cells that destroy bones).

What is vitamin K2?

In simple terms, it’s the supercharged form of vitamin K, which is bacteria- based. The K is derived from the German word “koagulation,” referring to the process of blood clot formation.

Vitamin K2 has all the benefits of vitamin K1 but it stays longer in the system and is active in a greater number of both organs and tissues. It also inhibits calcification of blood vessels. It removes calcium deposits where they are not needed and increases calcium where it’s needed most.

In other words, with a healthy blood flow you have healthier

bones. It’s a fat soluble vitamin that is absorbed in the intestines along with fat. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the liver. As we age, our bones become more brittle, but vitamin K2 can help slow down and even reverse that process.

Although deficiencies in vitamin K1 used to be rare, the times have changed. More and more people are becoming deficient in this vitamin for several reasons including:

• Poor diet,
• Long-term use of antibiotics,
• Intestinal problems such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease (including irritable bowel syndrome), and
• Cholesterol lowering pharmaceuticals.

Any one of these can cause disruption in the intestines and result in a decreased ability of the body to absorb or produce vitamin K. Additionally, eating foods with hydrogenated vegetable oils also impacts the absorption of vitamin K and the body’s ability to use it.

The downside

Despite its benefits, the public may never have easy access to vitamin K2 supplements due to the cost of manufacturing.

According to PrimoHealth, it costs approximately $1.5 million per kilogram. However, there is a more natural way to add vitamin K to your diet because many foods contain this essential vitamin.

The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake for vitamin K1 to be 120 mcg for men and 90 mcg for women. Foods such as leafy greens contain reasonable amounts.

For example: One cup of chopped Swiss chard contains 299 mcg, one- fourth cup chopped parsley contains 246 mcg, and 1 cup chopped kale contains 547 mcg.

The downside of eating these foods rich in vitamin K1 is that only 5 percent to 10 percent of ingested K1 is absorbed and it only stays in your system for a few hours, whereas almost 100 percent of K2 is not only absorbed into your blood stream — benefiting the tissue, bones, and arteries — but it lasts for several days.

Foods rich in K2

The top food rich in vitamin K2 is Natto, a Japanese breakfast food made of fermented soybeans, containing 1,000 mcg of K2 per 3.5 ounces.

Another rich source of K2 is cheese. Hard cheeses, such as asiago, parmesan, Gouda, and Jarlsberg contain approximately 75 mcg of K2 per 3.5 ounces.

Even soft cheeses, such as blue cheese, brie, and mascarpone, contain around 50 mcg per 3.5 ounces. Eggs, especially egg yolks, contain about 31 mcg per 3.5 ounces.

The job of vitamin K is to put calcium in the right places and keep it from being deposited in the wrong ones. The right places are bones and blood, while the wrong places include calcification of the vessels, bone spurs, and calcification of soft tissues.

With proper nutrition and foods that heal naturally, the addition of vitamin K2-rich foods can not only strengthen your patients’ bones, but clear their arteries as well.

Pamela Young is the author of The Healing and Be Still, and has also written articles on health and healing. Her recent book, Natural Healing Foods, takes a deeper look into natural healing foods, spices, and herbs. She can be reached at pam@pamelayoungbooks.com.

References

¹Cockayne  S, Adamson J, Lanham-New S, et al. Vitamin K and the Prevention of Fractures: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166 (12):1256-1261.

²Knapen MJ, Schurgers LJ, Vermeer C. Vitamin K2 supplementation improves hip bone geometry and bone strength indices in postmenopausal women. Osteoporos Int. 2007;18 (7):963-972.