Vitamin K & K2 - The missing element

Vitamin K is a group of structurally similar vitamins which are essential for our body.
The most important forms are Vitamin K1, K2 MK-4 and K2 MK-7, each of those have different effects.
The most known form is K1, which is mainly involved in proper blood clotting.
It is found in green vegetables and since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, adding some oils will enhance the absorption.

All of those natural forms (excluding synthetic ones like K3 which is harmful form) are safe and should not cause any issues in healthy individuals.

Vitamin K has many benefits which we often miss because of our poor nutrition.
Our diet is lacking in very important K2 forms.
The richest food source of K2 especially MK-7 is Natto which is quite popular in Japan, it isn't anywhere else though. Also Natto isn't perfect it contains high amounts of Tyramine as well, however if we don't take MAO inhibitors it shouldn't affect us that much.

K2 is produced in our guts by our friendly bacteria but we don't absorb most of it, also those amounts aren't enough to get all the benefits we could. It is caused because it is produced in very low parts of our guts where we do not absorb those things, the same as with Vitamin B12.

K2 forms are very beneficial for our cardiovascular health and bones.
It protects our arteries against calcification and even it takes out the calcium from our arteries and put it in right place which is bones. It affects not only arteries but probably every organ in our body.

Taking calcium alone with low status of boron, magnesium, vitamin D3 and K2 will lead to arterial calcification and bones won't obtain most of the calcium we would take.
Without Vitamin K2 calcium goes in our veins and nothing takes it down so it stays in arteries leading to the issues mentioned above.

Higher levels of Vitamin K are linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer.

Vitamin K2 MK-4 is used by our body very quick thus it lasts about up to 8 hours in our body, so it requires higher and more frequent doses.

MK-7 form and its biological half-life is even 72 hours which makes supplementation cheaper and more efficient.

Doses used to reverse calcification were 180 µg so I assume it is the minimum dose for people with existing plaques. For healthy individuals or less severe cases lower doses might be enough.

If you are taking anticoagulants do not take vitamin K supplements without consultation with your doctor.

Taking Vitamin K in healthy individuals is not linked to higher risk of clotting.

I recommend Life Extension - Super K with Advanced K2 Complex this product contains 200 µg of MK-7, 1000 µg of MK-4 and 1000 µg of K1 which makes it a really potent supplement.