Vitamin K is an essential vitamin needed for processes such as blood clotting, bone metabolism, and cardiovascular health.1 There are multiple types of vitamin K and the two major subtypes are vitamin K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is mainly found in green leafy vegetables as well as olive oil and soyabean oil, whereas vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is found in small amounts in chicken, butter, egg yolks, cheese and fermented soyabeans (better known as natto).3
Vitamin K2 has shown to have effect on calcium metabolism and reduction of calcification of blood vessels within the body. 2 During a 3 years study on post-menopausal women, Vitamin K2 showed clinically stronger bones by the protection of the vertebrae and the hip (femoral neck) against osteoporosis and also preventing age-related stiffening of arteries, improving vascular elasticity. 4,5
Vessels Elasticity
Ref 1. Vitamin K Deficiency. Eden et al. NCBI Bookshelf. 2023
Ref 2. The Medical Benefits of Vitamin K2 on Calcium-Related Disorders. Zeyad K et al. J.Nutrients. 2021 Feb; 13(2): 691.
Ref 3. Health Benefit of Vitamin K. J DiNicolantonio et al. J.Open Heart 2015;2:e000300
Ref 4. Three-year low-dose menaquinone-7 supplementation helps decrease bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women. Knapen et al. J.Osteoporos Int (2013) 24:2499–2507
Ref 5. Menaquinone-7 supplementation improves arterial stiffness in healthy postmenopausal women: double-blind randomised clinical trial. Knapen et al. J.Thrombosis and Haemostasis 113.5/2015