Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the Western world, due to its limited representation in our modern diets. However, it’s one of the most essential nutrients for promoting optimal overall health and preventing long-term chronic illnesses.

Benefits of Vitamin K2

     1. Lowers inflammation

Vitamin K2 is a start when it comes to supporting healthy inflammation levels. Studies have found that vitamin K2 effectively inhibited the pro-inflammatory iNOS in the spinal cord and brain immune systems in rats that were showing symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (5) 

     2. Protects against cancer

While there are several types of K2, MK-4 works to regulate gene expression in specific ways that no other form of vitamin K does and plays an exclusive role in cancer protection.

     3. Bone health

Your body’s skeletal system is constantly replacing itself. During this process the molecule osteoclacin takes calcium and delivers it to your bones. However, osteoclacin is only activated by vitamin K2, making it an essential part of healthy bone structure as we age.

     4. Prevents heart disease

Vitamin K2’s biggest role is preventing blood vessel calcification that can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease.

How much vitamin K2 do you need?

You don’t need a lot of vitamin K2 to make a difference. You just need to take enough on a consistent basis to correct and prevent any deficiencies. Since adequate amounts of vitamin K2 can be difficult to get through food on a daily basis, supplementing with 100 to 200 mcg per day can be helpful.

How to get more vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is fat-soluble and is best taken with vitamin D to help keep your levels from going too high as well as making vitamin D more bioavailable to your body. Take them with a fat-containing meal such as avocado, salmon, or just a bit of butter or coconut oil added to whatever you’re cooking. And if you are looking to get more of this nutrient through food- natto, a Japanese superfood made from non-GMO fermented soybeans is high in K2. Dandelion greens, raw Swiss chard, and cooked kale also contain vitamin K1 which is converted to K2 in a healthy gut microbiome. 

What is the best way to get these nutrients?

The benefits of these two nutrients are unmatched, and when taken together, only amplify their bioavailability. That’s why I believe it is so important to take advantage of vitamin synergy and the motivation behind formulating my supplement The D3-K2.

In my telehealth functional medicine clinic, I have seen firsthand just how difficult it is to get enough of these vital nutrients. I specifically chose the most bioavailable forms of vitamin D and vitamin K2 to ensure you aren’t missing out on any of their important health benefits. Afterall, why take a supplement if it isn’t going to give you the results you desire for your health?

Supplementing with Vitamin D3 has been shown in multiple studies to be twice as likely to raise vitamin D levels than other forms of vitamin D. (6) And when choosing a K2, I personally curated The D3-K2 with menaquinone-7 (MK-7), a highly bioavailable and bioactive form of K2, to balance hormones and enhance absorption of vitamin D.

So, as we hit the mid-winter slump, it’s more important than ever to load up on these two nutrients. Not only are these vitamins essential for keeping our immune systems strong during the height of cold and flu season, they can help us fight those winter blues that start to creep in the second the holiday cheer is over.

Instead of waiting until the first sunny day arrives months from now, I want to make it even easier for you to take advantage of this vitamin synergy.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

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