Blog Post – Vitamin K2
Premixes for bone strengthening products
Scientists found out that the long-ignored vitamin K2 is vital for bone metabolism.
Lifestyle is the most important factor influencing bone strength in advanced age. Regular exercise and a bone-friendly, alkali-rich diet activate bone growth. Special micronutrients can also help. Calcium and Vitamin D are the best-known bone mineralisers, but the long-ignored vitamin K is also vital for bone metabolism.
Vitamin K2: a bone strength vitamin
Vitamin K stimulates the formation of bone-building osteoblasts, and hinders the formation of osteoclasts that break down bone. In doing so this fat-soluble vitamin counteracts the depletion of bone density and reduces the risk of fracture. This has been demonstrated in studies of women post-menopause with incipient or existing osteoporosis.
According to current understanding vitamin K2 has the greatest effect, by activating the bone-strengthening proteins osteocalcin and matrix gla protein, MGP. These two proteins take the bone mineral calcium into the bones.1
Positive side effect – vitamin K2 prevents deposits in blood vessels
At the same time the matrix gla protein MGP makes sure that the calcium doesn’t get deposited in the blood vessels and cause arteriosclerosis, leading to coronary heart disease. Thus vitamin K2 promotes “cleansing” of the blood vessels and protects the heart.
This effect was investigated in the 2004 Rotterdam study of over 4800 Netherlands men and women. Those who consumed above-average amounts of vitamin K2 with their food had notably lower rates of heart disease (41 %) and arteriosclerosis. Vitamin K1 showed no such protective effect.2
Stronger together!
The bone mineral calcium and vitamin D supply the basis for strong bones, and vitamin K makes them even more effective. The vitamin B trio of folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 also contributes to bone strength by working together to break down homocysteine, an amino acid decomposition product that hinders the networking of connective tissue fibres in bones and so weakens the bone structure. Other bone and connective tissue strengtheners are vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, manganese and copper.
1Villa JKD, Diaz MAN, Pizziolo VR, Martino HSD. Effect of vitamin K in bone metabolism and vascular calcification: A review of mechanisms of action and evidences. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017;57(18):3959-3970. doi:10.1080/10408398.2016.1211616 – click here
2Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: the Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. 2004;134(11):3100-3105. doi:10.1093/jn/134.11.3100 – click here
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