Vitamin K is well known for its role in blood clotting. But what is not as well known is that Vitamin K is not a single vitamin – it is a family of vitamins comprised of K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone).
Vitamins K1 and K2 share similarities, such as working in the liver for blood clotting, and chemically, they share a quinone ring called menadione. But that is where their similarities end.
Vitamin K2 has several molecules, called menaquinones, which makes it available beyond the liver for other systems, such as the bones and the vasculature.
By activating proteins already present in the body, Vitamin K2 helps the body properly utilize calcium, binding it to bone while inhibiting it from depositing in arteries and soft tissues, protecting the heart.
Put simply: Vitamin K2 can do what K1 cannot.
“While it is true that ‘improving K status’ will impact bone and cardiovascular health, that is not entirely true.
It is more accurate to say ‘improving K2 status’, because it is Vitamin K2, not Vitamin K1, that contributes to improved bone and cardiovascular health, as studies continue to show,” says Chris Speed, dietician and nutritional scientist.
Vitamin K2’s separate and distinct mechanism has only been discovered within the past 20 years. However, now that is has been recognized how important K2 is for bone and heart health means it should be actively supplemented into one’s diet.
Higher Nature Vitamin K2 is essential for maintaining healthy bones and good circulation. It offers a daily dosage of Vitamin K2 as MenaQ7® from NattoPharma, which is clinically proven to support both bone and cardiovascular health.
Higher Nature Vitamin K2 is available for £22.25 from revital.co.uk