A well-known nutrient that plays a critical role in the blood clotting process—Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a well-known nutrient that plays a critical role in the blood clotting process. It is also highly beneficial for bone and heart health. What you might not know though is that “Vitamin K” is a generic term for a number of different vitamin types.
When you hear about vitamin K, chances are that you are thinking about vitamin K1. But there’s another kind known as vitamin K2. These different forms of vitamin K affect their availability to different tissues in the body, which gives them overlapping and yet diverse effects on the body.
Vitamin K1 is found primarily in leafy green foods in abundance and makes up approximately 90% of a typical person’s total vitamin K intake. But its bioavailability to the body can be less than 20%.
Vitamin K2 is the lesser-known form and consists of several different subtypes. Of these, the two most prominent ones are MK4 and MK7. MK4 is found in animal products such as dairy, eggs, and meat while MK7 can be sourced from fermented foods such as yogurt, cheese, and natto.
Vitamin K2 was discovered in 1929 by a Danish scientist named Henrik Dam and his colleagues. Given its blood clotting properties, the vitamin was called the coagulation vitamin or “Koagulations” in German, from where it got its “K” designation.
Vitamin K plays an important part in blood clotting, metabolizing calcium, and heart health. But the effects of the two types of vitamin K are so different on the body that some parties suggest that the two be classified as different nutrients completely.
Among K2 types, MK4 gets taken up by tissues rapidly after consumption. This makes it more effective at protecting those tissues from calcium deposits and is thus the variant of this vitamin that is most often garnered the most attention.
Vitamin K occurs in nature in several forms with each form designated by the length of a side chain attached to the main body of the molecule. For instance, MK4 is a short-chain menaquinone with 4 molecules and is typically found in foods of animal origin. Longer-chain menaquinones such as MK5–MK10 are found in fermented foods. Being a fat-soluble molecule, the longer the menaquinone chain gets, the more fat-soluble the vitamin becomes.
In all, there are 13 molecules in the K2 family of which MK4 and MK7 are the most important.
Most of the benefits associated with this vitamin have to do with calcium — both its accumulation and metabolism. While calcium is associated with improved bone health, too much can increase your risk of heart disease.
REDUCES CALCIFICATION & IMPROVES BONE HEALTH
Normal calcium deposition in the body takes place in either the teeth or the bones. Abnormal deposition happens in the arterial lining, the muscle layer of arteries, and the heart valves.
For bones to take in calcium, they need something called osteocalcin to bind the calcium. But in order for calcium to activate, it needs vitamin K2, and specifically the MK4 variant of it.
When bones don’t take in calcium properly, it gets stuck in the arteries, which causes them to harden and your bones to weaken. This happens over time and mostly gets diagnosed in case of a fall or a fracture. MK4 counters this effect and reduces calcification while maintaining and improving bone mineral density.
This form of vitamin K is also very beneficial for women approaching or undergoing menopause. Considering that women can lose up to 10% of their bone mass during this time, that can sometimes make supplementation critical.
REDUCES THE RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE
There is an association between increased MK4 consumption and lower risk of heart disease. This is because arterial calcification is also a precursor for coronary atherosclerosis.
In this condition, there is a buildup of plaque inside the artery walls. This accumulation causes the inside of the arteries to become narrower and slow down the flow of blood.
The possible role of MK4 in preventing coronary plaque development has become apparent from its effects on several bone proteins. These proteins keep calcium where it belongs.
A nutritional solution to this problem is including more vitamin K2 in the form of MK4 into the diet. Not only will it address calcium metabolism in the body, but it will also promote heart health.
SUPPORTS BRAIN HEALTH
Vitamin K2 is the primary form of vitamin K used by the brain. Studies show MK4 to claim more than 98% of the total vitamin K in the brain. Supplementation may help with various aspects of brain function.