FTA:
The more vitamin K [structural formula on the right] you consume through your diet, the less likely you are to die from a heart attack or cancer. Spanish epidemiologists made this discovery after following 7216 people over the age of 55 for five years. The researchers believe that raising your vitamin K intake is one of the more sensible things you can do to extend your lifespan.
Why not just eat natto daily?
@rhonda, how much should I consume of vitamin K2? Could you post the brand that you use?
I previously used MK-7 (50 micrograms) by NOW brand but have switched to use Thorne vitamin D and vitamin k2 drops which contains MK-4. One drop contains 100 micrograms. (I also supplement with additional vitamin D capsules from thorne). The reason for the switch has do do with the fact that Thorne is a trusted brand whereas NOW is a soso brand. Both Mk-4 and Mk-7 are good. More studies have used MK-4 but Mk-7 has a longer half-life which is why 100 micrograms of MK-4 is what I take. @Shelbyrlff @Shelbyrlff
Hi again @rhonda. I really appreciate to be able to write to you and I’m a huge fan! I read something about synthetic multivitamins vs. natural multivitamins. And that the synthetic ones are not good for you because of “synthetics are made from derivatives of coal tar - a known carcinogen found in cigarette smoke” and many other cases. - https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/synthetic-vs-natural-vitamins/ - http://www.foodmatters.com/article/how-to-tell-if-a-vitamin-is-natural-or-synthetic
The only “natural multivitamins” that people suggested were there two: 1. https://www.iherb.com/pr/Natural-Factors-Whole-Earth-Sea-Women-s-50-Multivitamin-Mineral-60-Tablets/66428 and 2. https://www.iherb.com/pr/Garden-of-Life-MyKind-Organics-Women-s-Once-Daily-60-Vegan-Tablets/58122
Would you ever switch over to these brands? What do you think of this debate of real and fake vitamins?
Hi Rhonda, which brands of MK7 do you trust?
Does it matter that it’s lower in grass-fed butter and cheeses compared to natto? With a high intake of K2 being in the 50-60 mcg range and benefits seen at just a few micrograms, do we really need high doses unless it’s a therapeutic situation? I’ve tried to find how much K2 is contained in butter, grass-fed meats, eggs, etc but I’m having a hard time finding the numbers.
I made a chart some time ago comparing various foods. To give you an idea: chicken breast has ~9micrograms (MK4) per 3.5oz; egg yolk has 31micrograms per 6 eggs; fermented cheeses have 50micrograms (MK9) per 100g; Natto has 1mg (MK7) per 100g. Not sure how much in butter but don’t think it is more than concentration in chicken breast. Gene polymorphisms play a role in how calcium and vitamin D levels and disease state all play a role in how much k2 we need.
could K2 be gotten with just grassfed butter and cheese? Or is a MK7 or MK4 supplement most beneficial?
There is some K2 in fermented cheeses but the amount is VERY small relative to natto. Supplement is best… MK7 has a longer half-life than MK-4 but many of the clinical trials showing benefits of supplementation have been done using MK4. I supplement with MK-7.
And out of curiosity here how does APO E status affect vitamin K metabolism? It seems that Apo E 4 allele has a negative effect on vitamin K status.
I’m actually writing an academic paper that covers this and more (my next paper is on APOE and Alzheimer’s)! Unfortunately, I can’t talk about it yet (until submit) but you are totally on right track.
I look forward to reading it! This paper seems to indicate that APOE4 has a negative effect on on vitamin K metabolism, http://www.lmreview.com/articles/view/Vitamin-K2-Essential-for-Prevention-of-Age-Associated-Chronic-Disease/ My mom has osteoporosis (and her side of the family tends to) and she has 1 APOE4 allele. This is despite drinking a fair amount of milk. The only thing that confused me was this paper saying that “This study demonstrates that a superior vitamin K status is associated with the apoE4 genotype in healthy older individuals from China and the UK.” PMID: 16351773 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]“ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16351773
The the research I have done on this leads me to the conclusion that APOE4 carriers should a take K2 supplement. The China study you linked seems like an outlier as I have seen multiple studies showing the opposite. Thanks for the link.
the key word here seems sto be “healthy”. i.e. the study carlsonbjj linked to mentions that superior vitamin K status is associated with the APOE4 genotype in HEALTHY older individuals.