Julian Whitaker, MD
Dear Wayne,
For years, vitamin K has been the neglected stepchild in the world of nutrition, while vitamins C, D, E, beta-carotene, and others grabbed all the attention. Groundbreaking research, however, is finally propelling vitamin K into the limelight.
This is long overdue because of vitamin K’s plethora of health benefits. Because most of us don’t get enough vitamin K in our diets, we all should sit up and take notice.
Vitamin K’s specific function wasn’t understood until the 1970s. We now know that it helps orchestrate the movement of calcium in the body. This vitamin not only plays a critical role in getting calcium from our bloodstream into our bones, but it is also involved in the health of your arteries and other tissues. Herein lies the calcium paradox: you need calcium in your bones, but you want it to stay out of your soft tissues and arteries.
Some researchers suggest that a high calcium intake is the problem. But the real issue is not getting enough vitamin K to shuttle the calcium into your bones where it belongs. So it seems obvious that we should all increase our daily intake of foods rich in vitamin K—but it’s not that simple. There’s more to the vitamin K story.
There are two types of natural vitamin K—K1, found primarily in leafy greens, and K2, most abundant in fatty meat, egg yolks, and fermented products such as cheese, sauerkraut, and natto (by far the richest source). Unfortunately, vitamin K1 is poorly absorbed. And you don’t want to go overboard on the K2-rich foods that also contain a lot of saturated fat. Furthermore, K1 is more involved in blood clotting, while K2 is more protective of the bones and soft tissues.
So, how do you increase your levels of K2? With nutritional supplements. But here again, you need to take the right type.
Vitamin K2 has several subtypes, including MK-4 and MK-7. The one to look for is MK-7. The “7” indicates that there are seven side chains attached to the main molecule. The more side chains, the longer it stays in your system, allowing more time to shuttle calcium out of your arteries and into your bones. A lot of supplements use the MK-4 form of K2, but I think that’s just “settling.” That’s why I recommend the Healthy Directions MK-7—it’s the right form at my recommended dose of 150 mcg daily.
I guarantee you’ll be hearing much more about vitamin K in the future. As you can see, I’m very enthusiastic about this safe, natural way of getting calcium to your bones. I’ve made it part of my daily supplement regimen, and I urge you to consider doing the same. Learn more about the best form of vitamin K2.
Sincerely,
Julian Whitaker, MD
P.S. Anyone concerned about their bones, arteries, or both should seriously consider supplementing with vitamin K2—but make sure you get the right form. MK-7 is far more bioavailable and active than any other K2. Click here to learn more.