Today we will be looking into a nutrient that is not often discussed or highlighted. This is a shame, because it is incredibly important, and you will find out why. 

Vitamin K was named due to its role in coagulation. Vitamin K, in this case, stands for Koagulation. You may be wondering, why spell it with a K instead of a C? The biochemist who first named it was Danish and spoke German, and in German coagulation begins with a K. 

There are various forms of Vitamin K, but the first way to divide them is:

• Vitamin K1, found in plant foods
• Vitamin K2, found in animals, or fermented foods

Vitamin K2 can then be split into additional forms, from MK-4 through MK-13. MK-4 can be found in animal foods, where fermented foods contain a full spectrum of MKs.

The type of Vitamin K determines where it is best at acting within the body.

For example, K1 is better at traveling to the liver making it better at aiding in blood clotting. 

The forms of Vitamin K2 are better at reaching the bones and other tissues. However, MK-7 does travel to the liver as well and remains in the liver longer than K1, making it even better for blood clotting. Vitamin K2 plays a role in determining where calcium goes within our bodies.

K2 keeps calcium out of the kidney, preventing kidney stones; it keeps calcium out of blood vessels, where it causes heart disease; it keeps it from depositing in cartilage, where it would stop children from growing too soon or result in arthritis in adults; instead, it helps calcium get to your bones and teeth, making your bones strong and teeth resistant to cavities.

Vitamin K2 puts calcium in places where we want it and out of places we do not want it. Pretty incredible! Vitamin K, both K1 and K2, does even more, but I wanted to highlight the calcium transport.

How much Vitamin K2 should we get? 

• Around 100 mcg/day of K2 and there may be some additional benefits of getting 200 mcg/day

Where can we get Vitamin K2?

• Natto, a fermented soy food (pictured above)
• Natto made from black beans
• Emu Oil
• Goose Liver
• Free-range duck fat
• Beef Liver
• Hard Cheeses
• Egg Yolks
• Dark Meat Chicken
• Soft Cheeses

I wanted to briefly mention that you can obtain Vitamin K1 by consuming greens. Vitamin K supplements are also an option if your diet does not contain the above-mentioned foods.

I hope you found this information interesting. If you have questions or suggestions for topics you would like me to cover please do not hesitate to reach out!

That’s all for now!