Clinical Benefits 

Vitamin K2 deficiency can be influenced by factors such as inadequate dietary intake, certain medications and ageing.^1,2  Vitamin K encompasses phylloquinone, Vitamin K1, and the menaquinones (including bioavailable MK-7), known as Vitamin K2. The typical Western diet lacks adequate sources of vitamin K2 (i.e. natto and cheese being the main sources), posing a risk for vitamin K  deficiency.^3,4 While conversion is also a factor with humans only converting between 5% and 25% of ingested and absorbed dietary K1 to K2.⁵ Further to this, some medications, i.e. statins, can inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2 (potentially accelerating coronary artery calcification and affecting blood glucose health).^6,7,8 K2 may also provide protection against anticoagulant-coumarin-induced side effects and diet-induced fluctuations in international normalised ratio (INR) values.^9,10,11 Additionally, the percentage and risk of K2 deficiency increases with age, a factor relevant in ageing patients, who may be more likely to use cardiovascular medication and experience bone health issues.^12,13

Vitamin K is a key cofactor for carboxylation reactions in vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) involved in blood coagulation (clotting), bone metabolism, vessel health, and regulation of various cellular functions.^1,4 Vitamin K2 activates the VKDP, Matrix Gla Protein (MGP), a protein found in bone, blood vessels, lungs, heart, and kidney, which prevents calcification in the bone, cartilage, vessel walls, skin elastic fibers, and even the human eye.^15,16 Given that certain medications can inhibit K2 synthesis, activating MGP is important for protecting arteries from calcification, implicating a role in the area of atherosclerosis and protection against vascular disease.^17,18 When it comes to bone health, vitamin K2 regulates bone remodelling, conferring a protective action against bone loss, supporting bone density, mass and integrity, while also directing calcium from arteries back into bone, which is especially important for higher risk groups such as postmenopausal women.^19,20 Research into MK-7, using DXA measurements, showed significant improvement to vitamin K status and decreased the agerelated decline in bone mineral, content, density and bone strength.²¹