What is Vitamin K2

 What is Vitamin K2? Where vitamin K2 is found in a number of forms, its name - in the past years - has been associated with several diseases, for example, osteoporosis, vascular calcification, cancer, and Alzheimer's, but what is vitamin K2, what are its benefits, and how can we get it, And is his role limited only to blood clotting and bone health, as it was rumored about, this is what we will learn about through this article.

About Vitamin K

Vitamin K is responsible for making sure the blood clots properly by producing the proteins that enable this to happen. Without Vitamin K in our bodies, the blood would take a long time to clot, and wounds might not heal properly. It is also believed that Vitamin K can help with Bone Health Among the elderly, vitamin K is measured in micrograms and the amount we need in our bodies varies depending on our age. 

What is Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is one of the vitamins in the vitamin K group. Vitamin K is found in two main forms:

Vitamin K1

Vitamin k1 is known as phylloquinone, as this type of vitamin K is mainly found in plant foods.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is called menaquinone (MK), and this form is found in animal and fermented foods, and a small amount is also produced naturally by human gut bacteria by converting vitamin K1 to vitamin K2.

In addition to vitamin K1 and vitamin K2, there are many subgroups of vitamin K2 that have been named, depending on the length of the side chain, ranging from MK-4, all the way up to MK-13.

Found in some animal products, MK-4 is the only form of vitamin K2 that is not produced by bacteria. Examples of MK-4 include egg yolks and butter. Meanwhile, MK-5 through MK-15 have longer side chains, which are often produced by bacteria. They are found in fermented foods, for example, natto is made from fermented soybeans, and is rich in MK-7.

Benefits of Vitamin K2

There has been a common belief that the benefits of vitamin K are limited to its role in blood clotting. Another common misconception is that vitamins K1 and K2 are simply different forms of the same vitamin, and have the same physiological functions. However, new evidence has confirmed that the role of vitamin K2 In the body extends beyond blood clotting, it may help ward off chronic disease by :

• Preventing cardiovascular disease.
• Ensure healthy skin.
• Build strong bones and improve bone health.
• Enhance brain function.
• growth support.
• Help prevent cancer.

Foods Rich in Vitamin K2

K2 is an essential nutrient in the human diet, so where can one find K2 in foods? The following is a list of foods with the highest content of the vitamin:

• Natto is a popular soybean dish in Japan.
• yolk.
• obesity;
• chicken liver.
• Steaks.
• Chicken breast.
• Minced meat.

It was once wrongly believed that intestinal bacteria played a major role in supplying the body with this vitamin, however, the majority of evidence contradicts this view, as most of the K2 produced in the intestine is contained within bacterial membranes and is not available for absorption, therefore, it is likely that Intestinal production of k2 with only a small contribution.

How much vitamin k2 is recommended

You can get the recommended amount of vitamin K by eating a balanced diet, and the recommended daily amount depends on your age, gender, and whether you are a woman or not, as well as if you are breastfeeding:

• 0-6 months: 2 micrograms.
• 7-12 months: 2.5 micrograms.
• 1-3 years: 30 mcg.
• 4-8 years: 55 mcg
• 9-13 years: 60 mcg.
• 14-18 years: 75 mcg.
• Adult men 19+ years: 120 mcg.
• Adult women 19+ years: 90 mcg.
• Pregnant and breast-feeding teenage girls: 75 mcg.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 90 mcg.

Vitamin K2 side effects

Vitamin K has no known adverse effects or significant risks of toxicity at higher doses, but it is likely to interact with a variety of prescription medications, including:

Anticoagulants, such as warfarin (Coumadin).

Antibiotics, especially cephalosporin antibiotics, such as cefoperazone (Cefobid).

Bile acid sequestrants, such as cholestyramine (Questran) and colestipol (Colestid).

In conclusion, we reach the end of an article about what is vitamin k2, in which we talked about vitamin k, what is vitamin k2, the benefits of vitamin k2, foods rich in vitamin k2, and the recommended amount of vitamin k2.