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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Healthy Living / The Latest Research on the Benefits of Vitamin K2

The Latest Research on the Benefits of Vitamin K2

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Get the Benefits of Vitamin K2 by Eating the Right Foods
  • More Information on the Benefits of Vitamin K2

vitamin k2 benefits

I had the privilege of meeting a number of people that I greatly admire at the recent Wise Traditions International Conference, one of whom wrote perhaps the most intriguing book I read last year- Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox which convincingly outlines the many health benefits of Vitamin K2.

The benefits of Vitamin K2 have only just begun to be discovered – it is truly a wonder nutrient. The reason this vitamin is so exciting to those of us who espouse traditional diet is because it was first identified by Dr. Chris Masterjohn as the elusive “Activator X” contained in all the foods considered sacred by Ancestral Societies and researched/written about by Dr. Weston A. Price in his nutritional classic, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.

Vitamin K2 along with the other fat soluble activators A and D are synergistically responsible for the vibrant health and extremely high resistance to aging and degenerative disease of Traditional Cultures and described in detail in Dr. Price’s groundbreaking book using both words and pictures.

The problem is that Vitamin K2 is extremely difficult to get sufficient quantities of in the diet.  One reason is the worrisome depletion of our soils which grass-based and organic farmers are valiantly turning the tide on, but which will still take several decades if not even a century or two to reverse on a widespread basis. Another is the modern, misguided avoidance of the typically high fat, high cholesterol foods containing this wonder nutrient.

Dr. Kate filled me in on the latest research on Vitamin K2 and the promise it holds for reversing chronic and degenerative diseases.  Here are the latest studies for consideration.  Please note that MK-7 is the bacteria synthesized form of K2 while MK-4 is the form found in animal foods like grassfed butter.

180 mcg MK-7 daily (low dosage) for three years significantly decreases bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women (Osteoporosis International):

  • Decreased the age-related decline at the lumbar spine and femoral neck.
  • Improved bone strength.
  • Decreased the loss in vertebral height in lower thoracic region.

1.5 mg (1,500 mcg) of MK-4 daily for 12 months improved bone metabolism and prevented bone forearm loss in postmenopausal Japanese women (source):

Dr. Kate observed that this second study is important since it shows a benefit of MK-4 in doses much lower than the super high 45,000 mcg usually used in studies.

French research suggests that some types of blue cheese are high in K2 (source).

Unfortunately, the researchers didn’t identify the brands of blue cheese studied, but the take-home message is that if you like blue cheese keep eating it and you might be getting bonus K2. Another message here is that there are more K2 rich foods are out there than we know. More research needs to be done to identify them.

While science continues to unravel the magic and mystery surrounding Vitamin K2, a nutrient so important to human health that Traditional Societies revered and considered sacred any foods containing it in plentiful amounts, it seems prudent to make sure that our diets include Vitamin K2 rich foods on a frequent basis.

Get the Benefits of Vitamin K2 by Eating the Right Foods

As Dr. Kate has already noted, more research needs to be done on what foods are high in this wonder nutrient, but based on what we know right now, here are the foods to make sure you are consuming frequently to obtain the full benefits of Vitamin K2.

  • Grassfed Butter: Local, pastured raw butter is best, but Vitamin K2 is not destroyed by heat, so if pasteurized grassfed butter is all you can source, that is fine.
  • Grassfed Ghee: If you are allergic to dairy, grassfed ghee is what to use instead of grassfed butter as the allergenic milk proteins have all been removed leaving only the nutrient-dense oil.
  • Butter Oil: This is a wonderful supplement to take along with high vitamin cod liver oil . The two oils work synergistically to even reverse tooth decay as researched and written about by renowned dentist Dr. Weston A. Price.
  • Gouda Cheese:  Gouda is one of the best-aged cheeses to consume if you want lots of K2.  Even if the gouda is not grassfed (which is the best way to go if possible), it will still contain plenty of K2 (in the form of MK-7)
  • Liver Pate: This is not an easily obtained gourmet food, but if you love pate (who doesn’t? It’s so tasty!), pate from goose liver is going to give you the largest amount of K2.
  • Fermented Soybeans (Natto):  You can usually find natto (make sure it comes from nonGMO soybeans!) at Asian specialty stores in the freezer section for about $3 for a small container. Natto contains a whopping 1,103 mcg of K2 per 3 1/2 ounce portion which blows away every other food by a country mile. If the taste of natto is something you just can’t stomach, try capsules of the MK-7 form of K2 extracted from nonGMO natto. I don’t recommend supplements of the MK-4 form of K2 as they are synthetically derived from tobacco likely of GMO origin.

I will have more to say about the benefits of Vitamin K2 in upcoming posts. In particular, there is a newly discovered food that is mind-blowingly high in MK-4 (the animal form of K2) that I am gathering information on and will be writing about hopefully quite soon.

More Information on the Benefits of Vitamin K2

The Vitamin Deficiency That is Written All Over Your Face
MK-7 or MK-4?
The Benefits of Emu Oil

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Category: Healthy Living, Sacred Foods
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: the bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (36)

  1. Patty Flewelling

    Aug 26, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    What dosage should I take of each calcium, d3,
    and m7? Someone mention taking magnesium
    also.

    Reply
  2. kim

    Aug 7, 2018 at 6:59 am

    Hello! So does this mean that you still suggest fermented CLO over a brand like Rositas? In addition to the butter oil? I have read that emu oil has lots more K2, however. THANK YOU!!

    Reply
    • Sarah

      Aug 7, 2018 at 7:07 am

      I no longer recommend Green Pastures (or Rosita) as they both source from the radiation polluted Northern Pacific.

      I’ve used Dropi for the past several years because it is raw and sourced from the Atlantic (Iceland). SOME emu oil has more K2 than butter oil. I use an MK-7 supplement as linked to in the post to be sure how much I’m getting. Here’s my review. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/dropi-cod-liver-oil/

  3. Cring Packer

    Jun 8, 2018 at 2:48 am

    Vitamin K2 when combined with the Magnesium has the synergistic effect. Thanks for sharing the valuable information.

    Reply
  4. Eric

    Aug 7, 2017 at 10:42 am

    I have read calcification of the artiries causes high blood pressure and deterioration of lining of arteries. ML7 directs the calcium more efficiently into the bones thus helping to keep the arteries clean. Also by using natto it an excellent clot buster.

    Reply
  5. Rod

    May 7, 2017 at 3:01 pm

    When I was taking warfarin temporarily, the doctor had me stop K2 supplementation after my first INR test until after surgery for a genital defect.

    K2 is potent and thickens the blood.

    Reply
  6. Rod

    May 7, 2017 at 2:58 pm

    When taking Blood Thinners, they will check your INR. If you take K2 you thicken the Blood which defets the purpose of the Blood Thinner.

    When I had to take a blood thinner temprarily prior to surgery for a genital defect, they had me stop taking Vitamin K supplements until after the surgery.

    Reply
  7. Patrick

    Jan 11, 2016 at 12:56 pm

    I wasn’t able to get a clear answer concerning K2 and its effect on INR values while taking warfarin. How will K2 interact with thinners?

    Reply
  8. d

    Nov 9, 2015 at 7:04 am

    It would be helpful to know what brand and how much K1 and K2 Lisa took and for how long concerning when she developed vein problems. And was it from the K1 or K2 or both…

    Reply
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