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The effects of vitamin K2 from diet or supplements on blood clotting and whether this nutrient is contraindicated for those on blood-thinning medications.
Vitamin K2 is perhaps the most critical and yet misunderstood nutritional deficiencies in the western diet.
Dr. Weston A. Price was the first to discover the magic of K2 in the early 1900s. He described it as the secret or “X-factor” supporting the high resistance to aging and the nearly complete absence of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative ailments in Traditional Cultures.
Unfortunately, depleted soils make it extremely difficult even with a clean, whole food diet, to get sufficient amounts today. Thus, many people educated on this subject choose to boost their daily intake either with the fermented form (MK7) or the animal form (MK4).
Since one of the most profound effects of increasing the amount of vitamin K2 in the diet is on the health of the cardiovascular system, the next question becomes how does K2 affect the blood?
Vitamin K2 and Blood Clotting
While blood clotting is an essential function of the body, unnatural blood clots are not. This is an important issue of late because clotting issues are one of the severe complications of coronavirus. In addition, it is a side effect of the covaxx experimental gene therapy injections.
Thus, would supplementing with K2 negatively predispose a person to this problem?
According to Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, one of the foremost experts in vitamin K2, the answer is no.
The reason is that under normal circumstances, the blood clotting mechanisms in the body are dominated by vitamin K1, NOT vitamin K2.
Thus, even very large amounts of K2 from food or supplements do not markedly affect blood clotting.
The one exception to this rule is for those people who take the drug warfarin, also known as Coumadin. This drug works by creating a vitamin K deficiency in the body. Thus, any source of either K1 or K2 in the diet or via supplement will counteract its effects by restoring natural clotting capacity that is roughly the same as in an unmedicated state. (1)
Fortunately, many doctors have moved away from prescribing Coumadin in recent years, as it requires the patient to avoid many healthy foods such as broccoli that are high in vitamin K1 as well as foods and supplements with K2.
Blood Thinners
We’ve already established that vitamin K2 is contraindicated for those on the drug Coumadin. In Dr. Kate’s words, “You ultimately can’t get the benefits of vitamin K2 supplements while taking warfarin, so don’t bother”. (1)
But, what about other blood thinners?
Fortunately, alternatives to Coumadin are not going to be adversely affected by taking vitamin K2.
Neither vitamin K1 nor vitamin K2 interacts with other blood thinners such as aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dabagitran (Pradaxa), prasugrel (Effient), or rivaroxaban (Xarelto). These drugs thin the blood using mechanisms unrelated to either form of vitamin K.
In addition, natural blood thinners such as cod liver oil and other sources of omega-3 fats such as flax or walnut oil are safe to take as well. (2)
Thus, the anti-aging benefits of vitamin K2 particularly to the cardiovascular system via inhibition and even healing of plaques are available to those most at risk of coronavirus complications as well as those on blood thinners with the exception of Coumadin.
References
(1) Frequently Asked Questions about Vitamin K2
(2) Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox
Any contraindication with K2 and bisphosphonates (alendronic acid) which I’m taking for osteopenia?
I use a vitamin D3 K2 lotion for getting.these important vitamins during.the winter and was wondering if you know of any studies that suggest that they are definitely absorbed well through the skin? I have found a couple, but am not sure what the general consensus is.
Thank you Sarah!
Thank you for this vital information!
Thank you for this, Sara! My hubby had a heart transplant and was subsequently diagnosed with osteopenia, caused by the drugs he now must take. He was prescribed Fosamax, but we balked when we read the warnings. Did some research and discovered K2 but the cardiologist had no knowledge of it and advised against it. We took other measures, mostly dietary, and he was able to reverse the condition, but he did eventually add K2 to his regimen on the advice of his holistic minded dermatologist and I take it, too. I’m constantly telling people about it and amazed how few know about it.
You didn’t mention the blood thinner Eliquis. Is Vit d3 with K2 safe to take if you are on Eliquis?
Thanks for this info…very interesting! I take a Vit D with K2 as MK7 and was pleased to have confirmation that I should keep right on taking it!
Surprised you haven’t mentioned how vitamin K2 has been shown to help coronavirus patients: https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa1258/5898121 and https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.21.20248613v1 It’s not just that it doesn’t have any negative effect, it actually has a beneficial one, probably because it inhibits calcification of the arteries and lungs.
Also, the body is perfectly able to use K2 for blood clotting as well, but obviously the liver can choose to make just the right amount of clotting factors so there’s no risk of overdosing.
I’ve had a bit of a read through the literature on K2, and found that in fact K1 is so weak and poorly absorbed that it’s not even necessary to avoid normal amounts of it if you’re on warfarin: https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/104/9/2682/19370/Effect-of-vitamin-K-intake-on-the-stability-of
I’m also a bit doubtful about whether it is our depleted soils that are the problem. Because I read in some scientific article that vitamin K2 content is similar between wild deer, grass-fed and grain fed ruminant animals. I suspect the problem is more that people these days don’t eat enough organ meats, because the K2 is known to accumulate in highest amounts in pancreas, kidney and brain. Shame there is no nutrition data available for these foods. Also, vitamin K2 can be utilised as an antioxidant and can thus be used up by excess oxidative stress.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Ah, oxidative stress. I was going to suggest the stress angle, but you got to my point. My guess is the majority of nutritional deficiencies are not caused as much by our diet as by the high amounts of stress people these days are under. The stress-disease connection is so fundamentally under-recognized. See: Gabor Mate MD, “When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection.” This seems to be the major point that the vast majority of people in the health arena miss – it takes keen emotional awareness to realize it, while the majority of us are still over-using our analytical/materialist/’left’ brains.
My question is this: I have inherited a condition that would put me at higher risk for developing blood clots. Since I am taking Vit. D3 5000IU daily should I be taking Vit. K2 as well? Or maybe I should ask Is it safe for me to take the K2? I do eat a lot of dark green vegetables and take Cod Liver Oil.
Thank you for this helpful article on vitamin K! I have been eating natto 3-4 times per week for over 2 years and feel that it is cardio protective for me (there is lots of cardiac disease in my family). My husband has had cardiac bypass surgery, doesn’t care for natto and up til now, we have been unsure as to whether or not it would be safe for him to add a vitamin K2 supplement to his regimen. This helps answer some of our questions. We appreciate your blog and looking into so many interesting topics.