Discussion of the various vitamin K2 supplements on the market with a comparison of MK-4 from animal sources or MK-7 from bacterial fermentation to ensure the diet contains sufficient amounts of this elusive yet critical nutrient.
Getting enough Vitamin K2 is absolutely essential to vibrant health. Surprisingly, the vast majority of people are seriously deficient.
Even those eating a completely whole food, organic diet, usually fall short when it comes to getting enough of either of the two major forms: MK-7 and MK-4.
Traditional Societies instinctively put great importance on foods high in Vitamin K2.
These sacred foods were consumed in larger quantities by young couples preparing to conceive.
In addition, pregnant and breastfeeding women, growing children, and the elderly received more to preserve health during these critical times of life.
Sufficient Vitamin K2 along with the other critical fat-soluble activators A and D are especially important for pregnant women to consume to ensure healthy babies.
It is important to note that Vitamin K1 from leafy greens is a different nutrient! It is not the same as Vitamin K2 found in the sacred foods of traditional cultures.
The best food sources of Vitamin K2 are grass-fed dairy products, emu oil, gouda, brie cheese, and natto, a very strong-tasting fermented soy product with roots in Japan.
Vitamin K2 from animal sources is MK-4, while K2 produced by bacterial fermentation as found in natto or cheese is MK-7.
Getting Enough Vitamin K2 in the Diet
Unfortunately, even if one consumes plenty of grass-fed dairy, getting enough K2 in the diet is still a challenge. This is due to the worrisome depletion of our soils which will take generations to repair.
Consider that the spring butter of the traditional Alpine living Swiss was an orange color. Grass-fed spring butter today is at best deep yellow.
No doubt, the soil that produced the rapidly growing spring grass that the Alpine cows grazed upon was much higher in nutrients to produce orange butter which the Swiss reverently placed in bowls with wicks to burn in their Churches.
K2 Is Not Recycled by the Body like K1
One factor contributing to widespread Vitamin K2 deficiency is the apparent lack of recycling of this nutrient by the body.
This is in contrast to Vitamin K1 from leafy green vegetables, which can be reused metabolically.
This means that Vitamin K2 stores can be quickly depleted with invisible deficiency occurring in as little as 7 days.
This is concerning especially if you are taking Vitamin D or calcium supplements. Sufficient K2 is necessary to prevent arterial calcification when the intake of these synergistic nutrients is high.
K2 Supplements Bridge the Dietary Gap
While it is always best to strive to get your nutrients from food, the critical nature of Vitamin K2 and the depletion of our soils indicates to me that supplementation is a good idea. Â
I did not feel certain that we could get enough K2 by eating reasonable amounts of whole and even sacred foods from grass-fed sources like Traditional Societies would have obtained by eating a similar diet.
Based on population studies and data obtained from Vitamin K2 doses given in clinical trials, it seems that 45 mcg/day would be the minimal dose needed for any sort of therapeutic effect.
Several hundred mcg/day is a better target as this is what frequent natto eaters in Japan consume.
The good news is that Vitamin K2 has no known toxicity. Thus, adding a daily supplement taken with food to improve absorption has no downside.
MK-7 vs MK-4
If you decide that taking a Vitamin K2 supplement makes sense to you, which should you choose?
If given the choice, I prefer MK-4, the animal form of Vitamin K2 over MK-7, the form of K2 from bacterial fermentation.
I get MK-4 in my diet by cooking frequently with pastured ghee, the clarified form of butter. I also eat plenty and a wide variety of cheeses along with pastured butter and eggs.
MK-4 from Food
When it comes to the animal form of Vitamin K2…MK-4…you really must get it from Real Food. The best sources are grass-fed butter, emu oil, ghee, goose liver, cheese, and pastured egg yolks.
I cannot stress enough that these are critical whole foods in your diet.
You cannot rely on a supplement form of MK-4, known as menatetrenone, because it is synthetic.
This is similar to the widespread issue of synthetic vitamin C supplements. Incidentally, folic acid is synthetic too (you want folate).
Synthetic MK-4
The supplement form of MK-4 is commonly extracted from tobacco, most likely of GMO origin (90% of tobacco crops are genetically modified).
It is not the same MK-4 as found in grass-fed butter oil, eggs, goose liver, gouda cheese, or pastured emu oil.
Supplement manufacturers rely on synthetic MK-4 because it would be prohibitively expensive to obtain this nutrient from whole food sources.
MK-4 in the Blood
Another big downside of synthetic MK-4 is the very short time it remains in the body.
For this reason, dosing every few hours is necessary to maintain therapeutic levels in the blood.
This is a very inconvenient aspect of these supplements that is rarely understood by consumers looking for therapeutic benefits.
Natural MK-7 Supplements
While MK-4 supplements are synthetic, MK-7 supplements produced via fermentation are not.
Thus, when it comes to supplementing with Vitamin K2, MK-7 is the safest and most effective form to take.
For example, this brand of Vitamin K2 is derived from nonGMO natto. My family has relied on it for many years.
If you enjoy the unusual flavor of this Japanese traditional food, I recommend natto fried rice as perhaps the best-tasting dish.
For those who are avoiding even fermented forms of soy, this Vitamin K2 from fermented chickpeas is a good brand to consider.
Blood Levels of MK-7
A huge benefit of supplementing with MK-7 is that it stays in therapeutic doses in the blood much longer than synthetic MK-4.
As a result, a once-a-day supplement of MK-7 is sufficient.
This is a very effective addition to the natural MK-4 from a diet high in grass-fed dairy and other sacred foods.
Summary. You Need BOTH MK-4 and MK-7
Getting enough of the natural, fermented form of Vitamin K2 in the diet via quality MK-7 supplements is a great strategy. To this end, I take this brand of Vitamin K2 derived from nonGMO natto.
However, it is critical to ensure you are also getting plenty of the animal form of Vitamin K2…MK-4…via whole foods.
The best MK-4 sources include cheese, pastured butter (especially ghee or raw butter oil), emu oil, goose liver, and pastured egg yolks.
Cheese from the milk of pastured cows is a particularly special source of Vitamin K2 because both MK-4 and MK-7 are in the same food!
Be sure to read labels and avoid MK-4 supplements as they are synthetic. I’ve seen at least one brand that lists menatetrenone as Vitamin K2 and not specifically MK-4, so buyer beware!
When it comes to the amount of Vitamin K2 you might need every day to maintain strong teeth, bones, and plaque-free arteries, I strongly recommend the book Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue BSc, ND.
She discusses the daily dosage needed for healthy people versus those who need to reverse arterial calcification, osteoporosis, and other degenerative issues.
References
(1) Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue BSc, ND
(2) Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Dr. Weston A. Price
(3) Menatretnone
More Information
The Latest Scoop on K2 Wonder Nutrient
The Vitamin Deficiency That Shows on Your Face
Nightshade Vegetables and Pain
Is there k2 in dark orange egg yolks?
Yes, the deeper orange the yolk, the more K2 it has.
http://happy.guide/2014/11/28/k2/
Thanks for this. I am looking forward to your post on what this supplement has done for your health. Grassfed butter is expensive, and as you say – not what it used to be. I am sure we are not getting much K2 either!
@Elizabeth I don’t think better absorption from the synthetic MK-4 can be assumed at all. It could very well end up in the toilet unabsorbed just like what happens to other synthetic supplements. The case for synthetic MK-4 is not convincing at all to me.
Hi Sarah! Love your blog!
I just wanted to comment that I take a K2 supplement and found that I get leg cramps. My thought is that I need to increase my calcium intake. I have never been one to supplement with Calcium since I get severe constipation from it. If the K2 is taking up the calcium to my bones, then maybe there isn’t enough calcium left for my muscles. Any ideas?
Christine – to my knowledge, spasms of all kinds are an indicator of magnesium deficiency. Most of us are deficient in this mineral that’s critical for every cell in the body. Big Ag has left our soils depleted. ALSO, calcium is regulated by magnesium (which prevents calcification of joints). So – supplementing calcium without magnesium can make arthritis and osteoporosis much worse. The two are designed to work together. See website of Dr Carolyn Dean (the magnesium Queen). In my opinion, best to buy the Mag Oil from Global Light Network (online). They explain why it’s best to absorb it transdermally (through the skin) – most efficient, no side-effects and no possibility of overdosing. Magnesium Oil renders dozens of pharma meds redundant. Its VERY affordable. Dr Mark Sircus also strongly recommends it. Important for depression, anxiety, child behaviours, mood, Parkinsons’, and roughly fifty other common complaints and conditions.
try a good B complex vitamin for your leg cramps.
Leg cramps are more likely magnesium deficiency. K2 and vitamins A and D, as well as calcium are all intimately connected, so there is a possibility that increased K2 could increase your need for magnesium or push a borderline deficiency into symptoms e.g. cramps.
I also got frequent leg cramps (then tried, to no avail, to supplement magnesium, zinc, potassium and quinine). They stopped once I quit taking a new drug (Roflumilast) prescribed by my physician.
Are you taking any new prescription drug?
I too have experienced the most horrible leg cramps and also ribcage cramping while on K 2 mk7. Finally made the link . I take D3 and only magnesium and calcium sporadically . Guess I should take all of them daily ? Any ideas on the leg cramping issue?
Stefan Guyenet: trials on shelf-life “were conducted by MK-7 supplement vendors and the results have not been published. Interestingly, MK-4 and MK-7 have the exact same plasma half-life in rats” and “MK-4 is the only form of vitamin K2 that’s been shown to reduce fracture risk in clinical trials”. From Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue’s book “Whatever your feelings on synthetic versus natural supplemets, clinical trials show that you can reap all the bone-building, artery-clearing benefits benefits from this [synthetic menatetrenone from tobacco] form of menaquinone.”
MK7 does not cross the placenta in appreciable amounts, so MK7 is appropriate for adult cardiovascular health (particularly for the high-need teens or menopausal women) but we need MK4 for fetal facial development.
No doubt that MK-7 supplements are not a replacement for grassfed dairy and butter oil. Agreed.
It is beneficial nonetheless and a better choice than synthetic MK-4 supplements.
Sarah, so the supplement you use for MK-7 is Jarrow? How many a day do you take? And if more than 1 a day, do you spread it out?
Do you think opening the capsule might help?
I wonder because I am currently taking Thorne K2 (I guess that is MK-4):
1. you are saying the Thorne brand is definitely synthetic?
2. it’s super duper (SUPER!) expensive and if I could switch to a Natto that would do the same / better, I would be very happy about that
3. I’ve noticed a huge difference in my teeth / gums since using it sublingually and swishing it around in my mouth (that’s why I wonder if opening up a Jarrow capsule of MK-7 might be helpful.
Thanks so much for all this info!
I am not married to any particular brand .. yes I use Jarrow but there may be other brands that are good as well.
According to my research, MK-4 supplements on the market are synthetic as deriving natural MK-4 from grassfed dairy would be too expensive.
Also, MK-4 supplements last in the blood for only a very short period of time (3 hours or even less). Given the cost of the Thorne product, it seems better to buy butter oil from Green Pastures along with a much more reasonably priced MK-7 supplement.
Jarrow is very reasonably priced so try opening the capsule or two and swish it around and see if it helps you. I would be interested to know your observations.
Thanks! I just looked up and even though the Thorne brand is over $60 for 1 fl. oz., it is synthetic. I use ghee (would that give K2 as much as the butter oil?) too.
Also, when a woman is estrogen dominant, do you think natto-based K2 is okay? I have been avoiding all phytoestrogens because my hormones are so whacked out. I know natto is fermented, but it is still soy – your thoughts?
Thanks!
My emphasis: if MK-7 doesn’t clean the plaque off your teeth — how do you know it’s working in the rest of your body? I love my clean teeth from synthetic MK-4.
To round out the discussion, Stephan Guyenet (who I respect as much as Sarah) had these comments:
” . . . yes, the people who sell MK-7 like to say it’s better. Mostly because it has a longer plasma half-life. I find that argument totally unconvincing. As Chris Masterjohn has said, the shorter half-life of MK-4 may have to do with the fact that many tissues prefer it to MK-7 so they take it up more rapidly.
“MK-4 is the form of K2 that mammals synthesize for their own use and their offspring. MK-7 isn’t something that hunter-gatherers would necessarily have gotten much of. MK-7 may have its own benefits, but I think it’s unlikely to be a replacement for MK-4.
I wish I knew more of the sources for another guy’s comments that : ” MK-7 is produced in humans by bacteria in the gut. Studies do not demonstrate great absorption of MK-7. Positive effects of MK-7 consumption is most likely due to conversion to MK-4.”
On principle, I also don’t like synthetic anything. Green Pasture’s Butter Oil (Activator X) may be the best way to go.
Yes, I agree .. MK-4 is superior IF it is natural. MK-4 supplements are not in any way natural other than the fact that they come from tobacco, hence another alternative is needed. Eating a TBL or two of butter oil a day is not an option for most especially cost wise, so MK-7 is an excellent alternative.
I might add that I have seen HUGE health improvements taking MK-7 in addition to the many MK-4 sources in my diet. I very strongly disagree that MK-7 is not helpful, particularly since MK-7 is a primary reason hard cheeses are so beneficial to health even if not grassfed.
This is a case of putting science ahead of observation and historical evidence which is pretty much always a mistake in my experience. Note that natto eaters in Japan have a lower hip fracture/osteoporosis rate than non-natto eaters in other parts of Japan.
I don’t know but maybe you should read this:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3502319/
I added this supplement to my diet about eight years ago when I was still having heavy periods with accompanying menstrual migraines that knocked me out for a few days each month. The benefit of the MK7 was that the length of my periods reduced and the migraine was less severe and of shorter duration. I believe there are other benefits as well, but this really stood out for me as a strong benefit clearly related to adding the supplement. The sacred foods were insufficient to provide relief..