Vitamin K2: What is it and why do you need it for healthy blood vessels and bones?

Vitamin K2 helps transport calcium to the bones, prevents arteriosclerosis and supports cooperation with vitamin D for strong bones and healthy blood vessels.

Vitamin K is essential for several body functions, including blood clotting and the health of your blood vessels. In this article, we explain why vitamin K2 is important for preventing arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis, and how it works with vitamin D to get calcium into the bones rather than into the vessels.

The Difference Between Vitamin K1 and K2

Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) is found mainly in green leafy vegetables and is essential for blood clotting. Vitamin K2 (menaquinone), on the other hand, plays a crucial role in preventing arteriosclerosis and maintaining strong bones. Vitamin K2 ensures that calcium from your diet enters bones and not blood vessels, reducing the risk of calcification. This works closely with vitamin D, which helps absorb calcium and then, thanks to K2, send it to the right places.

Why Vitamin K2 Is So Important for Your Health

A deficiency in vitamin K2 can lead to arteriosclerosis, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, K2 plays an important role in preventing osteoporosis by helping to fix calcium in the bones. Without sufficient vitamin K2, calcium can accumulate in blood vessels, leading to calcification and stiff vessels, while weakening bones. This increases the risk of bone fractures, especially in older adults.

Vitamin K2 and Measuring Arteriosclerosis

At Blood Value Testing, the VitaK meter can be used to measure blood vessel elasticity, a good indicator of possible arteriosclerosis. Low K2 status can cause stiffening of blood vessels, but supplementation with vitamin K2 can reverse this process, by making calcified vessels elastic again.

Vitamin K2 and Vitamin D: A powerful combination for strong bones

Vitamin K2 works closely with vitamin D to send calcium to the right places in the body. Vitamin D ensures that calcium is absorbed from the diet, but K2 ensures that calcium is effectively absorbed into the bones rather than the blood vessels. This partnership helps prevent both arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis, maintaining your heart and bone health.

Why Measure Vitamin K2?

Measuring your vitamin K2 status via the elasticity of your blood vessels provides a more accurate picture of your health than a blood test alone. Blood Value Test's VitaK meter provides insight into the long-term effects of your K2 intake on the health of your blood vessels and bones.

In brief

Vitamin K2 is essential for the health of your blood vessels and bones. By measuring K2 and taking enough, possibly along with vitamin D, you can reduce your risk of arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis. If you suspect you are deficient, consider a measurement with the VitaK meter at Blood Value Test.