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There are in fact two very distinct vitamins, K1 and K2, with very different physiological properties.
It was only due to a lack of knowledge and on the basis of their similar chemical structure (of "quinones") that these two vitamins were initially called K (for "coagulation").
The first scientific observations highlighted the role of vitamin K1.
Even today, in many non-scientific publications, the properties recognized for vitamin K are those of vitamin K1.
So let's talk about vitamin K2!
Functioning and roles of Vitamin K2: the ally of calcium
Vitamin K2 plays a key role in the absorption, efficiency, and distribution of calcium in the body. Calcium is the body's primary mineral; its role extends beyond bone strength. It plays a variety of essential roles, including maintaining soft tissue, muscle contraction, and maintaining cardiovascular health.
The main mechanism of action of vitamin K2 is to facilitate the carboxylation (activation) of 'GLA' (Gamma-Carboxyglutamic Acid) proteins including osteocalcin, which is essential for calcium fixation.
Vitamin K2 also protects arteries and blood vessels from excess calcification, which gradually stiffens them, by activating the MGP (Matrix Gla Protein) protein, which has the function of inhibiting the formation of calcium crystals in blood vessels.
Overall: Vitamin K2 maintains the balance between calcium in bones and that in soft tissues, which is essential for vascular health.
Origins of Vitamin K2:
Some bacteria (including Bacillus Subtilis) belonging to our own intestinal flora can synthesize vitamin K2 . However, this intake varies greatly from one individual to another since it depends on the composition of the intestinal flora, specific to each person.
Some vitamin K1 can also be converted to K2 in the body, with very low efficiency.
Food sources of vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 , also called menaquinone, is obtained primarily through diet.
It is located:
- In a variety of animal foods (e.g. liver, eggs and cheese, etc.)
- In certain fermented products (e.g. sauerkraut, natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, etc.)
Recommended intakes and actual needs
The confusion between vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 persist at the level of nutritional recommendations which are defined globally for “vitamin K”: approximately 80 µg/day for adults.
Discussions are underway, primarily in North America, to re-evaluate these standards, with the aim of arriving at specific recommendations for vitamin K2.
The specificity of Vitamin K2 is now well recognized for its interactions with calcium which make it an essential vitamin, although its specific nutritional recommendations remain to be clarified.
Vitamin K2 is present in Argalys Multivitamin and Calcium Formulas.
