Vitamin K2 is necessary for the activation of matrix Gla protein (MGP), which binds to calcium and protects blood vessels from calcification. A recent study suggests that taking a daily dose of vitamin K2 may help improve vascular health, as measured by inactive levels of MGP (dp-ucMGP ).

Participants in the study included 243 people, 77 of whom were men and 166 of whom were women. All of the participants had poor vitamin K status at the onset of the study. For a full year, half of the group was given 180 µg/day of vitamin K, while the other half was given a placebo.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted a significant decrease in dp-ucMGP in the vitamin K group, when compared with the placebo. The participants in the vitamin K group also maintained arterial flexibility. The results were most pronounced in postmenopausal women and people with a high arterial stiffness index.

Researchers from VitaK conducted the study.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Vascular calcification is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. Vitamin K is critical for converting inactive Matrix GLA Protein into its active form, which inhibits calcification of arteries. Now a new study has found an association between low vitamin K levels and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Participants in the study included 4,275 people between the ages of 41 and 65 who took part in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease (PREVEND) study. Of the total study population, 31% were vitamin K deficient. Vitamin K deficiency was more common (closer to 50%) in mature adults and people with comorbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Over the 10-year follow-up period, 279 of the participants died, with 74 deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease. After examining the data, the researchers found a signficant association between blood markers of vitamin K concentrations and death from cardiovascular causes.

Researchers from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands conducted the study. It was published on December 8, 2017, in the journal Nutrients.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese and natto but can also be found in meat. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a condition where the major pumping chamber of the heart becomes enlarged, wall thickness increases and the amount of blood pumped out decreases. A recent study suggests that low intake of vitamin K1 may be associated with a higher risk of enlargement of the left ventricle of the heart in teenagers.

Participants in the study included 766 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18. They were separated into three groups based on vitamin K1 intake. The researchers used dietary recall to determine vitamin K1 intake. They also used echocardiography to measure left ventricular structure and function. Only 25% of the participants had adequate intake levels, which were more than 75 micrograms per day.

After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, the researchers determined that the teenagers in the lowest consumption group (less than 42 micrograms per day of vitamin K2) had a 3.3 higher risk of LVH than those consuming the most (more than 90 micrograms per day).

They also found significantly lower left ventricular mass index and wall thickness in the group with the highest vitamin K1 intake. Additionally, two measures of left ventricular function were significantly poorer in the lowest intake group.

Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on August 9, 2017, in The Journal of Nutrition.

Previous studies suggest that vitamin K1 may help with bone and heart health. It can be found in leafy green vegetables, such as kale, collards, mustard greens, and spinach. It can also be take in supplement form.

A recent study suggests that deficiencies in vitamin D, vitamin K, and calcium may be to blame for a recent increase in low-energy bone fractures in children. These fractures occur in otherwise healthy children and have health care professionals baffled.

For this review, an international team of researchers examined data from a range of studies that addressed environmental and nutritional contributions to children’s bone health. They found that the research showed that the human body requires vitamin K to modify the proteins that transport calcium — and that a lot of people in the Western world are not getting enough vitamin K via diet.

They found that both prepubertal and pubertal age children had high circulating levels of inactive uncarboxylated osteocalcin, which is a vitamin K-dependent protein. High levels of this protein in its inactive form are a sign that a) children aren’t getting enough vitamin K and b) they may be at risk of early onset osteoporosis later in life, due to insufficient bone development.

The researchers recommend that calcium supplements also be taken with fat-soluble vitamin D and vitamin K supplements in order to ensure that the calcium is properly and safely absorbed by the body.

Researchers from Medical University of Bialystok, Poland, led the study. It was published online ahead of print on July 7, 2017, in the Journal of American College of Nutrition.

Previous studies have associated vitamin D with improved lipid profiles in diabetics, lower risk of asthma and allergies in children, reducing the risk of skin damage, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, combating diabetes, lower risk of cognitive decline, and improving age-related macular degeneration. Vitamin D can be found in milk, fortified cereals, fish, and eggs.

Vitamin K2 has been linked to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 can be found in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. It is also available in supplement form.

Calcium is best known for its effect on bone health, but previous studies suggest it can also help with weight loss, skin health, and reducing the risk of stroke. Some studies have even suggested that calcium intake is associated with increased longevity.

Calcium absorption decreases as we age, so it is especially important to make sure you are getting enough. While the more common types of calcium come from dairy products, previous studies suggest that algae-derived calcium may in fact be more effective than more common types of calcium.

People who have received kidney transplants often have vitamin K deficiencies. A new study has found that vitamin K2 supplementation may result in improvements in vitamin K deficiencies as well as improved arterial stiffness.

Participants in the study included 60 renal transplant recipients with stable graft function who were given 360 µg/day of vitamin K2 daily for eight weeks. Arterial stiffness was measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity.

After eight weeks of supplementation, the researchers noted significant improvements in arterial stiffness and 24-hour peripheral and central pressures. They noted a 55.1% reduction in dpucMGP levels. High levels of the dpucMGP protein are a biomarker of vitamin K deficiency. They also noted a 14.2% reduction in mean carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, which is a measure of arterial stiffness.

Researchers from Lebanese American University conducted the study. It was published on July 13, 2017, in the Journal of the American Society of Hypertension.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K2 to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 can be found in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. It is also available in supplement form.

When we exercise, our hearts beat faster and harder. That’s called cardiac output, and a higher cardiac output means that an athlete can perform better and longer. A recent study suggests that taking vitamin K2 supplements may increase cardiac output in aerobically trained adults by as much as 12%.

Participants in the study included 26 athletes who were given either 300 mg of vitamin K2 daily for four weeks followed by four more weeks of 150 mg of vitamin K2 per day or a placebo for eight weeks. All of the participants were instructed to follow their usual exercise routines during the study period.

The participants completed a standard, graded exercise test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer at the beginning and end of the study. During that test, researchers measured oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, respiratory rate, and respiratory exchange ratio. The participants also wore skin-mounted electrodes that measured noninvasive cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate during the test.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted that the vitamin K2 supplement group had an average 12% increase in maximal cardiac output. They also noted a trend toward lower levels of lactate in the blood in the vitamin K2 group, when compared with the placebo.

Researchers from the University of North Texas conducted the study. It was published in the July 2017 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K2 to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 can be found in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. It is also available in supplement form.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in most developed countries, and in many developing countries. A recent study suggests that taking a supplement that is a combination of policosanol derivative and vitamin K may help lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Participants in the study included 6,595 people in Serbia. The group was divided into two, with 4,031 people receiving the policosanol/vitamin K supplement and 2,564 people acting as a control. The supplement group received a daily dose for three months and blood was drawn at the onset and conclusion of the study.

The supplement group was, on average, slightly older than the control group and both groups had more men than woman. In the supplement group, 55.6% were classified as obese, while the control group had lower levels of obesity. Smoking was prevalent in both groups, with 48% of the supplement group and 46% of the control identifying as smokers. The majority of participants in both groups had either a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or risk factors. Hypertension was common in both groups and the majority of all participants were being treated with statins or other medications.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted significant reductions in mean values of cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol in the supplement group. They also noted an increase in mean value of HDL cholesterol in the supplement group, but significant decrease in the control group.

Researchers from Primary Health Center Vozdovac in Belgrade conducted the study. It was published in the February 2017 issue of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Invention.

Policosanol is derived from sugar cane and is a relatively new substance. The research that has been performed suggests that it may help with cholesterol, but not much research has been performed as of yet.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States. A recent study suggests that having low levels of both vitamin D and vitamin K may be associated with higher blood pressure and an increased risk of developing hypertension.

Participants in the study included 402 people with incident hypertension and 231 participants who did not have hypertension at the beginning of the study. All of the participants took part in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, which included Dutch people between the ages of 55 and 65 and included 6.4 years of data collection.

After examining the data, the researchers determined that low levels of vitamin D and vitamin K were associated with a 4.8 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure and a 3.1 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure. They also found that low levels of the vitamins were associated with a 62% increase in risk of incident hypertension.

Researchers from University Medical Center Utrecht led the study. It was published online ahead of print on April 10, 2017, in the journal Hypertension.

Previous studies have associated vitamin D with improved lipid profiles in diabetics, lower risk of asthma and allergies in children, reducing the risk of skin damage, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, combating diabetes, lower risk of cognitive decline, and improving age-related macular degeneration.

Vitamin D can be found in milk, fortified cereals, fish, and eggs. Your body also processes vitamin D from the sun but it becomes harder for our bodies to process it as we age. A high-quality vitamin D supplement is also a good option if you feel that you’re not getting enough through diet and sun.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder to attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. A recent study claims that vitamin K2 deficiency is as a big a risk for heart disease as smoking cigarettes.

For the study, the researchers examined publicly available data on food intake from 168 countries. They inferred nutrient intake profiles from the data, and then correlated that information with records of early death (from ages 15 to 64) from cardiovascular disease. They also cross-referenced the correlation with other risk factors, including insufficient physical activity, tobacco use, biometric CVD risk markers, socioeconomic risk factors, and gender.

After examining all of the data, the researchers found that people with very low levels of vitamin K2 intake had a 2.2 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people from countries with high vitamin K2 intakes. They also found that too much alcohol was responsible for 0.38% of the deaths, too little vitamin K2 for 6.95%, tobacco for 6.87%, high blood pressure for 9.01%, air pollution for 9.15%, early childhood death for 3.64%, poverty for 7.66%, and male gender for 6.13%.

Researchers from Internal Medicine, LA County, conducted the study. It was published on August 24, 2016, in the journal Cureus.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 is hard to attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. It is also available in supplement form.

Approximately 25% of American adults take statins with the hope of lowering cholesterol and improving heart health, but the medications have been found to have their own negative side effects. A recent study suggests that one such side effect may be inhibition of vitamin K2, which in turn might lead to serious negative effects on the heart and blood vessels.

The researchers found that statins inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2, which is necessary for the activation of matrix Gla protein (MGP). MGP binds to calcium and protects blood vessels from calcification, but it can only do that when adequate levels of vitamin K2 are present. This means that statins may actually contribute to the hardening of the arteries known as atherosclerosis and contribute to serious heart problems.

The researchers suggest that people on statins should also be taking vitamin K2 supplements to compensate for the deficit.

Researchers from Kinjo Gakuin University in Japan conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on February 6, 2015 in Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology.

Previous studies have linked vitamin K to bone and cardiovascular health, as well as a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin K comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinones). Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables and makes up approximately 90% of the vitamin K consumption in a western diet.

Vitamin K2 is harder attain from food sources and therefore makes up only 10% of consumption. It is most common in fermented foods such as cheese but can also be found in meat and soybeans. Both vitamin K1 and K2 are also available in supplement form.