Vitamin K supplements are touted for bone, brain, and heart health, but have they actually been shown to help?
Should You Supplement with Vitamin K2?
- Palermo A, Tuccinardi D, D'Onofrio L, et al. Vitamin K and osteoporosis: Myth or reality?. Metabolism. 2017;70:57-71.
- Grey A, Avenell A, Bolland M. Revised Meta-analysis of Vitamin K and Fractures. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(8):1135.
- Alpert JS. Concerns About the Integrity of Ishida Y, Kawai S. Am J Med. 2004;117:549-555: The Reply. Am J Med. 2020;133(6):e315.
- Avenell A, Grey A, Gamble GD, Bolland MJ. Concerns About the Integrity of the Yamaguchi Osteoporosis Prevention Study (YOPS) Report, Am J Med. 2004;117:549-555. Am J Med. 2020;133(6):e311-4.
- Sato Y, Honda Y, Iwamoto J. RETRACTED: Etidronate for fracture prevention in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial [retraction of: Bone. 2006 Nov;39(5):1080-1086]. Bone. 2018;106:214.
- Mott A, Bradley T, Wright K, et al. Effect of vitamin K on bone mineral density and fractures in adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [published correction appears in Osteoporos Int. 2020 Nov;31(11):2269-2270]. Osteoporos Int. 2019;30(8):1543-59.
- Vlasschaert C, Goss CJ, Pilkey NG, McKeown S, Holden RM. Vitamin K Supplementation for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Where Is the Evidence? A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020;12(10):2909.
- Witham MD, Lees JS, White M, et al. Vitamin K Supplementation to Improve Vascular Stiffness in CKD: The K4Kidneys Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020;31(10):2434-45.
- Zwakenberg SR, de Jong PA, Bartstra JW, et al. The effect of menaquinone-7 supplementation on vascular calcification in patients with diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(4):883-90.
- Shea MK, Booth SL, Massaro JM, et al. Vitamin K and vitamin D status: associations with inflammatory markers in the Framingham Offspring Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167(3):313-20.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), Turck D, Bresson JL, et al. Dietary reference values for vitamin K. EFSA J. 2017;15(5):e04780.
- Braam L, McKeown N, Jacques P, et al. Dietary phylloquinone intake as a potential marker for a heart-healthy dietary pattern in the Framingham Offspring cohort. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104(9):1410-4.
- Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Micronutrients. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2001.
- Elder SJ, Haytowitz DB, Howe J, Peterson JW, Booth SL. Vitamin k contents of meat, dairy, and fast food in the U.S. Diet. J Agric Food Chem. 2006;54(2):463-7.
- Karl JP, Fu X, Wang X, et al. Fecal menaquinone profiles of overweight adults are associated with gut microbiota composition during a gut microbiota-targeted dietary intervention. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(1):84-93.
- Nakagawa K, Hirota Y, Sawada N, et al. Identification of UBIAD1 as a novel human menaquinone-4 biosynthetic enzyme. Nature. 2010;468(7320):117-21.
- Szterk A, Bus K, Zmysłowski A, Ofiara K. Analysis of Menaquinone-7 Content and Impurities in Oil and Non-Oil Dietary Supplements. Molecules. 2018;23(5):1056.
- McCann A, Jeffery IB, Ouliass B, et al. Exploratory analysis of covariation of microbiota-derived vitamin K and cognition in older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(6):1404-15.
- Tanprasertsuk J, Ferland G, Johnson MA, et al. Concentrations of Circulating Phylloquinone, but Not Cerebral Menaquinone-4, Are Positively Correlated with a Wide Range of Cognitive Measures: Exploratory Findings in Centenarians. J Nutr. 2020;150(1):82-90.
- Shea MK, Barger K, Booth SL, et al. Vitamin K status, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a participant-level meta-analysis of 3 US cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020;111(6):1170-7.
- Kwok CS, Gulati M, Michos ED, et al. Dietary components and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a review of evidence from meta-analyses. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2019;26(13):1415-29.
Motion graphics by Avo Media
- Palermo A, Tuccinardi D, D'Onofrio L, et al. Vitamin K and osteoporosis: Myth or reality?. Metabolism. 2017;70:57-71.
- Grey A, Avenell A, Bolland M. Revised Meta-analysis of Vitamin K and Fractures. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(8):1135.
- Alpert JS. Concerns About the Integrity of Ishida Y, Kawai S. Am J Med. 2004;117:549-555: The Reply. Am J Med. 2020;133(6):e315.
- Avenell A, Grey A, Gamble GD, Bolland MJ. Concerns About the Integrity of the Yamaguchi Osteoporosis Prevention Study (YOPS) Report, Am J Med. 2004;117:549-555. Am J Med. 2020;133(6):e311-4.
- Sato Y, Honda Y, Iwamoto J. RETRACTED: Etidronate for fracture prevention in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial [retraction of: Bone. 2006 Nov;39(5):1080-1086]. Bone. 2018;106:214.
- Mott A, Bradley T, Wright K, et al. Effect of vitamin K on bone mineral density and fractures in adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [published correction appears in Osteoporos Int. 2020 Nov;31(11):2269-2270]. Osteoporos Int. 2019;30(8):1543-59.
- Vlasschaert C, Goss CJ, Pilkey NG, McKeown S, Holden RM. Vitamin K Supplementation for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Where Is the Evidence? A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020;12(10):2909.
- Witham MD, Lees JS, White M, et al. Vitamin K Supplementation to Improve Vascular Stiffness in CKD: The K4Kidneys Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020;31(10):2434-45.
- Zwakenberg SR, de Jong PA, Bartstra JW, et al. The effect of menaquinone-7 supplementation on vascular calcification in patients with diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(4):883-90.
- Shea MK, Booth SL, Massaro JM, et al. Vitamin K and vitamin D status: associations with inflammatory markers in the Framingham Offspring Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167(3):313-20.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), Turck D, Bresson JL, et al. Dietary reference values for vitamin K. EFSA J. 2017;15(5):e04780.
- Braam L, McKeown N, Jacques P, et al. Dietary phylloquinone intake as a potential marker for a heart-healthy dietary pattern in the Framingham Offspring cohort. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104(9):1410-4.
- Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Micronutrients. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2001.
- Elder SJ, Haytowitz DB, Howe J, Peterson JW, Booth SL. Vitamin k contents of meat, dairy, and fast food in the U.S. Diet. J Agric Food Chem. 2006;54(2):463-7.
- Karl JP, Fu X, Wang X, et al. Fecal menaquinone profiles of overweight adults are associated with gut microbiota composition during a gut microbiota-targeted dietary intervention. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(1):84-93.
- Nakagawa K, Hirota Y, Sawada N, et al. Identification of UBIAD1 as a novel human menaquinone-4 biosynthetic enzyme. Nature. 2010;468(7320):117-21.
- Szterk A, Bus K, Zmysłowski A, Ofiara K. Analysis of Menaquinone-7 Content and Impurities in Oil and Non-Oil Dietary Supplements. Molecules. 2018;23(5):1056.
- McCann A, Jeffery IB, Ouliass B, et al. Exploratory analysis of covariation of microbiota-derived vitamin K and cognition in older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(6):1404-15.
- Tanprasertsuk J, Ferland G, Johnson MA, et al. Concentrations of Circulating Phylloquinone, but Not Cerebral Menaquinone-4, Are Positively Correlated with a Wide Range of Cognitive Measures: Exploratory Findings in Centenarians. J Nutr. 2020;150(1):82-90.
- Shea MK, Barger K, Booth SL, et al. Vitamin K status, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a participant-level meta-analysis of 3 US cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020;111(6):1170-7.
- Kwok CS, Gulati M, Michos ED, et al. Dietary components and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a review of evidence from meta-analyses. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2019;26(13):1415-29.
Motion graphics by Avo Media
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Title
Should You Supplement with Vitamin K2?
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
Vitamin K supplements are touted for bone, brain, and heart health, but have they actually been shown to help? To complicate matters, there are multiple types: Vitamin K1 is concentrated in greens, and a type of vitamin K2 is found in animal products. Do we need both? Do we have to rely on a healthy microbiome for conversion from one type to the other? Do we have to eat a slimy, fermented food called natto?
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