Vitamin K for humans, comes in two main forms: K1 (phylloquinone), and K2 (menaquinone). K1 is the form that most people are familiar with due to its blood clotting properties. K2 has very little to do with clotting & comes in several forms, but we’ll focus on the more powerful form known as MK7 because it’s used in Immunity Armor Gold.
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone 7) is one of the most versatile and powerful supplements you can take. Its ability to do good throughout the body is only matched by its ability to prevent damage in other parts of the body. We’ll focus mainly on the Calcium/K2 relationship today, but K2 also aids Vitamin D & Magnesium with bone/muscle health.
One of the most important roles of K2 comes in that of Calcium regulation and deposition. In short, K2 tells Calcium where to go, and not to go. That’s extremely important because without proper K2 intake, problems like Hypercalcemia, Kidney Stones, Hardening of the Arteries, Atrial Fibrillation, some cancers (colon; prostate) and Osteoporosis, become more likely. Why is that?
Calcium is the most common mineral in our bodies, and is used by almost every cell in some way. It is primarily stored in the bones and teeth, then used as the body needs it. Without K2, Calcium tends to loiter about- eventually causing problems through increased levels in the arteries, heart, liver, and kidneys. And at the same time, causing deficiency problems because the calcium never showed up where it was needed, leaving the reservoirs (bones & teeth) holding the bag. So, what happens then?
When the reservoirs are low, Calcium is basically mined from bones & teeth to be delivered where it’s needed most at the time. Over time, this likely leads to poorer bone & dental health, brittle hair & nails, and possibly, blood pressure & heart rhythm issues. The best way to stay ahead of these conditions, is to check with your doctor. A total calcium test can measure both free & bound calcium.
Let’s keep in mind that things like Calcium/K2 are not an end all, be all for your health. And some of the conditions we’ve discussed can be caused by many other factors. The purpose here, is to stay informed on the things that can help us stay balanced, or bring us back up to speed and allow our bodies’ natural systems to work more efficiently.
And now for the most important part about K2 intake: K2 (and Vitamin D, for that matter) is fat soluble, so please remember to take it within an hour or two of a meal that has a moderate amount of fat content (at least 15g) for better absorption! Without the accompanying fat, we only get about 20% absorption.
Dosage & Upper Limit:
- There is no known toxicity associated with high doses of Vitamin K2 (any form) in healthy subjects.
- The generally accepted dosage is 50-200mcg, but some studies have seen dosages of 45mg (45,000mcg)
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566462/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26875489/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32972636/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional