If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia, it is more than likely that your doctor prescribed an osteoporosis drug such as Fosamax followed by the proverbial calcium recommendation.
That’s exactly what happened to me after I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. My doctor also advised me to “drink plenty of milk”. Luckily, I did not follow his flawed advice and instead, I embarked on my own quest to conquer osteoporosis which culminated in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.
Today, I want to share with you yet another piece of valuable information about a little-known bone health gem. It is vitamin K, best known for its blood clotting functions. In fact, vitamin K gets its name from the first letter of the German word “koagulation.”
If you are taking anticoagulant drugs, your doctor will most probably let you know that vitamin K counteracts the intended effects of your prescription and that you need to discuss with him or her your vitamin K intake. Otherwise, vitamin K is widely ignored by mainstream medicine, even though it is essential to your bone-building capacity.
Vitamin K helps your bones
Vitamin K is related to osteocalcin, also called bone Gla protein, which is a calcium-binding protein synthesized by osteoblasts or bone-building cells. It also works synergistically with vitamin D to regulate the production of osteoclasts, cells that remove old bone so that new bone can be deposited in its place.
In Chapter 3 of the Osteoporosis Reversal Program I write that bones are made up of 65% mineralized collagen and 35% collagen matrix made of minerals and other nutrients. The most prevalent mineral in bones is calcium. The calcium-binding capacity of osteocalcin is activated when it is chemically altered through a vitamin K-dependent process known as carboxylation.
Bone health benefits of Vitamin K stun researchers
Many scientific studies confirm Vitamin K’s positive effects on bone-building processes. One good example is an article published in the European Journal of Pharmacology by Akiyama and team. The researchers actually identified a process where a form of vitamin K2, a menaquinone known as MK-4, inhibits the formation of osteoclasts (Effect of vitamin K2 [menatetrenone] on osteoclast-like cell formation in mouse bone marrow cultures. 1994).
Interestingly, bisphosphonate drugs attempt to perform a similar function, but fail miserably at matching the well-coordinated performance of vitamin K. Because bisphosphonate drugs damage and distort osteoclasts, while vitamin K helps coordinate the right amount of osteoclast production with other bone cells so as to achieve the appropriate balance.
You see, bisphosphonates are synthetic drugs deprived of a biological role in bone metabolism unlike vitamins and other natural elements. How sad that this crucial distinction is ignored by mainstream medicine!
Another study on vitamin K and fracture prevention had such unexpected positive results that even its lead author, Dr. Angela Cheung, touted it “surprising”. (Vitamin K Supplementation in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia [ECKO Trial]: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 2008). Published in the journal PLoS Medicine, the study involved 440 postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteopenia.
Half of the participants were given a vitamin K1 supplement and the other half took a placebo for two years, with 261 continuing for two more years. While bone density scans showed equal bone loss in both groups, over the four year study period more than double the women who took the placebo suffered fractures compared to the group that took the vitamin K. But unfortunately…
Mainstream medicine is curiously skeptical of vitamin K’s bone health benefits
Typical of the complete disregard for natural health solutions in mainstream medicine and despite her excellent study results, Dr. Cheung is skeptical. She writes that it is “premature” to recommend vitamin K to osteoporosis patients. And Dr. Roberto Pacifici, director of the division of endocrinology at Emory University in Atlanta, commented on the same study in a WebMD interview that he was unimpressed with the results and that “people should not go out and buy vitamin K because of this study.” But why not? Especially since…
A myriad of other scientific studies also support the use of vitamin K for bone health
It seems that most doctors have conveniently forgotten about the Nurses' Health Study that followed 72,327 registered nurses for ten years. This is one of the largest research projects showing that nurses with the lowest vitamin K intake had a 30% higher risk of hip fracture than those with the highest vitamin K intake (Feskanich D. et al. “Vitamin K intake and hip fractures in women: a prospective study”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999). The median vitamin K consumption for this study was 169 micrograms per day, all derived from foods sources rather than from supplements. Diane Feskanich writes that this “…suggests the need for a higher vitamin K requirement than the current recommended dietary allowance…”
Just because doctors turn their back on such an excellent bone health vitamin, it doesn’t mean that you should too. So am giving you the…
Best sources of Vitamin K
All varieties of vitamin K are fat-soluble and belong to a chemical category called naphthoquinones, but there are two basic types of vitamin K. Phylloquinones, or vitamin K1 which is made by plants and menaquinones or vitamin K2 synthesized by intestinal bacteria.
Unlike vitamin K1, vitamin K2 does not concentrate in the liver. The body stores only limited amounts of vitamin K in the liver, so it is important to have enough bio-available K2 in the body.
The richest dietary sources of K1 are green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, and broccoli. Green peas, romaine lettuce, and bell peppers are some of the less concentrated but still very good sources of this vitamin. Even spices such as fresh parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, black and cayenne pepper are rich in vitamin K1.
Even though it is fat-soluble, there is no documented toxicity with high doses of vitamin K, with the exception of synthetic K3 or menadione, which I do not recommend.
The Adequate Intake (AI) for vitamin K for adult women is 90 micrograms and 120 micrograms for men. To give you an idea of what a low level this is, one cup of boiled spinach has 889 micrograms of vitamin K1.
If you are following the Osteoporosis Reversal Program it is really easy for you to get enough vitamin K1. However, for maximum bone-building benefits I recommend you add a K2 supplement to your dietary intake.
The best natural source of vitamin K2 is derived from fermenting a unique form of soy known in Japan as natto. If you are on anticoagulant medication, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be able to supplement vitamin K, but you should consult with your doctor.
Are you already taking a vitamin K supplement? Will you start now? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below.
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This is properly explained in this page.
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I just recently started taking MK4 derived from orange jasmine?? It’s 15,000mcg (15mg). It says to take one a day, but I read that 15mg 3 times a day is best (45mg), as I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Before I was taking Thorne D3/K2 … (MK4) 5 drops giving me 5,000 D3 and 1000mcg (1mg) of K2. After much research I realized it was not enough K2.
So now I take the orange jasmine derived K2 with plain Vit D3 drops… also magnesium glycinate, vitamin C, collagen, and cod liver oil for A. Get added minerals through nuts, seeds, Himalayan salt, and cholorella, and a variety of fruits and veggies.
Has anyone heard or the K2 from an orange jasmine source???
For those asking about aspirin, I believe (but don’t quote me) that Mk7 takes the calcium away from your blood vessels where it does not belong, and deposits it into your bones, where it does belong, and in doing so it does not have an effect on blood thickening and will not counter the effects of aspirin. Not sure about Warfarin, however.
I would be grateful myself for a definitive statement on this.
Also:
I have been taking Jarrow Mk7 90 mcg. per day for a couple of years now, and my osteopenia got much worse, from -1.6 to -2.3.
Pretty worried, and not sure if I should stop taking it.
I had started it originally because when I had open heart surgery for a valve replacement, a great deal of calcium was found in my arteries. Mk7 was supposed to clean them out, and not affect the 325 mg. aspirin I take every day for my heart valve.
So now what?
You are taking the wrong type of K2. I have spent the last week researching to help my Mom. MK7 has never been shown to prevent fractures, only MK4 has and at 15,000 mcg per dose 3 times per day, so total 45 mg per day. Take it with Vitamin D3 and vitamin C. There`s more you can do. Add transdermal magnesium chloride, it moves the calcium out of joints. Switch to grass fed butter, grass fed beef and pastured eggs, they have orange yolks. Steam vegetables to reduce phytic acid that bind to minerals. avoid microwaves by shutting wifi off at night and keep cell phones 20 feet away when not in use as search for a cell tower every minute or two. Same w cordless phones and baby monitors and anything smart. Rf radiation causes calcium to build up in joints and tissue. Sleep on a ground mat,use a grounded mouse pad. Good luck. https://nbihealth.com/mk7-hip-fractures/
My bottle of mk4 says don`t take mk4 if you are taking warafin (coumadin). Statins destroy vitamin K maybe thats why they cause calcium to build up (calcium is in plaque) so if you take that you may be among the group(~15%) that did not respond. Good luck. ppl report less plaque on teeth,less joint pain and a few ppl report weight loss.
Great post Steve. I just want to add towards yours a little bit. I would suggest you get your vitamin D tested. The reference ranges between 30-100. For years I’ve been hearing people say you want your vitamin D level between 60-80, however I just recently read a few books where they are you been suggesting between 90-100 and one of those books suggest for a short period of time maybe a month or two or so you go up to levels of 125 or even 150. Take a look at Amazon for a book by an author named Jeff Bowles. And his personal experience and also the experience of people who made comments… Almost 800 people on Amazon… Many of those people shared really exciting stories of bone remodeling and joint healing from old injuries and many more positive and in some cases almost unbelievable healing
Another book called vitamin K2 and the calcium paradox is a great read for understanding K2 and also the other fat soluble vitamins which are so critical to proper bone mineralization.
so not only is it getting in the fat soluble vitamins but also getting them in at a high enough levels. So, while the science is not quite there yet for us to understand fully the amount of these fat soluble vitamins that we should be taking Sometimes personal experimentation is necessary.
I am early and my experiment so I don’t have any personal experience to share yet. I’ve been taking 30,000 IU of D3 and vitamin K2 MK4 from 5 mg-15 mg and some cod liver oil. I also try to eat about 8 ounces of grass fed liver every week to achieve a healthy amount of vitamin A consumption. ReMag magnesium although a little bit pricey is the most absorbable magnesium I’ve ever come across. I’m one of those people who are prone to laxative affect with even small amounts of magnesium and a powder form. I can take 1200 mg of re-mag without laxative effect. And since I have osteoporosis this is critical for me.
I have had quadriplegia for seven years now after an accident so I have been on Coumadin the whole time because I had a failed attempt at using Xarelto… A blood thinner that does not inhibit a vitamin K one. I just began studying up on vitamin K two this past January and I had a home PT/INR meter for keeping warfarin at the right level. I decided to do an experiment and I started taking 200 µg a day of MK7. I am mediately had to increase my warfarin level, by about 14 to 20%. Unfortunately I did not do this experiment just using MK4.
A few months back I switched to a new blood thinner called Pradaxa that I was not aware of previously. Thank God my new PA suggested this and it seems to be working OK with me. Now I don’t have to pay attention to how many grains I eat and I’m not worried about how much vitamin K two I’m taking. So if you are stuck on warfarin you can take vitamin K2 but you really need to work with your doctor to make sure you do it smartly and you probably will be limited to small amounts.
Couple corrections because this comment section doesn’t allow editing that I can see anyway.
Initially I started taking 200 µg of MK seven and we were having a hard time balancing my PT/INR. So I drop down to 100 µg of MK7 and at that point my increase in warfarin was about 14-20% more than before I started taking any MK seven.
why do the things I learned in January when I started researching vitamin K2 is that warfarin causes calcium deposition in the arteries. There’s a great talk on YouTube by Dr. John Whitcomb on vitamin K two. He mentions that when he worked as a emergency doctor for years he could always tell who had warfarin in their systems because when they took chest x-rays their whole chest let up like a Christmas tree because there is so much calcification in their arteries
We know for sure that warfarin inhibits vitamin K one and I’ve heard other people speculate that it inhibits vitamin K two but assuming that’s the case that would totally explain why Dr. Whitcomb saw arterial calcification of people taking warfarin.
God knows there’s probably some other nasty thing that Pradaxa does that I’ll find out about down the road…
Vivian, are you still recommending “Vitacost Ultra Vitamin K includes advanced K2 complex”? It looks like they changed the formula.
Hello
I have hashimotos and take 50 mcg of levothyroxine, I have just been diagnosed with osteopenia..(I was told it was the very beginning) I have no idea of how much calcium, D3 and K2 to take… I have researched and found so many different recommendations.. My doctor just said to take what was recommended on the bottle.. My endo has me taking 15000 iu of vitamin D3 a day because I am low…. and when I ask about vitamin K… he says later… I also read that levothyroxine causes bone loss, please help.. I am 60 years old… I exersize regularly.. in good health. Looking for some advice please…
Queta, please check your inbox for a message from Customer Support. 🙂
I have a few suggestions.
Check out a book by David Brownstein, md on Iodine And considering finding a doctor that is iodine literate literate. You can actually search for that on Google iodine literate doctor. How she Moto’s is an auto immune disease, and many times autoimmune disease is centered in the gut have some gut issues. Which probably means doing some kind of parasite cleansing and also possibly heavy metal removal. I’m suggesting these things because I’m trying to think of how to get you off of Levo.
I just wrote a review up above suggesting a book on Amazon by Jeff Bowles in which she describes his experience using very high doses of vitamin D and vitamin K2. Many people in the comments section spoke to healing autoimmune disease in various forms.
Of course taking a high-quality magnesium supplement like re-mag Would also make good sense.
Hello Michael,
You appear to be on the right path. I would like to share this info with you and others. Read this Man’s story and findings.Let the Good Lord keep leading you 🙂
https://www.k-vitamins.com/ This is a soy containing product. I have started to use Jeff Bowles recommendations plus sources along with this Man’s dosing of K1,MK-4,MK-7. Blue Bonnet D3 5000 ius is a wonderful source from cod liver.
I have a parathyroid ,hyperthyroid and have osteoporosis in my one wrist. My calcium 10.5. My endo watching my numbers . Can I take k2 for putting the calcium in the right place…my bone not blood.
https://www.menaquingold.com/bones_further.html
Please go to the Norman Parathyroid Center and research
Re: K2……….I have been eating Natto everyother day. I read where it has a half life of 3 days. I was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis about 2 1/2 years ago at the overcharging Cleveland Clinic. I refused the prescription for Forteo. When you talk about Natto, you, and others, never mention the fact that most Natto has multiple ingredients that we probably do not want. I am now looking for organic Natto I am 77, 5’8″ and have been eating Natto for almost 1 1/2 years plus broccoli every day and other good foods. Feel great. Have been going to the gym for years and increased my weight bearing workouts since my diagnosis. Thanks for all of your good work! don friedman
i took a (very low-dosaged; around 70 mcg/day) MK-7 -suppplement for approximately the last two weeks and i feel like it´s giving me “heart issues”..for the last six days, i experience pain-sensations – which i assume come from the heart….after taking one day off, i felt better already; resumed since then.. i am pretty frustrated…thinking about switching to MK-4…might that help ? …ate natto for the first time today, but … well… 🙂
before that i must have had plenty of K1 from my food (lots of broccoli and legumes) and felt great (in heart-ways)…will be relying on K1 alone (+Vit D3 and suffiicient Ca-intake) be enough to maintain bone-health, when you just consume enough ? thanks in advance
Mk 7 can cause heart palpitations and heart arrhythmia.
Valuable information here. Thank you!
I need your expert opinion for my parents. They are 65 year old, in overall good health and stay in India.
My mom has osteopenia and low levels of Vitamin D3 despite of taking 50,000IU every week. She had her gall bladder removed 20 years back for gall stones. I assume thats the reason for poor Vitamin D3 absorption.
In that case I was thinking getting Vitamin D3 from exposure to sun everyday for 30 mins at least and adding Vitamin K2 as a supplement.
Do you recommend natural sunshine and supplement combination? Also what dosage of K2?
Thank you again, Niti
I have a parathyroid ,hyperthyroid and have osteoporosis in my one wrist. My calcium 10.5. My endo watching my numbers . Can I take k2 for putting the calcium in the right place…my bone not blood
Go to parathyroid.com. You likely have a tumor that MUST be removed. It’s bad to “watch” the numbers. Your numbers should be in the 9s. You need the easy surgery shown on that website. The vitamin k will help you only after any tumors are removed.
had a heart attack 7 yrs ago (blood clot) I have osteoporosis 4 compression fractures and take 45000 Mcg K2 and400Mg calcium and 2000 IU Vit D Is that too much Vit K?
Do you really mean 45000 of K2? That seems a bit high even for MK4 form that requires a higher dosage than MK7.
I understand that Canadians are limited to 200 mcg of any K form so MK7 is probably the most useful @ about 90-120 mcg.
No Mary, I bury means she is taking 45mg total, 45,000 mcg is 45 mg which is what you would need to take if you have chronic osteoporosis. I hope she is taking 35mg of fat with it, Vitamin K2 is a fat soluble vitamin. This is what was used in the Japanese trials K2-MK-4, NOT K2-MK-7
Rosina Lock AMANF.ICNHS.RSA