Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) is found in green leafy plants and is best known for the role it plays in blood clotting. Vitamin K2 (menaquinones) comes in several forms, the most common of which are MK-4, found in animal foods, and MK-7, found in fermented foods. Vitamin K2 plays important roles in bone and cardiovascular health
Research has found that people with the highest intakes of both types of vitamin K have significantly lower risks of atherosclerosis-related heart disease. Those with the highest intakes of vitamin K1 had a 21% lower risk of being hospitalized with atherosclerosis-related heart disease and those with the highest intakes of vitamin K2 had a 14% lower risk. Those with high vitamin K2 intake also had a 34% lower risk of peripheral artery disease
One of the primary ways in which vitamin K2 protects your cardiovascular health is by activating matrix Gla protein (MGP), which is a potent inhibitor of arterial calcification. Vitamin K2 can have a direct blood pressure lowering effect in some individuals
Low vitamin K status also raises the risk of frailty, impaired mobility and disability in elderly individuals
Statin drugs can deplete your body of vitamin K2 by inhibiting MK-4 synthesis. As a consequence, statins may contribute not only to age-related frailty but also insulin resistance, because MK-4 synthesis requires the same enzymes that synthesize cholesterol
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