How Vitamin K2 Can Improve Your Overall Health?

Vitamin K is a potent nutrient that is important for many areas of your health. In fact, some believe that vitamin K2 may be the crucial ingredient in the diet-disease connection.

Vitamin K is available in two varieties: K1 and K2. While vitamin K2 can be found in a variety of fermented foods, such as cheese, eggs, meats, etc. Vitamin K1 is mostly found in kale and spinach, as well as other green leafy vegetables. Both are essential, despite the fact that their physiological consequences are distinct.

Vitamin K1 vs Vitamin K2

Unlike K1, which is derived from vegetables, K2 is predominantly found in animal fats and natto, which is the only K2 that may be consumed by vegans.

An essential enzyme that humans lack converts K1 to K2 in this process. Therefore, although both humans and animals eat leafy greens, animals are able to convert K1 into K2 and gain additional advantages.

In a healthy human stomach, K2 is generated, but the process is considerably less effective than it is in animals like cows and chickens. This explains why it is ideal to obtain K2 from animal sources because they have already undergone the conversion process.

How Does Vitamin K2 Help Your Body?

Vitamins mean vital amines, and we already know that vitamins hold great importance for the overall development of our body. Here’s a list of the benefits offered by Vitamin K2:

1) For bones

To develop and preserve bones, our bodies require calcium. Vitamin K2 stimulates a protein that aids calcium's ability to bond to our bones as it collapses calcium in our bodies, which is how the mineral works.

Studies have shown that increasing K2 intake boosts bone density and lowers the incidence of fractures, while research is still underway in this area.

2) Heart health

Vitamins K1 and K2 both support healthy blood coagulation, which reduces heavy bleeding and scarring when blood vessels are injured. Recent studies, however, indicate that they contribute differently to various elements of human health, with vitamin K2 providing additional health advantages apart from vitamin K1.

Additionally, you can also make some diet and lifestyle changes to boost heart health.

3) Dental health

According to research, vitamin K2 might have an impact on tooth health. However, this has not been directly examined in human trials.

It makes sense to think that vitamin K2 has an impact on oral health as well, given animal studies and the role it plays in bone metabolism.

Osteocalcin, a crucial protein for bone metabolism that is triggered by vitamin K2, is one of the key proteins that control dental health.

4) Brain health

One of the most crucial functions that vitamin K performs has to do with the creation of parts of your brain and certain proteins that depend on enough vitamin K to maintain the strength and health of your peripheral and central nervous systems.

By ensuring you are getting enough vitamin K, you can support episodic memory as well as your cognitive performance. Along with this, you can also try some brain exercises to strengthen your mind.

5) May prevent cancer

According to research, vitamin K2 may inhibit or stop the growth of cancer cells.

According to other research, this might increase survival rates and decrease cancer recurrence. More research is necessary because these studies have mainly focused on a few types of cancer, such as the liver and prostate.

Foods Containing Vitamin K2

Although vitamin K deficiency in adults is unusual, it can occur in people who use antibiotics, have illnesses that limit nutrients and food absorption, or take medications that interfere with vitamin K metabolism.

Despite its value in enhancing heart health, the majority of foods high in vitamin K are also strong in a number of other nutrients that support the enhancement of our general health. Improve your consumption of vitamin K, including foods like dairy, eggs, meats, and cruciferous vegetables in your diet.