| CAS No.: | 11032-49-8 |
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| Formula: | C31h40o2 |
| EINECS: | 234-264-5 |
| Type: | Pharmaceutical Intermediates |
| Appearance: | Powder |
| Quality: | Crude |
| Samples: |
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| Customization: |
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1. Product Basic Information
| Product name | Vitamin K2 |
| CAS No. | 11032-49-8 |
| MF | C31H40O2 |
| MW | 444.65 |
| Melting point | 234-264-5 |
| Boiling point | N/A |
| Density | N/A |
| Storage | −20°C |
Vitamin K2 is one of the vitamins that sits within the overall Vitamin K group.
Vitamin K exists in two main forms:
Type 1: Vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone
This form of Vitamin K is mainly found in plant foods, e.g. those listed above.
Type 2: Vitamin K2, also known as menaquinone
This form is present in animal and fermented foods. A small amount of it's also produced naturally by human gut bacteria by turning Vitamin K1 into Vitamin K2.
In addition to Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2, there are lots of Vitamin K2 sub-groups that have been named, depending on the length of their side chain. They range from MK-4, right up to MK-13.5
MK-4 is present in some animal products and is the only form of Vitamin K2 that isn't produced by bacteria. Examples of MK-4 include egg yolks and butter.
Meanwhile, MK-5 up to MK-15 have longer side chains, are produced by bacteria and are often present in fermented foods. For instance, Natto, is made from fermented soybeans and is high in MK-7.
3. Product Benefits
Vitamin K2 has two specific roles within the human body that relate to our bones and blood vessels.6
1. Within our blood vessels - it activates a protein called Matrix Gla-protein, which is responsible for removing calcium from the lining of blood vessels. This is important for heart health, as calcification of blood vessels is a risk factor for heart disease.
2. Within our bones - it activates osteocalcin, a bone-forming protein. It is an important nutrient for bone health because it helps our bones draw calcium from our blood vessels and turn it into bone tissue.
Vitamin K2 reportedly has more widespread benefits than its other Vitamin K counterparts, particularly Vitamin K1. One of the main benefits is that it can stay stored in the liver for up to 72 hours, compared to Vitamin K1, which usually leaves the liver within eight hours.7
Vitamin K2 helps to direct calcium to the bones and prevent it from being deposited where it shouldn't be, for example arteries and organs, where it can cause harm.8 According to The Rotterdam Study research, in which men were studied for more than 15 years, the highest intake of Vitamin K2 was linked with a lower risk of heart-related issues, including cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease mortality.9
Vitamin K3 activates the proteins that help regulate calcium deposition. This means that it supports the calcification of bones and prevents calcium deposits from forming in the blood vessels.10 A study of Japanese postmenopausal women, who ate Natto, found that they experienced lower bone loss over time.11
Due to the fact the protein that's needed to build strong teeth, osteocalcin, is the same one activated by Vitamin K2 to regulate bone calcification. However, it's important to flag here that research in relation to this particular benefit is limited at present.12 (For more information about the fundamentals of dental health, have a read of this, 'Calcium and dental health.')
4. Product Uses
What is vitamin k2 used for? Here are some of the major benefits and uses associated with this vitamin:
One of the most important jobs that vitamin K2 has is controlling where calcium accumulates in the body. Vitamin K2 benefits the skeleton, heart, teeth and nervous system by helping regulate use of calcium, especially in the bones, arteries and teeth.
The "calcium paradox" is a common term for the realization by medical professionals that supplementing with calcium can somewhat reduce the risk of osteoporosis but then increases the risk of heart disease. Why does this happen? Vitamin K2 deficiency!
K2 works closely with vitamin D3 to helps inhibit osteoclasts, which are cells responsible for bone resorption.
The Vitamin D and calcium relationship is important, as vitamin D helps transport calcium from the intestines as it digests into the bloodstream. Unfortunately, vitamin D's job is done at that point. Next, vitamin K2 must activate one of its dependent proteins, osteocalcin. Research shows it then takes calcium out of the bloodstream and deposits it into bones and teeth.
For the best overall health benefits, it's important to get enough calcium, vitamin D3 and vitamin K. Depending on your age, health and diet, you may need to take a vitamin D3 supplement, and possibly other supplements, too.
Vitamin K2 is essential for the function of several proteins in addition to osteocalcin, which is why it helps with growth and development. For example, it's involved in the maintenance of structures of the arterial walls, osteoarticular system, teeth and the regulation of cell growth.
Vitamin K2 is one of the best vitamins for men because it offers protection against heart-related problems, including atherosclerosis (stiffening of the arteries), which are the leading causes of death in many developed countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year more than half of deaths due to heart disease are in men.
The Rotterdam Study, a very large study done in the Netherlands that followed more than 4,800 adult men, found that the highest intake of vitamin K2 was associated with the lowest chances of suffering from aortic calcification. Men who consumed the most K2 were found to have a 52 percent lower risk of severe aortic calcification and a 41 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease.
The men in the study with the highest K2 intake also benefited from a 51 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, and a 26 percent lower risk of dying from any cause (total mortality).
For decades, vitamin K was known to be important for blood coagulation - but only recently human studies have uncovered how it support bone health and protect against vascular diseases, too.
According to a 2017 article published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, "K2 may be a useful adjunct for the treatment of osteoporosis, along with vitamin D and calcium."
Another 2015 meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that "vitamin K2 plays kind of a role in the maintenance and improvement of vertebral bone mineral density and the prevention of fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis."
K2 benefits the skeletal system by taking calcium and helping usher it into bones and teeth to make them solid and strong. A number of animal and human studies have investigated whether or not vitamin K2 can be useful for helping prevent or treat fractures, osteoporosis and bone loss.
Certain clinical studies have found that K2 slows the rate of bone loss in adults and even helps increase bone mass, plus it may reduce risk of hip fractures and vertebral fractures in older women.
K2 can enhance osteocalcin accumulation in the extracellular matrix of osteoblasts inside bones, meaning it promotes bone mineralization. A 2018 review reports that there is also evidence to support the effects of vitamin k2 on differentiation of other mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts.
Additionally, it helps maintain the structure of the teeth and jaws. Many traditional cultures included K2 foods in their diets because they believed it could help prevent cavities, tooth decay and plaque formation. This impact was observed in the 1930s by dentist Weston A. Price, who found that the primitive cultures with K2-rich diets had strong, healthy teeth although they'd never been exposed to western dental hygiene.
It turns out that getting plenty of K2 during pregnancy is also important for fetal growth and bone health. During fetal development, having limited osteocalcin proteins activated (which require vitamin K2) equates to undergrowth of the lower third of the facial bone and jaw structure. Some experts believe this is the reason so many children in modern society need braces.
Some research shows that those who have high amounts of K2 in their diet are at lower risk of developing some types of cancers. For example, vitamin K2 may help to protect specifically from leukemia, prostate, lung, and liver cancers.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, supplementing with vitamin K2 has been shown to result in a slowdown of bone mineral density loss and to decrease the amount of RANKL, an inflammatory compound, in the blood of subjects.
This suggests that K2 might be a useful supplement to a rheumatoid arthritis diet.
Inside our bones, K2 can be used to produce osteocalcin hormone, which has positive metabolic and hormonal effects.
Fat-soluble vitamins are important for the production of reproductive/sex hormones. Because of its hormonal-balancing effects, women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and postmenopausal women can benefit from getting more K2 in their diets, according to recent studies.
K2 can also helps promote blood sugar balance, which can reduce the risk for metabolic problems like diabetes and obesity. Some research suggests that K2 helps regulate glucose metabolism by modulating osteocalcin and/or proinflammatory pathways.
K2 may benefit the kidneys by helping prevent the formation of calcium accumulation in the wrong places, the underlying cause of kidney stones. It may also do the same for other organs, too, including the gallbladder.
In addition, a lack of K2 and vitamin D has been associated in studies with a higher occurrence of kidney disease.
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