How can Vitamin K2 save lives?
Vitamin K2 is arguably the most important food supplement available, especially as it is not found in sufficient quantities in the Western diet. Researchers now believe that more than 9 out of 10 people may be at risk from a vitamin K2 deficiency. Taking a K2-7 supplement brings huge benefits, including reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.
Some of the early evidence for the beneficial qualities of vitamin K2 came from Japan, where consumption of Natto, a naturally fermented soy product replete with K2, is common in Eastern Japan but not in Western Japan. Researchers started to notice that rates of osteoporosis, diabetes, senile dementia and heart disease were much lower in Eastern Japan compared to Western Japan and certainly far lower than in the USA and Europe. With over 2000 published studies in the last 10 years, scientists have confirmed that the health benefits experienced by the Eastern Japanese, comes from this crucial nutrient - Vitamin K2.
Dosage: Take one (1) capsule twice daily with food or as recommended by a healthcare practitioner.
Contraindications: MegaQuinone K2-7 also contains vitamin K1. It would be contraindicated for those whose INRs were not adjusted to include MQ and are being prescribed vitamin K1 agonists, i.e. Warfarin.
Dietary Ingredients (2 caps serving size--30 caps per bottle):
Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-7) .............. 320mcg
Vitamin K1 (as phylloquinone) ................. 200mcg
Magnesium amino acid chelate ............... 400mg
Zinc (as zinc bisglycinate) ....................... 30m
Consider the following health conditions:
Osteoporosis + Osteopenia
There are many published clinical studies showing that vitamin K2 halts bone mineral density loss. This is a huge benefit for people with osteopenia and osteoporosis. In fact, supplemental K2 became a first-tier treatment in Japan for osteoporosis. K2 is an essential co-factor in the activation of Gla proteins in the bone (osteocalcin) and blood vessels (matrix Gla-protein) which means that K2 is directly responsible for ensuring that calcium in the diet is deposited safely in the bones and not in the blood vessels. Without adequate K2, osteocalin remains inactive and calcium is not directed to create stronger bones.
Heart Health
The landmark Rotterdam Heart Study (over 4,800 subjects across a period of 10 years) demonstrated that participants who ingested the greatest quantities of vitamin K2 in their diet experienced a 57% reduction rate in death from heart disease than people who ingested the least amounts of vitamin K2. Even minimal K2 supplementation was found to decrease all-cause mortality by 25%. Without enough K2, undercarboxylated osteocalcin and MatrixGla Protein (MPG) lead to increased coronary calcification and cardiovascular disease. There are over 25 published studies confirming that deficiencies of K2 are correlated with increased arterial calcification and that prescriptive dosing with vitamin K2 can prevent this. Imagine helping your clients to reverse arterial calcification.
Cancer
Over 40 published studies have demonstrated the important role of vitamin K2 against cancer. Vitamin K2 has been shown to induce apoptosis in vitro with leukemia cells, and lower the risk of prostate and liver cancer. The EPIC-Heidelberg study on K2 supplementation and prostate cancer (24,340 subjects) found an inverse association between the intake of menaquinones and prostate cancer. Vitamin K2 was also calculated to reduce prostate cancer incidence by 30%. In a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, patients infected with hepatitis B or C (and therefore at much greater risk for developing liver cancer) were given a K2 supplement. Less than 10% of those given the supplement developed liver cancer, whereas the placebo group developed cancer at an astonishing rate of 47%.
Diabetes
The rates of diabetes and pre-diabetes are increasing dramatically. Over a dozen published studies have shown that K2 is protective against the development of Type 2 Diabetes, and just four weeks of K2 supplementation increases insulin sensitivity. How does this work? The mechanism is still a little bit of a mystery, yet it looks like conversion of undercarboxylated osteocalcin to carboxylated osteocalcin (for which K2 is necessary) regulates glucose metabolism.
