Prevent Vascular Calcification With Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in cardiovascular health, which many individuals seek to prioritize to stay protected against heart disease. Vascular calcification is a serious issue that can increase the risk of heart attacks. Some evidence has shown that vitamin K2 effectively reduces the effects of calcification in blood vessels and arteries.
What You Need To Know About Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed by the fat in our diets and is stored in our organs when it’s not being used. It plays an essential function in blood coagulation and bone metabolism and exists in two forms, vitamin K1 and K2.
Vitamin K1 is mainly found in vegetables and can be introduced into our diets by eating salads. Vitamin K2 is primarily found in animal products like milk and cheese, as well as fermented soybeans. It works by affecting the proteins responsible for facilitating calcium metabolism and inhibits the effects of calcification in blood vessels.
Vitamin K2 produces a protein called matrix Gla protein, which plays an important role in preventing calcium deposits in blood vessels. For these reasons, it is believed that supplementing vitamin K2 in our diets can protect us against heart disease.
Which Foods Contain Vitamin K2?
Vitamin K2 is abundant in many common foods like chicken, liver, eggs, and dairy products, which means that most people do not have a K2 deficiency. However, you can also supplement it through tablets and syrups, which allows many people to hit their recommended daily dose of consumption. If you’re consuming vitamin K2 tablets, you must ensure that you do not take too much, as it could cause serious side effects.
Health Benefits Of Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is known to reduce calcium deposits in arteries and blood vessels, which lowers the probability of heart disease. A study was conducted with 16000 women to measure the efficiency of vitamin K1 and K2 in reducing coronary heart disease’s effects.
Vitamin K1 was found to be ineffective, while vitamin K2 played a crucial role in prevention. Other studies also point to the efficacy of consuming a diet rich in vitamin K2, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of people passing away from heart disease. It is also known to reduce arterial calcification by more than 50%, which is quite promising.
To truly stay protected against all forms of heart disease, it is important to exercise daily and consume a diet rich in all kinds of vitamins, which improve general health. You must ensure that you do not excessively consume vitamin K2 in tablet form since it could have the opposite effect of increasing the risk of heart attacks and other conditions.
Final Verdict
Since many people already consume a diet rich in vitamin K2, it may not be useful to supplement the vitamin on top of your regular diet. Exercising and eating healthy foods is a staple that protects you against heart disease, but there is no doubt that vitamin K2 produces proteins that play a role in preventing vascular calcification.
