Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 as MK-7 and nothing else.
Vitamin K2 is not vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 is different, and it has several subtypes called menaquinones.
Vitamin K2, especially MK-7, is a form of vitamin K2 with exceptionally high bioavailability and is optimally absorbed by the body. It also has a much longer half-life of about three days, compared to 1.5 hours for vitamin K1, so it can be much better distributed over the body and used for extrahepatic functions.
Your Vitamin K2, Your Way.
The right Vitamin K2 should offer the same quality in a world of different formulations. We use pure vitamin K2 MK-7 to make our K2VITAL®. In its raw form, it’s a crystalline powder, but because humans need it at much lower dosages, it gets diluted.
Formulations
At Balchem, we can dilute to fit any formulation, from tablets to soft gels, powders to liquids, gummies to oral sprays, or various food applications.
- Tablets
- Soft Gels
- Powders
- Liquids
- Gummies
- Oral Sprays
- Various Food Application
Research Influencing Innovation.
Everything we know about vitamin K2 isn’t everything there is to know about it. As proud leaders in our industry, we have a responsibility to advance what we know about vitamin K2.
We’re working closely with a global network of researchers, thought leaders and vitamin K2 experts across many clinical trials to uncover the future of vitamin K2, and discover the benefits it can offer to everyone.
The forgotten vitamin.
Types of Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists naturally in multiple forms K1 (phylloquinone) or K2 (menaquinone).
- Vitamin K1: is found in high amounts in leafy green vegetables. It has a short half-life where deficiencies are rare.
- Vitamin K2: also known as menaquinone, is typically found in animal-derived and fermented products. vitamin K2 is important for bones and vasculature health.
It activates many vitamin-k-dependent proteins, such as osteocalcin or matrix Gla protein, which play roles in building and maintaining healthy bone mass and supporting healthy circulation and blood vessels.
Vitamin K2 Subtypes
Vitamin K2 has several subtypes, called menaquinones. The most well-known menaquinones are menaquinone-4 (MK-4), and menaquinone-7 (MK-7).
Due to its exceptionally high bioavailability and long half-life, supplementation in the form of vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is often preferred, as this means there’s enough vitamin K for the carboxylation of target proteins.
Foods Containing Vitamin K2
Only between 10-25% of total vitamin K intake is from vitamin K2. Amount of vitamin K2 in various food (in µg/100g food):
Meat: 4.5%
Fish: 0.9%
Milk: 1.1%
Cheese: 40.3%
Butter: 15.0%
Egg Yolk: 32%
Natto: 900%
Eel: 64%
Delivery and Formulation
With supplements, what you see isn’t always what you get; cis-trans isomeric purity determination in finished supplements rarely happens, so low-quality products with sub-standard K2 efficacy appear on the market.
Knowing exactly what’s in your vitamin K2 can be tricky. Innovations like microencapsulation, or new delivery formats, such as gummies or soft chews, can sometimes make it even harder to determine your product’s actual vitamin K2 content.
We’re leaders in K2 assay methodology, using USP monograph-compliant analytical methods designed to work with any formulation or composition, so you can see exactly what you’re getting.
Our lab organizes an inter-laboratory comparison and is actively expanding its collaboration with third-party laboratories to eventually include partners from all over the world. This effort ensures that wherever your K2 products are tested in the future, you will consistently receive the same high-quality results.
The Forgotten Vitamin
The history of vitamin K2 spans centuries, beginning with Samurai warriors in Japan consuming natto, a fermented soybean dish rich in K2. Historically, diets likely provided sufficient K2, but unfortunately today, modern diets only provide limited amounts of vitamin K2.
Vitamin K was first discovered in 1935 by Danish scientist Henrik Dam, who identified it as essential for blood coagulation. Initially focused on vitamin K1, it wasn’t until the 1950s that K2, comprising various menaquinones, was recognized. Pioneering research, including that by W. Price, highlighted K2’s importance in bone and tooth health.
After years of being overlooked, K2 was rediscovered in the 1990s, with significant studies in Japan linking it to bone health and K-dependent proteins. In the 2000s, studies investigated K2, bone health, and K2 biomarkers. Later, studies investigating K2 and cardiovascular health.
