The Dual Role of Vitamin K2 in “Bone-Vascular Crosstalk”: Opposite Effects on Bone Loss and Vascular Calcification
Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041222
by Domitilla Mandatori *,Letizia Pelusi,Valeria Schiavone,Caterina PipinoOrcID,Natalia Di PietroOrcID andAssunta PandolfiOrcID
Center for Advanced Studies and Technology-CAST (ex CeSI-MeT), StemTeCh Group, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Items in both categories Vitamin K2 and Bone are listed here:
- Which supplements are often taken for healing hairline bone fractures
- Vitamin K2-7 helps bone, blood vessels, cancer, diabetes, etc. – June 2022
- Role of Vitamin K in Bones and Muscles - Feb 2022
- Bone loss results in blood vessel plaque if low Vitamin K2, less bone loss if high K2– April 2021
- Bone increased : Stiffness (Vitamin D), Flexibility (Vitamin K2) – Sept 2020
- Bone quality improved 2X by Vitamin D plus Vitamin K2 (trend) – meta-analysis March 2020
- Vitamin D and Calcium do not increase bone density (also need exercise, Mg, K2, protein etc.) – RCT Aug 2019
- Vitamin K (any amount and any kind) reduced bone fractures by 24 percent – meta-analysis – May 2019
- Calcium Supplementation is OK provided you also take Vitamin K – Feb 2019
- Hard bones, soft arteries, rather than vice versa (Vitamin D and Vitamin K) – March 2016
- Many seniors do not get enough protein, Vitamin D, Mg, etc. needed for bones – Feb 2019
- Adding just vitamin D again failed to add bone density (also need Magnesium, Vitamin K, etc) – RCT Aug 2018
- Osteocalcin – overview of the hormone needed to build bones, etc. Jan 2018
- Vitamin K and bone – review Oct 2017
- Bone formation in the lab is aided by Vitamin D, Vitamin K1, and Vitamin K2 – meta-analysis Nov 2017
- Better bones again associated with higher vitamin K intake – Nov 2015
- Vitamin K-2 – bone biomarkers indicate at least 600 ug of MK-4 are needed daily – Sept 2014
- Vitamin K2 (as MK-7) is needed for bone quality – Review Feb 2013
- Increased Vitamin K2 reduces the problems of excess Calcium – Nov 2013
- Vitamin K and bone health – need more research Oct 2013
- Vitamin K-2 (180 ug MK-7) helped both bone density and strength – RCT March 2013
- Healthy bones need Ca, Silicon, Vitamins B, C, D, and K – Dec 2012
- Increasing bone mineral density increases breast cancer by at least 2X – Aug 2012
- Healthy bones need: Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Silicon, Vitamin K, and Boron – 2012
- Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium, etc increase bone density when taking together– Jan 2012
- BONE SPURS not produced if have enough Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, etc. – Nov 2011
- Vitamin K1 reduced hip fracture but Vitamin K2 did not – Aug 2011
- Women with hip fractures very low on vitamins D3 and K – Mar 2011
- Vitamin K2 from natto improved bone mineral density – March 2011
Items in both categories Vitamin K2 and Calcium are listed here:
- Which supplements are often taken for healing hairline bone fractures
- Calcium and Vitamin K2 - many studies
- Excellent reviews of supplements at ConsumerLab
- Lowering Calcium Risk when having High Dose Vitamin D3 – Cawley Dec 2019
- Hypercalcemia in critically ill patients taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D (many solutions) – Oct 2019
- Calcium Supplementation is OK provided you also take Vitamin K – Feb 2019
- Calcium supplements go to muscle, not bone, unless have enough Vitamin K – Feb 2019
- Drugs which create deficiencies in Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, etc. – Sept 2017
- Vitamin D Cofactors in a nutshell
- Vascular calcification greatly reduced by 3 per week 1000 ug of Vitamin K2 MK-7 – Dec 2013
- Increased Vitamin K2 reduces the problems of excess Calcium – Nov 2013
- Review of Micronutrients such as vitamin D for women and childhood – Aug 2013
- Healthy bones need Ca, Silicon, Vitamins B, C, D, and K – Dec 2012
- Interview of Vitamin K2 and Calcium Paradox author by Dr. Mercola – Dec 2012
- Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox – 2012 book
- Low cost cofactors for vitamin D
- Postmenopausal women should supplement vitamins C D K and Calcium – June 2010
Items in both categories Vitamin K2 and Cardiovascular are listed here:
- Vitamin K, cardiovascular health, and stroke - many studies
- Bone loss results in blood vessel plaque if low Vitamin K2, less bone loss if high K2– April 2021
- Cardiovascular Disease prevented by Vitamin K2-4 when enough is used – RCT review Sept 2020
- Calcium Supplementation is OK provided you also take Vitamin K – Feb 2019
- Vitamin K reduces calcification (reported yet again) – Feb 2019
- Vitamin K (across all dose sizes and types) decrease Vascular Stiffness – meta-analysis - Dec 2018
- Vitamin D and Vitamin K together fight CVD Part 1- Pizzorno
- Vitamin K, Cardiovascular and interactions with Vitamin D and Vitamin A – Pizzorno July 2018
- Mortality associated with Vitamin K insufficiency (PREVEND Study) – Nov 2017
- Intracranial arterial calcification in 85 percent of ischemic strokes (Vitamin K and Vitamin D should help) – Oct 2017
- Decalcify Aortic Valve – 3 year trial with 1 mg of Vitamin K and 5,000 IU of Vitamin D – 2021
- Cardiovascular problems reduced by low dose aspirin and perhaps Omega-3 (also Vit K) – Sept 2017
- Athletes maximal cardiac output increased 12 percent with Vitamin K2 – RCT July 2017
- Fast blood flow 6.8 X more likely if high vitamin D AND high vitamin K – Aug 2017
- Low Vitamin K2 is as risky as smoking for heart disease - Oct 2016
- Cardiovascular death: 9 percent due to hypertension or air pollution, 7 percent: low Vitamin K2 or smoking – Oct 2016
- Decreased need for warfarin after Vitamin D levels optimized – RCT May 2016
- Cardiovascular calcification prevented by Omega-3, Magnesium, Vitamin K, and Vitamin D – April 2015
- The health benefits of vitamin K – Oct 2015
- If you must take statins and want to avoid hardening of arteries, take vitamin K2 – RCT May 2015
- Vitamin K2-7 decreases arterial stiffness (cleans arteries) – RCT Feb 2015
- Hypothesis: Vitamin K will reduce prostate blood vessel problems – Jan 2015
- Increased Vitamin K2 reduces the problems of excess Calcium – Nov 2013
- Cholesterol, Vitamins D3 and K2, heart disease, sulfates, LDL, – Masterjohn Interview Jan 2013
- Soft Bones, Hard Arteries, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and antibiotics – Sept 2012
- Low Vitamin D and Vitamin K: brittle bones and hardened arteries – LEF Sept 2010
A few related Vitamin K2 articles of interest
- Bone quality improved 2X by Vitamin D plus Vitamin K2 (trend) – meta-analysis March 2020
- Vitamin K (any amount and any kind) reduced bone fractures by 24 percent – meta-analysis – May 2019
- Hard bones, soft arteries, rather than vice versa (Vitamin D and Vitamin K) – March 2016
- Calcium supplements go to muscle, not bone, unless have enough Vitamin K – Feb 2019
- Vitamin K reduces calcification (reported yet again) – Feb 2019
- Vitamin K2-7 decreases arterial stiffness (cleans arteries) – RCT Feb 2015
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Osteoporosis (OP) and vascular calcification (VC) represent relevant health problems that frequently coexist in the elderly population. Traditionally, they have been considered independent processes, and mainly age-related. However, an increasing number of studies have reported their possible direct correlation, commonly defined as “bone-vascular crosstalk”. Vitamin K2 (VitK2), a family of several natural isoforms also known as menaquinones (MK), has recently received particular attention for its role in maintaining calcium homeostasis. In particular, VitK2 deficiency seems to be responsible of the so-called “calcium paradox” phenomenon, characterized by low calcium deposition in the bone and its accumulation in the vessel wall. Since these events may have important clinical consequences, and the role of VitK2 in bone-vascular crosstalk has only partially been explained, this review focuses on its effects on the bone and vascular system by providing a more recent literature update. Overall, the findings reported here propose the VitK2 family as natural bioactive molecules that could be able to play an important role in the prevention of bone loss and vascular calcification, thus encouraging further in-depth studies to achieve its use as a dietary food supplement.