Dr Katarzyna Maresz, President of the ISHF, is the author of the review paper “Vitamin K2 Status and Health Concerns”. The review paper highlights the specific activity of vitamin K2 which deficiency can greatly impact improving global health. Below we present an abstract and a link to the entire review.

Growing evidence of a proven mechanism shows vitamin K2 can impact health conditions beyond bone and cardiovascular.

Introduction

Vitamin K2 is a vital nutrient newly recognized for supporting bone and cardiovascular health. This has been shown in observational and intervention trials, in healthy and patient populations, in adults and children. Even more recently it has come to light that K2 status and the vitamin’s very mechanism of action impacts other areas of health, including but not limited to brain health, healthy joints, neuropathy, and vision health. All of this evidence lends itself to the argument that correcting a widespread vitamin K2 deficiency can greatly impact improving global health. The first step in correcting that deficiency is establishing a vitamin K2-specific recommended daily intake.

Conclusion

It is strange that a vitamin with such a substantial – and growing – body of evidence is considered “newly recognized,” but that is indeed the case. The confirmation that vitamin K2 positively impacts bone and cardiovascular health has elucidated the mechanism, giving way to more detailed examinations of how this vital nutrient feeds into other health areas. With more study comes further understanding and an undeniable argument for establishing a K2-specific RDI, which is the first step in helping the global population correct a deficiency that can allow them to age in a healthy way.