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Vitamin K-2 and Arteriosclerosis

Jul 28, 2011 | By Francisco Javier Almeida Ponce
Vitamin K-2 and Arteriosclerosis
Photo Credit Dynamic Graphics/Creatas/Getty Images

Although vitamin K-2 is traditionally famous for its role in blood clotting and bone metabolism, it is emerging as a potential protector against coronary heart disease and more debilitating conditions such as liver cancer and osteoporosis. It looks like vitamin K-2 can have a positive role preventing arteriosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis and Calcium

Without doubt, arteriosclerosis is a chronic disease. It develops slowly for decades without giving any clinical symptoms or discomfort until the atheromatic plaques in the arteries are too extensive to ignore. Calcium is one of the materials constantly deposited in the atheromatic plaques. Calcium deposits result in rigid and inflexible arteries prone to local ruptures when blood pressure suddenly goes up, for example. In these cases, the artery does not have the elasticity to accommodate increase in blood flow, and literally breaks. On top of that, calcium deposits contribute to expansion of the atheromatic plaques, continuously narrowing the artery with solid material. This process is called arterial calcification.

Vitamin K-2 and Calcium

Vitamin K-2 represents a group of fat soluble molecules. Fermented foods, such as cheese and yogurt, and animal products are good sources of vitamin K-2. Your body can also use structurally similar vitamin K-1 and convert it to produce its very own K-2, a fact that highlights the importance of K-2. It is now clear that vitamin K-2 actually regulates calcium metabolism; in fact, this is the mechanism that controls bone integrity. A study published in 2006 in the journal "Nutrition" reports that increasing evidence implicates a role for vitamin K in calcification of arteries and development of arteriosclerosis. This "calcification paradox" reveals the common thread connecting vitamin K, arterial calcification and arteriosclerosis.

The Calcification Paradox

Patients who take anti-coagulants for a long time are deficient in vitamin K-2. These drugs prevent K-2 from fulfilling its biological role, in order to avoid formation of potentially lethal clots. The paradox lies in the fact that although people deficient in vitamin K-2 eventually get brittle bones, due to extensive loss of calcium and minerals from the bones tissue, there are gradually expanding calcium lesions in their blood vessels. From a simplistic point of view, it looks as if calcium is removed from the bones and "re-assigned" to the artery plaques. Needless to say that under such circumstances, arteriosclerosis is greatly accelerated.

Protection from Heart Disease

The cardioprotective potential of vitamin K-2 is now well established. Scientists in the Netherlands, conducting the "Rotterdam Study," followed almost 11,000 men and women for more than 10 years to record links between diet and chronic debilitating diseases. Among other interesting results, they found that people taking more vitamin K-2 daily had clearly less risk of coronary heart disease, less calcification in their arteries and reduced mortality from all causes, in comparison with people with low daily intake of vitamin K-2. Another study published in 2009 in the journal "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases" confirmed the cardioprotective role of vitamin K-2. Although more detailed studies are necessary to establish safe doses that guarantee the cardioprotective effects, the positive impact of vitamin K-2 is regarded as established. Nevertheless, ask your doctor before taking any supplement, especially if you have health problems.

References

Article reviewed by Bonny Brown Jones Last updated on: Jul 28, 2011

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