Wellness

The Richest Food Sources of Vitamin K2

And why you need even more of it in your diet.

For a radically life-changing nutrient, vitamin K2 doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

K2 keeps your bones from breaking, your blood vessels from stiffening, and your brain from losing function. But it doesn’t even have its own RDA. And you probably won’t find it in your multivitamin… at least not in its most bioavailable form.

It’s the most important nutrient you aren’t getting enough of. By increasing your intake you could see a noticeably positive effect on everything from your mood to your bone density to your belly fat.

8 Reasons You Need Vitamin K2 to Thrive

A little-known fact: Vitamin K2 has a superhero name, Activator X. That’s because one of its main functions is to unlock and activate many critical proteins in your body. Without plenty of K2, those proteins can’t work. But when you consume enough of this critical nutrient, it will improve your overall health in important ways.[1]

Here are 8 reasons you need vitamin K2 for optimal health.

  1. K2 helps increase bone mineral density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.[2]
  2. It helps stop blood vessels from calcifying (hardening), decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke and improving outcomes for cardiac patients.[3]
  3. It protects brain cells against destructive plaques[4] and helps improve cognition and memory.[5]
  4. Vitamin K2 helps reduce body weight and decrease abdominal fat.[6]
  5. It provides powerful anti-aging benefits and helps reduce the risk of developing some chronic diseases.[7]
  6. It helps regulate blood sugar and may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.[8]
  7. K2 helps the body mount healthy inflammatory responses.[9]
  8. It promotes positive moods and reduces the risk of depression.[10]

Vitamin K2 contributes to your overall wellness in so many critical ways… but only when you get enough of it. Unfortunately, unlike most other vitamins, foods containing K2 are rare. That’s why you need to know where to find it.

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The Best Food Sources of Vitamin K2

Getting enough vitamin K2 through diet takes some effort. Many of the richest sources aren’t foods most people eat regularly or in big enough quantities.

Foods high in vitamin K2 include:
  • Natto (a fermented soybean dish)
  • Goose liver (pâté)
  • Egg yolks
  • Dark meat chicken, duck, or goose
  • Dairy products from grass-fed cows (other dairy products won’t do here)
  • Chicken liver
  • Emu oil
  • Sauerkraut

And unless your daily menu contains natto and pâté, the two richest sources by far, you’re probably not consuming enough vitamin K2. And even if you are… that may not be enough.

photo of tired, depressed middle aged woman sitting at outdoor table with coffee

You’re Probably Not Getting Enough K2

Most people don’t get nearly enough vitamin K2. In fact, research shows that up to 97% of adults have deficient or insufficient levels.[11]

That can happen even if your diet is full of rich food sources because there’s more to vitamin K2 absorption than just eating it.
  • Animal sources of vitamin K2 have to be free-range and consume mainly live grasses. So beef from cows that eat hay or eggs from chickens that eat corn and soy will have far lower K2 content—if any at all.
  • K2 is fat-soluble, so you need to eat fat whenever you consume this vitamin. But not just any fat… trans fats, found in most processed foods, may actually block K2 absorption, so they must be avoided. Luckily, many K2 sources are naturally fatty foods, so avoid low-fat and fat-free versions.
  • K2 needs co-factors to work properly. Along with K2, you’ll need to consume zinc, magnesium, and vitamin K1, which is plentiful in most green leafy vegetables.

On top of that, medications can deplete vitamin K2 supplies or limit its absorption. At the top of the list are antibiotics, including penicillin and amoxicillin, azithromycin (Z-pak), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), and doxycycline. Other depletors include fat-blocking drugs like Orlistat and cholesterol-lowering drugs. So if you’re taking any of these medications, you’ll need to work even harder to maintain healthy vitamin K2 levels.

Luckily, there’s a quick and easy way to do that.

The Right Way to Supplement With Vitamin K2

There’s a simple way to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin K2 for optimal health. Take a high-quality vitamin K2 supplement.

But you’ll want to make sure you’re taking the right kind.

There are several different forms of vitamin K2 called menaquinones, or MKs. Those range from MK-4 to MK-13. The most absorbable and important form is MK-7, which is also called vitamin K2-7.[12] So when you’re supplementing, K2-7 is the form you want to look for.

Experience Whole-Body Wellness With Vitamin K2-7

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Just Thrive Vitamin K2-7 contains all-natural pharmaceutical-grade vitamin K2-7 and provides the optimal dose of 320 mcg daily. Plus, it includes the necessary cofactors magnesium, zinc, and vitamin K1 that help fully unlock all of K2’s wellness-boosting potential.

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Sources

  1. Maresz K. Growing Evidence of a Proven Mechanism Shows Vitamin K2 Can Impact Health Conditions Beyond Bone and Cardiovascular. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2021 Aug;20(4):34-38. PMID: 34602875; PMCID: PMC8483258.
  2. Knapen MHJ, Jardon KM, Vermeer C. Vitamin K-induced effects on body fat and weight: results from a 3-year vitamin K2 intervention study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Jan;72(1):136-141. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2017.146. Epub 2017 Sep 27. PMID: 28952607.
  3. Elshaikh AO, Shah L, Joy Mathew C, Lee R, Jose MT, Cancarevic I. Influence of Vitamin K on Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis. Cureus. 2020 Oct 5;12(10):e10816. doi: 10.7759/cureus.10816. PMID: 33173624; PMCID: PMC7645307.
  4. Hariri E, Kassis N, Iskandar JP, Schurgers LJ, Saad A, Abdelfattah O, Bansal A, Isogai T, Harb SC, Kapadia S. Vitamin K2-a neglected player in cardiovascular health: a narrative review. Open Heart. 2021 Nov;8(2):e001715. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2021-001715. PMID: 34785587; PMCID: PMC8596038.
  5. Huang SH, et al.. Molecular Mechanism of Vitamin K2 Protection against Amyloid-β-Induced Cytotoxicity. Biomolecules 2021March; 11(3):423.
  6. Soutif-Veillon A, Ferland G, Rolland Y, Presse N, Boucher K, Féart C, Annweiler C. Increased dietary vitamin K intake is associated with less severe subjective memory complaint among older adults. Maturitas. 2016 Nov;93:131-136. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.02.004. Epub 2016 Feb 11. PMID: 26923488.
  7. Simes DC, Viegas CSB, Araújo N, Marreiros C. Vitamin K as a Powerful Micronutrient in Aging and Age-Related Diseases: Pros and Cons from Clinical Studies. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Aug 25;20(17):4150. doi: 10.3390/ijms20174150. PMID: 31450694; PMCID: PMC6747195.
  8. Helmy MY, Elsaid NH, Gwad MMA. The Association of Vitamin K2 Level with the Glycaemic Status in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Case-Control Study. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Jan-Feb;26(1):87-92. doi: 10.4103/ijem.ijem_470_21. Epub 2022 Apr 27. PMID: 35662764; PMCID: PMC9162250.
  9. Schwalfenberg GK. Vitamins K1 and K2: The Emerging Group of Vitamins Required for Human Health. J Nutr Metab. 2017;2017:6254836. doi: 10.1155/2017/6254836. Epub 2017 Jun 18. PMID: 28698808; PMCID: PMC5494092.
  10. Bolzetta F, Veronese N, Stubbs B, Noale M, Vaona A, Demurtas J, Celotto S, Cacco C, Cester A, Caruso MG, Reddavide R, Notarnicola M, Maggi S, Koyanagi A, Fornaro M, Firth J, Smith L, Solmi M. The Relationship between Dietary Vitamin K and Depressive Symptoms in Late Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Large Cohort Study. Nutrients. 2019 Apr 5;11(4):787. doi: 10.3390/nu11040787. PMID: 30959758; PMCID: PMC6520944.
  11. Bruno EJ. The Prevalence of Vitamin K Deficiency/Insufficiency, and Recommendations for Increased Intake. J Hum Nutr Food Sci. 2016;4(1):1077.
  12. Sato T, Inaba N, Yamashita T. MK-7 and Its Effects on Bone Quality and Strength. Nutrients. 2020;12(4):965. doi:10.3390/nu12040965.