Open Heart 2015;2: doi:10.1136/openhrt-2015-000300
James J DiNicolantonio1, Jaikrit Bhutani2 and James H O'Keefe1
1Mid America Heart Institute at Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
2Pt. BD Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India
Correspondence to: Dr James J DiNicolantonio; jjdinicol at gmail.com
Vitamin K has important functions within the body, some of which are still being discovered. Research has shown that vitamin K is an anticalcification, anticancer, bone-forming and insulin-sensitising molecule. Recent data indicate that subclinical vitamin K deficiency is not uncommon. Additionally, vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin may cause detrimental side effects, which may partly be blunted through vitamin K supplementation.
Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life
The health benefits of vitamin K (taken from box 1 in the PDF)
Bone health
May help to prevent fractures due to osteopenia and osteoporosis18–20
Trial evidence
- Vitamin K1 (5 mg daily) given to 440 postmenopausal women with osteopenia for 2 years in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial caused a greater than 50% reduction in clinical fractures (9 vs 20, p=0.04) versus placebo.
- A recent meta-analysis has shown that vitamin K2 (45 mg/day) significantly reduces hip (77% reduction), vertebral (60% reduction) and all non-vertebral fractures (81% reduction).20
Cancer (especially liver cancer)
May help to prevent liver cancer and death in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)54–61
Trial evidence
- Five randomised controlled trials tested vitamin K2 (45 or 90 mg/day) in patients with HCC. Vitamin K2 significantly improved 1-year overall survival, (RR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.05, p=0.03)74
Vascular calcifications
May help to prevent vascular calcifications (especially in patients on warfarin) 5 26 75
Trial evidence
- Significantly delayed the development of coronary artery calcium in a 3-year, double-blind, randomised controlled trial of 452 patients.
- In a 3-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, vitamin K1 (along with vitamin D) significantly delayed the deterioration of arterial elasticity37 in 181 postmenopausal women. This was not found with vitamin D alone.
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
May reduce the risk of CHD, CHD mortality and all-cause mortality 5 26 76
Insulin sensitivity
- May help improve insulin sensitivity 40
- Warfarin international normalised ratio (INR)
- May help to stabilise INR in patients on warfarin 45
Vitamin D Life
Items in both categories Diabetes and Vitamin K are listed here:
- T2 Diabetes is also fought by Vitamin K2 – several studies
- Vitamin K2-7 helps bone, blood vessels, cancer, diabetes, etc. – June 2022
- Diabetes and pre-diabetes helped by Vitamin K in animal studies – review Oct 2019
- Importance of Vitamin K – Pizzorno – July 2018
- Vitamin K2 substantially reduces risk of T2 Diabetes (7 percent for every 10 ug) – review Nov 2017
- The health benefits of vitamin K – Oct 2015
See also Vitamin D Life
- Overview Vitamin K and Vitamin D
- Vitamin D Cofactors in a nutshell
- Interview of Doctor who has authored books on Vitamin K2 and Magnesium – Mercola June 2015
Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Cardiovascular
- 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
Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Calcium
- Calcium and Vitamin K2 - many studies
- Excellent reviews of supplements at ConsumerLab
- Lowering Calcium Risk when having High Dose Vitamin D3 – Cawley Dec 2019
- Excess Calcium in critically ill patients taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D (solutions - Vitamin K, or Magnesium, or water) – 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
Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Bone
- 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
Pages listed in BOTH the categories Vitamin K and Liver