It seems like K2 is the supplement on everybody’s lips right now and for good reason.  This is particularly true in Australia where we’re seeing a flurry of new K2 products on the market thanks to a relatively recent TGA approval for this particular form of the vitamin.    But what do you need to know to make the therapeutic most of this nutrient?

Vitamin K got about 20 minutes in my undergraduate degree, and shamefully I don’t think I gave it much more as a lecturer!  The buzz just wasn’t quite around then like it is now.  Reading the latest RCTs & metanalyses on K2, however, you can almost hear (or is that just me??? 😉 ) the excitement researchers are feeling being part of this extraordinary wave of discovery about its therapeutic applications.

Traditionally, we’ve focussed on the K1 form, abundant in all the green leafy vegetables, but turns out we’ve been looking in the wrong direction.  While K1 is still important for the clotting actions it can’t get to the bones and arteries to run the other important K dependent enzymes.  In order to get these happening we need the K2 form which means we need the specific types of meat, eggs and ferments.

No other nutrient comes close to the results we’re seeing with K2 in osteoporosis treatment and specifically fracture reduction, while both calcium and D seemed promising initially, both have failed to demonstrate efficacy on this level.  To boot, via the same mechanism of essentially promoting healthy calcium distribution, the early findings regarding reduced calcification in blood vessels are very exciting.

So if you’re like I was, a bit undercooked on the K front, you need to get up to speed quickly on its therapeutic applications, contraindications and how to choose between the different supplemental forms.   To help you on your way, you might like to check out this 25 minute audio I’ve just recorded https://rachelarthur.com.au/product/premium-audio-whats-new-in-k2/