By: Kennedy Shelley
The British Medical Service told women, ‘quit taking calcium, it isn’t doing any good.’ In 2015 this was dutifully reported by the Daily Telegraph.
What they noticed was when women at risk of osteoporosis (soft bones and hip fractures) took calcium supplements, they saw no benefit at the bone level.
But did they make this recommendation too soon? It seems that the problem was not an adequate calcium supply, it was a shortage of vitamin K2.
Don’t confuse vitamin K2 with K1. K1 is the vitamin associated with blood clotting.
The scientist who discovered K2 realized that this mysterious compound seems to be very important in teeth health. Was he ever so right?
In underdeveloped countries that have not adopted a western diet, there is an absence of broken hips and cavities. Dr. Weston Price (DDS) attributed this to vitamin K2. He referred to this as Activator X, which became known as vitamin K2.
K2 comes from a variety of sources but mostly meat and fermented plants. Since the western diet is based around refrigeration, we don’t often ferment our foods, but this is a vital storage mechanism in areas without electricity.
REGULATION OF CALCIUM
When calcium is left to find its way in the bloodstream, it can unfortunately create pockets of plaque in the arteries.
What vitamin K2 seems to do is give calcium direction and sends it to the bones and teeth.
This is important since we don’t want calcification in our kidneys or circulatory system.
Vitamin K1 does not have this effect, at least in animal studies.
The first small scale study on the effect of channeling calcium to the right areas was reported in 2012 when it was noted that K1 seems to prevent calcification in the arteries.
Dutch researchers noted in 2002 that people who had high vitamin K2 levels were at much lower risk of atherosclerosis.
In 2009 scientists found that women had a 9% reduction in heart disease if they had high K2 levels.
These studies only noted that this was present in those who didn’t have the disease, not that high K2 caused the difference.
BUILD STRONG BONES AND TEETH
We all know that calcium is vital for strong bones and teeth, the question is, does the calcium know it?
It does not seem to go there automatically. K2 seems to be the regulatory agent.
The effect can be pronounced. In 2013, a three-year study showed that women who were given K2 had much stronger bones than those who did not.
The results were even more spectacular in one study that showed that K2 reduced hip fractures in women by 77%.
The dentist who discovered K2 believed that K2 literally healed cavities based on his observations with primitive cultures.
WHERE IS K2?
While our body manufactures some, in order to get optimal levels, we have to get it through diet or supplementation.
It has been speculated that broad spectrum antibiotics may wipe out the gut microbiome that helps us manufacture K2 naturally.
K2 seems to work directly with vitamins A and D to help promote strong bones and teeth, so they tend to be in similar food sources.
The best sources of this vitamin are from grass fed eggs, beef, butter and organ meat. This is a fat-soluble vitamin so eating lean beef won’t help.
Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables have some K2 too.
There is no solid research that suggest that K2 could help reverse calcification of the arteries, but there is a study happening right now that might shed some light. The data does suggest that 200 micrograms of K2 everyday might prevent further calcification in the arteries.
And if it helps reduce time in the dentist chair and makes bones stronger, it does appear to be worth looking into.
