Top 5 Go-to Foods for Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is an often overlooked vitamin from the fat soluble family when it comes to Bone Health. The Limelight is often stolen by Cholecalciferol or Vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3 on it’s own only manages to spike levels of calcium in the blood stream, it is precisely only that- A crude dumping process into your blood stream. If paired with Calcium rich food, this will cause deposits to form in your soft tissues. The real task now lies in ensuring that those calcium ions are utilized optimally for the mineralization of bone while mitigating soft tissue deposits. This is where Vitamin K2 comes in, fulfilling the role of Ca++ ion equilibrium between soft tissues and bones.
K2 acts as a traffic warden that directs Ca++ ions from the bloodstream, arteries and soft tissues into bones. Besides Calcium metabolism, K2 acts in a variety of other capacities.
Bone tissue houses bone marrow, which produces immune cells that help fight off infections. Our bones are not only scaffolding, but also act as endocrine glands. Bones produce a hormone called Osteocalcin that regulates Glucose metabolism and subsequently your blood sugar levels, thereby reducing insulin resistance. It just so happens that Vitamin K2 triggers Osteocalcin.
The downstream effects of this increased insulin sensitivity and balanced insulin levels decreases fat accumulation , while also suppressing inflammation.
K2 is produced by gut bacteria in humans as well as animal, but in case of exposure to chlorine, antibiotics or any deterrents to the gut microbiome, we may be susceptible to lowered Levels of Vitamin K2. To counteract this we could try to restore our gut health while also consuming foods rich in K2.
The backbone unit of K2 is known as a menaquinone and subsequent forms exist with varying chain lengths from 2-14, most commonly being 7 and 4. MK-7 is mostly plant based and has a longer half life, while MK-4 is found in animal protein sources with a shorter half life inside the body. Here are 5 foods to keep your K2 levels up.
1. NATTO
A Japanese preparation made from fermented soybean that is consumed with rice. Despite its ammonia like smell and mucus like consistency, it is the richest food when it comes to K2 as Mk7
2. SAUERKRAUT
Another fermented food that ranks high on the list. Sauerkraut is the National dish of Germany, made from finely sliced cabbage left to ferment with lactic acid bacteria.
3. LIVER, MEAT, YOLK
Consuming Goose, Duck, Chicken or Beef Livers will give you a good servingof K2 as Mk4. Also the meats and egg yolks of grass fed game are rich in K2
4. BUTTER, CHEESE AND DAIRY
Consuming dairy and dairy products derived from grass fed cattle is bound to provide sufficient levels of K2 in your diet. Some Cheeses you could look into are Munster, Gouda, Brie, Edam and Hard Cheese.
5. MISO
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans and grains that contains millions of beneficial bacteria. This protein rich paste brings ‘umami’ to your palate and can be added in broths, stews, glazes and marinades.
