What is Vitamin K2?
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, along with vitamins A, D, and E. Vitamin K’s main claim to fame is coagulation homeostasis and calcium homeostasis. The letter “K” is used because it is derived from the K in the Germanic word Koagulation, meaning the ability to clot blood or prevent hemorrhage.
In the early 20th century, a dentist named Weston Price discovered a mystery nutrient called “Activator X” that was high in butter from cows feeding on fasting growing spring grass. He believed it played a major role in dental health, reproduction, heart disease prevention, and brain health. This mystery nutrient would later be vitamin K2.
What is the Difference Between Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2?
Vitamin K1 comes from plants, whereas vitamin K2 comes from meat, pastured eggs, cheese, and fermented soy.
What is the Difference Between Vitamin K2 MK-4 and MK-7?
In just the past few years, vitamin K2 has been studied more extensively, with links to osteoporosis, vascular calcification, osteoarthritis, cancer, and cognition.
You will see debates on which K2 form is better, and I think it is better to think of the different forms of K2 forming a synergistic effect on different bodily systems.
MK-4 is found in pastured eggs, grass-fed butter, meat, and numerous cheeses. MK-4 targets sex hormones, the brain, possesses anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity, and also supports bone health. MK-4 also seems to work at a low-dose level like in food, with a recent 2019 study showing no difference between a 5mg and 45mg dose.
MK-7 is found in natto, certain cheeses, and goose liver. It considered better for reducing arterial calcification, increasing bone density, anti-cancer, improves salivary buffering (minimizes the de-mineralization of enamel and enhances its re-mineralization), and increasing cardiac output (12% increase) in athletes. High volume endurance athletes exercising more than 2,000 minutes per week have also been found to be more prone to arterial calcification, however, they also had more benign plaque.
MK-7 is typically only talked about in regards to natto, a fermented soybean dish mainly consumed in eastern Japan. Any supplements that contain MK-7 will reference the bacteria used to make natto. It always seemed strange that the bacteria that produce MK-7 would be isolated to a small region of the world when MK-7 appears to extremely beneficial for the population at large. As you will see below, MK-7 is not limited to natto.
Is Vitamin K2 Behind the French Paradox?
One interesting note here regarding arterial calcification is the “French Paradox,” and trying to understand how French people have one of the lowest rates of heart disease and one of the diets highest in fat. If you look at the higher intake of foie gras and French cheeses, you also see a higher intake of vitamin K2 MK-7. While this is only one piece of the puzzle, it is a fairly interesting one.
The Best Vitamin K2 Sources of MK-7
Natto by far contains the highest amount of MK-7, containing 775mcg per 100 grams. According to this study, it is found in many kinds of cheese from Greece (feta), Italy (gorgonzola), France (münster), and England (cheddar) due to the bacteria used. Brie is usually the main cheese that is always talked about with vitamin K2, but it only contains MK-4. There is also MK-5, MK-6, MK-8, MK-9, and MK-10, which we know very little about yet. This study alone prompted me to start buying Münster cheese.
As you can see here, the best cheeses for vitamin K2 MK-7 include:
- Münster
- Camembert
- Gorgonzola
- Cheddar
- Stilton
- Norvegia
- Feta
- Roquefort
- Gamalost (this is one of the world’s oldest cheeses produced in Norway)
One cheese that isn’t mentioned is Jarlsburg from Norway. Jarlsburg does not appear to have any clear, studied amounts of K2 MK-7 in published research, but 72mcg per 100grams is an amount that seems to be an estimation.
From the same study, researchers also provide a chart on gouda.
How Much Vitamin K2 MK-4 and MK-7 Should You Take?
Vitamin K2 is so new to the scene that there still hasn’t been an established recommend amount per day. Like many nutrients, there is likely a genetic connection to requirements, medication-induced deficiency like Statin drugs and antibiotics, and health issues or athletes that may require higher amounts of K2.
What is the Best Vitamin K2 Supplement?
What if you don’t want to eat natto, you are dairy intolerant or you are vegan? Then you should look for a bioidentical vitamin K2 that contains both MK-4 and MK-7.
The synthetic vs. natural supplement argument should really be phrased more towards bioidentical vs non-bioidentical because MK-7 claiming to be natural is synthesized from bacterial fermentation used to make natto, not natto itself. All MK-4 is a bioidentical molecule, while MK-7 can be found as both bioidentical (trans) and non-bioidentical (cis). From the literature I’ve seen, both MK-4 and MK-7 have a very low toxicity profile even at high doses, and I’m not aware of research showing it clears unharmful clots.
My recommendation is to choose a product that includes MK-4 and bioidentical MK-7 like Innovix Labs Full Spectrum Vitamin K2.
Recommended Reading
This article encouraged me to go down the magical road of homemade cheesemaking. I love being able to make fermented drinks, sourdough bread and cheeses that you can’t buy in stores, and there are many cheeses that are not being made the way they use to for all the health benefits. If you want to make your own K2-rich cheese at home from raw milk, check out The Art of Natural Cheesemaking: Using Traditional, Non-Industrial Methods and Raw Ingredients to Make the World’s Best Cheeses.
Hi, Alex
I’m so grateful for the information you’ve provided here. I have a 14 year old son, who is a swimmer. He has 2 two-hour trainning sessions a day and a dry land. For quite a while I’ve been reading up all I can about food, diet, sleep, supplements. I’ve learnt a great deal from your site. Thank you.
I was wondering if you would suggest using aminoacids. Often I see signs of overtraining. And since I learnt about growth hormone, it seems to have become even more complicated. Thanks.
Hi Irnya,
I’m glad the site has been helpful! If you are referring to supplementing extra BCAA’s, no I don’t think these are necessary outside of adequate dietary protein, whey protein and collagen. They all provide the necessary amino acids.
Thank you very much!
I meant BCAA’s. Then there’s creatine, arginine, glutamine, etc. Is there any chance you might be able to mention them in an article to clear it up a bit, particularly, for teenage athletes? Much appreciated
From my experience, I took vitamin D and K2. Two months later there was definitely an improvement in tooth enamel. Sensitivity’s gone too.
Hi Iryna,
Sure, that is a great idea. I’ll put it on the list for upcoming articles.
That is awesome to hear regarding vitamin D and K2. Very exciting to see it work for dental health.
Does anyone know of a place to get a good value on French Munster cheese?
Does anyone know of a place to get a good value on American Muenster cheese — that is equally high in MK4 & MK7?
i think pistacchios are a good source of bcaa
How much munster cheese do you eat a day? I can’t take MK7 as it cause heart arrythmias.
Hi Karen,
I try to eat a different variety of K2 cheeses each day. With Munster, I’ve only found sliced versions. So when I do have it, it’s usually one to two slices.
Hi Karen, I eat about two ounces of Munster cheese a day. According to WebMD Munster cheese contain about 50mcg of vitamin k2 Mk7 per 50grams.
Hi Alex, you’ve done a great job here, highlighting the different types of Cheese with MK4 & MK7. however, did you also looked into those Vitamins that contain MK4 or MK7. I noticed that they come in different formulation (i.e. mcg.) or menaquinone. How do we know how much should we be taking without taking too much to be on the safe side. I’m referring to the pill form or capsule. I’ve read a lot on MK7 and its benefits on bone health. It also strengthens our teeth enamel too. One thing you didn’t mention in your article is that other fermented foods also contains MK7, not just Natto. Such foods as Sauerkraut is good too. I like cheese also, but I tend to go for Gouda cheese. It has less of an after taste and its smooth favour. Anyways, keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Hi Alan,
Thank you for the kind feedback. Can you clarify your question regarding formulations or maybe give some examples of supplemental forms that are confusing? All supplemental K2 typically is dosed in micrograms and is listed in the MK-4 and MK-7 form. I’m not sure if you saw the last part of the article under “What is the Best Vitamin K2 Supplement?” This explains the dosing safety profile and to look for bioidentical MK-7. If you are looking to dose on the higher end, it’s always wise to check with your practitioner who will have more information about your overall health and any medications you are taking that may contraindicate vitamin K supplementation.
Thank U so much ,battling bone metastatic cancer ,but have alot of calcium in arteries,,k2 should help with it getting to my bones and less in arteries, U rah USMC JB SOUTH CAROLINA USA
Does American made muenster cheese have the same amounts of MK4 & MK7 as French Munster Cheese?
Hi Janet,
That is a great question. According to the authors of the K2 cheese study, “the actual menaquinone content varies substantially and is dependent on the type of cheese, the time of ripening, the fat content and the geographic area where the cheeses are produced.” Also “the highest content of menaquinones in French cheeses was measured in Münster cheese (originating from the Vosges and made from raw, unpasteurized milk) with 801 ng/g total vitamin K2.” So we would really need samples of Münster cheese from different regions of the US and France to know which regions and cheese making practices are creating the highest K2 Münster cheeses.
One thing that may be important is that the Munster cheese that was tested was made from raw, unpasteurized milk. I’m not sure how much difference this makes but I think it is much harder to find cheese made from raw, unpasteurized milk in the US.
seems like Gamalost cheese is the best to eat as it is the only one in that chart that has a little bit of everything (including mk10)
Hi Eric,
Let us know what you think! I’ve never tried it.
is it true that mk8, mk9, mk10 and all the remaining mk’s arent very well studied and not much is known about their benefits if any ?
Hi Eric,
Yes, I’m not aware of any research done yet on MK8, MK9 or MK10.
I’m taking a few tablespoons of natto powder in my coffee, yogurt, and occasional meals but haven’t been able to find the K2 amount and was wondering if you could help me with this.
Hi Victor,
Which product are you using?
I don’t know if there is definitive research, but it would not at all surprise me if pasteurization significantly affects these values.
Hi Peter,
My understanding is that K2 is heat stable and is not affected by pasteurization. According to this study “menaquinones are stable to heat and air but are very sensitive to alkali and ultraviolet irradiation.” Also, for pasteurized cheese, you pasteurize the milk and let it cool before adding the bacterial cultures. So the vitamin K2 is produced during the fermentation process post-pasteurization.