I found that, I in taking vitamin D3 at much higher doses then discussed in my book, multiples of that dose in fact for over several years to see what would happen wasn’t good. I started developing symptoms of calcium deposition in my tissues. Remember as I discussed in my book I can experiment on myself as only way to sometimes fully understand our bodies but not harm others. Many other scientists in the past have done so. Well I then stopped taking vitamin D3 for a few weeks, started taking vitamin K2 the MK-7 type and gradually, 4 weeks, all these symptoms resolved. Quite amazing considering.
I then accidently bought the MK-4 type and my symptoms returned. Again, only to resolve when I went back to the MK-7 type. Of not in some the MK-7 type apparently causes chest pain. What I think is different people are genetically wired to function better with the MK-4 or MK-7 type. I learned again that the optimal dose was enough, higher doses did require vitamin K2 but at optimal dosing I did not need more but that taking more vitamin K wasn’t a bad thing either. Again, more study is needed. So, until recently the difference between vitamin K1 and K2 wasn’t differentiated.
Vitamin K1 comes from leafy green vegetables mostly and vitamin K2 from fermented foods like Japanese Natto-fermented soy beans or sauerkraut for instance. In many studies higher levels of vitamin K2 are associated with lower calcium issues, cancer and blood sugar issues. Also, its most important function is in assuring we have enough of the substances involved in blood clotting. So, if we were to be deficient we would have clotting issues that I never saw in myself or others. Another important function of vitamin K2 is to make sure calcium is deposited in the correct place.
Though the literature states that you may receive enough vitamin K2 in your diet if you want to optimize your health, especially if your diet is extremely different from the average diet, you may need to take additional vitamin K2. What does that mean? Well if you somehow found a way to each only food that had no vitamin K. In that case it may be wise to increase the amount you take as in a world, as big as we have, anything is possible.
Can you over dose on vitamin K2? One study in rats found minimal changes in doses up to 14 mg/kg which in a standard adult who is 70kgs that would be 980 mgs a day and it was not lethal at dose of 2,000mg/kg which again in standard adult would be 14,000 mgs of vitamin K2 a day.1 It has been shown that vitamin K1 and K2 are similar.
So how much should you take? In women over 18 the recommended daily allowance is 90 mcg and in men 120mcg. Vitamin K1 is more common in our diet but the bacteria in the gut, there we go with how important the gut is can alter vitamin K1 into the storage form vitamin K2. The down side of taking more vitamin K is in those who need to “thin” their blood, as too much vitamin K can reverse the effect of blood thinners and cause clotting which would be bad.
- Pucaj, K., Rasmussen, H., Møller, M., & Preston, T. (2011). Safety and toxicological evaluation of a synthetic vitamin K2, menaquinone-7. Toxicology mechanisms and methods, 21(7), 520-32.
*The information posted above is for educational purposes only. Always check with your doctor before initiating any changes in your medical treatment. If you do not, then The Two-Minute Health Fact, Dr. Judson Somerville, nor The Optimal Dose is responsible!
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