Vitamin K2 improves flexibility of blood vessels, study finds
The effect was marked most in women who had a higher degree of vascular stiffness at the beginning of the study
Dutch scientists at the University of Maastricht have studied the long-term effect of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) on the health of blood vessels and found that, after three years, the vascular stiffness in the vitamin K2-group had not only decreased, but the flexibility of the vascular wall had also improved.
The results have been published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
The effect was marked most in women who had a higher degree of vascular stiffness at the beginning of the study. In the placebo group the vessel stiffness increased slightly. Calcification in the blood vessels has a negative impact on one’s life expectancy. Vitamin K2 ensures that calcium remains in the bones and will not sediment in the artery wall. This can add ten years to a person’s biological age, depending on the degree of calcification.
These results confirmed that Springfield Nutraceuticals’ MenaQ7, which contains 180mcg of natural vitamin K2 crystals, not only inhibited age-related stiffening of the artery walls, but also made a statistically significant improvement of vascular elasticity.
Vitamin K2 scientist and study research team leader Cees Vermeer said: ‘Our data demonstrated that a nutritional dose of vitamin K2 in fact improves cardiovascular outcomes.’
This study confirms a link that had already emerged in two large Dutch population studies (with more than 20,000 participants), namely, a lower risk of calcification in the blood vessels in the case of higher vitamin K2 consumption through food.
Our data demonstrated that a nutritional dose of vitamin K2 in fact improves cardiovascular outcomes
The newly published study was conducted among 244 healthy, postmenopausal women between the ages 55 and 65. This research shows that supplementing the diet with vitamin K2 results in reduction of arterial stiffness.
Vascular stiffness increases with age and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The fact is vascular stiffness due to calcium deposits in the vascular wall causes unfavourable structural and functional changes in the vessel wall.
Particular to this study is that the vitamin K-dose used falls within the diet range. For three years, daily, one half of the study group received 180mcg of natural vitamin K2 in the form of menaquinone-7 (MK-7), and the other half took a placebo.
In the new Maastricht study, the vascular stiffness was measured using two different methods: echo-tracking (ultrasound technique) and pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Furthermore, supplementation with vitamin K2 had a beneficial effect on the blood levels of a protein that plays an important role in the prevention of arteriosclerosis.
This protein, the matrix-Gla-protein (MGP), only exhibits this inhibiting effect on calcification when it is activated by vitamin K. In case of an insufficient intake of vitamin K2 through the diet, the blood level of inactive MGP is higher than with a sufficient supply of vitamin K2.
Inactive MGP is associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease and is used as a marker for the risk of cardiovascular disease.
After three years of supplementation with vitamin K2, the blood levels of inactive MGP decreased by 50% compared with a placebo. This also indicates a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
‘This study, which is actually showing an improvement in endothelial function, has the potential to dramatically have an impact on the way we view prevention when it comes to cardiovascular health. Further clinical studies will be important to confirm these exciting findings,’ said Dennis Goodman, Director of Integrative Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Centre in New York.
The researchers expect that nutritional supplementation with vitamin K2 will also yield the same results in men as it did with the women who participated in this study.
