K is For Koagulation… But What Does Vitamin K Really Do For Our Heart?

We’d have to look at the 2 forms of K: K1 and K2.

Vitamin K, as it is known today, was first isolated and analysed by the Danish biochemist Henrik Dam. Hence it is named Vitamin K, where the K stands for the Danish word Koagulation, which we know in English as “coagulation”. It is further said that Vitamin K":

is required for the synthesis of several blood clotting factors, including prothrombin and factors VII, IX, and X. A form of vitamin K known as phylloquinone (vitamin K1) is synthesized by plants. A second form of vitamin K known as menaquinone (vitamin K2) is synthesized by bacteria, including bacteria in the intestines of mammals. These bacteria produce the majority of vitamin K that mammals require.

So we do know that there are two main types of Vitamin K — K1 and K2.

Vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, is the Vitamin K that supports the clotting of blood. Patients on warfarin treatment, for instance, are advised that the consumption of Vitamin K1 will directly interfere with the blood-thinning effects of warfarin.

Which is important to note, especially for heart disease patients, because the underlying mild chronic inflammation in their bodies leading to the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque is also responsible for enhancing blood clotting:

The Clotting Mechanism And How Heart Disease Worsens It

But at the same time, people do say that Vitamin K also promotes bone health.

Yes indeed, we’d be looking at Vitamin K2 (also known as menaquinone).

K2 activates the Matrix GLA proteins (MGP) in the blood. Activated MGPs are able to bind tightly to calcium ions to prevent their precipitation onto arterial walls (calcification). If calcification were to be allowed to proceed, we’d be looking at a more rapid development of atherosclerotic plaques:

How Arterial Calcification Amplifies The Issue Of Plaque Formation

And as it stands, both Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2 are different.

Vitamin K1 can be obtained from vegetables such as kale or spinach, while Vitamin K2 is obtained mainly from fermented foods such as sauerkraut, cheese or natto. The human gut microbiome is also able to synthesise its own Vitamin K2, though we’d still need more from our diet to obtain sufficient amounts of it.

Interestingly, while the focus of Vitamin K is on blood clotting, we’d see that both Vitamins K1 and K2 have something to do with heart health.

Vitamin K1, for instance, is responsible for the clotting mechanism — we need the clotting mechanism to work well to protect ourselves from getting oversized blood clots blocking blood supply to our hearts or to our brains.

Vitamin K2, however, is responsible for preventing arterial calcification. Calcification would otherwise lead into the development of atherosclerotic plaques, which can then potentially rupture and its contents spill out into the arteries, where they would then clot and bring about the risk of heart attacks or strokes:

Now, Seriously, What's So Tricky About Cholesterol?

So we do have to ensure that our dietary intakes of Vitamin K (both K1 and K2) are sufficient, just so that we can function with healthy hearts no?

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