K2 supplement

[Robinsnest72]

Hi All

I have been with PMR for 16 months now and down to 5mg. Feeling reasonably well but have gained 20 pounds and am not having luck at shedding them. I admire people who can give up carbs,sugar and salt. I just cannot figure out what to eat as you have to like the food. However, from this forum I learnt about the vitamin K2 which our pharmacist knew nothing about. I have been taking it for well over a month and I am sure it is helping with the arthritis in my hands. My question is how much should I be taking as there is conflicting directions on the computer. One site says men 120mc and women 90mc.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

HeronNS has done a lot of studying on vitamins might be worth looking at her profile.

She may well answer anyway.

[HeronNS]

The only "official" recommendation I've seen is from Australia where they recommend 180 mcg per day. My capsules are 100 mcg so I take two a day, which is close to that recommendation. I also understand that unlike some of the other fat soluble vitamins it is not likely you will easily get too much Vitamin K2. The only caution is for people on warfarin type blood thinners. It doesn't have the same effect on blood clotting as Vitamin K1, but it does have some so anyone with this issue should research and make sure it's okay for them. They might want to stay with a smaller dose or attempt to find food sources (a bit scarce in the modern Western diet).

[clieder]

The supplement I have is 100 mcg of K1 and 400 mcg of K2 menatetrenone and 50 mcg of K2 menaquinone and recommends one per day. That sounds like an awful lot given your take on this, HeronNS. Do you or does anyone have a link to guidelines, Australian or otherwise? Thanks!

[HeronNS in reply to clieder]

I don't have the link. I can't remember actually how I found out, it may have been someone else posting on the forum who had that information from Australia. It was a dosage recommendation for MK-7 (menaquinone).

The dosage for MK-4 (menatetrenone) is much higher than for MK-7 so I don't think it's unreasonable. Usually it's measured as mg rather than mcg as MK-7 is!

You may not need a Vitamin K1 supplement unless your doctor thinks you do. We get plenty in the leafy greens in our diet.

[clieder in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks. I'm perusing some lengthy ones now that give a little more insight than I got into before starting them.

[HeronNS in reply to clieder]

Have you read this book:

doctorkatend.com/vitamin-k2...

[clieder in reply to HeronNS]

No, I haven't, but I certainly will take a look. Appears to be a comprehensive look at the reasons I am taking it. Thanks! It is all more complicated than it looks on the surface, which is why I was led to the combination I currently take. Just learned through researching again because of this post (thank you robinsnest72) that I was not taking it when I should to optimize. My rheumatologist pleaded ignorance when I asked him about it. Said he just didn't have enough information yet to advise me.

[Spittal9]

I’ve found this link for the NHS dose recommendation...

nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Spittal9]

That is for vit K in general - and mainly for vit K1 which is a different substance, primarily involved in blood clotting.

[Spittal9 in reply to PMRpro]

Okay, thanks...

[clieder]

Thank you so much for posting this. I think I need to know more than I do about this whole issue. Learning. I ordered the book HeronNS posted and will follow up if anything definitive re dosage.

[HeronNS in reply to clieder]

I really liked the book. I borrowed it from my library because when my doctor told me I had osteoporosis (wrongly, I don't) I was totally freaked out and posted on FB, and one of my friends told me about Vitamin K2. Otherwise I might not to this day know about it! I bought the e-book of it as well as Your Bones by Lara Pizzorno.

[Spittal9]

Thanks for this. Just ordered the book for £1.24 from Amazon.