MK4 MK7 K2 Vitamins?????

[eghjm100]

so confused can any one help I just went and bought Holland and Barrett K2 vitamin as I had read that it will help the Calcium (of which I am increasing through my diet ) to be directed to my bones also have been prescribed vit D from Consultant who hopes to give me infusion to help protect my bones this is because I cannot tolerate the medication orally sorry I digress K2 from H & B does not say if it is from MK4 or MK7 how do I tell which it is? and should I be buying MK4 instead of K2 gosh this is complicated

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

eghjm100 If you look at H & B's website, the K2 does state which form it is, under 'Additional Information'

"Ingredients:

Capsule Shell (Gelatine (Sulphites), Glycerine, Colours (Caramel (Sulphites), Titanium Dioxide)), Sunflower Seed Oil, Soya Bean Oil, Vitamin K2 (as Menaquinone-7).

For Allergens - See ingredients in bold."

Is that not on the bottle?

Looking at the ingredients, they contain soya bean oil which is not good for us Hypos as it is said to inhibit thyroid function. The only form of soy we should use is fermented soy such as Natto.

By the way, H & B own brand are generally not worth buying because they tend to use a lot of the cheapest, least bioavailable ingredients and lots of fillers. They tend to be cheap for a reason.

You might be interested in a recent post I made about the different forms of Vit K and their uses, and links to articles healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[eghjm100 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for the info off to follow up your links wish they would put all the info on the bottles

[Hidden in reply to eghjm100]

I agree with SeasideSusie , I find K2-Mk7 works well for me..(Healthspan). It has lowered my over range calcium in my blood to back within range. Also Vit D3 is best form to take.

[eghjm100 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for that learning lots, do you recommend any particular brand when it comes to vitamins I'm a little nervous of on line ordering as I am always worried about which is good and which is not would appreciate any pointers

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to eghjm100]

eghjm100 I do have brands I like to use and use a few websites where the prices are good but do compare prices as good quality supplements aren't the cheapest. I look for words like Food State, Wholefood, Bioavailable, Fully Active.

Some good makes:

Cytoplan

Nature's Own (same company as Cytoplan)

Lambert's

Nature's Best (same company as Lambert's)

NutriAdvanced

Doctor's Best (some supplements)

Biocare

Jarrows

Solgar

Some suppliers I use:

Cytoplan (often have 3 for 2)

Bodykind (good prices, quick and free delivery)

Lifestyle Labs

Dolphin Fitness

Amazon if the price is better

Sometimes eBay (check the seller feedback)

Is it just K2-MK7 you want? Solgar do one and it looks like Amazon has the best price amazon.co.uk/Solgar-Vitamin...

I don't use it, I use a D3/K2/Vit A combo.

[eghjm100]

Thanks SeasideSusie I have been given Vit D by a Rhuematologist who suggests invussion for osteoporosis can't take oral meds as they upset my hiatus hernia so read on the site that I should take K2 and still a bit confused as to MK7 or MK4 I think 7 is the one for blood clotting and 4 is the one to direct calcium to bones is that correct? why don't they do a combo of 7 and 4 I get all my other vitamins in the high street shops but am thinking on line might give better quality so thanks again for the list of suppliers

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to eghjm100]

eghjm100 The link I gave above to my post about Vit K includes links to articles about the different forms of Vit K and are worth reading. Read through the post first and then look at the articles linked to. You should get a better understanding then.

K1 goes to the liver and helps with blood clotting and helps bones retain calcium.

K2 goes to bones and tissues other than the liver.

Vit D aids absorption of calcium from food. K2 directs calcium to where it is needed ie bones and teeth rather than arteries and soft tissues where it would cause problems.

Does the Vit D you've been prescribed contain calcium also? If so you'll have a fair bit of calcium that must be directed to the right place, you certainly don't want to risk calcium building up in your arteries, kidneys etc.

MK4 in supplements is synthetic and has a very short half life of just a few hours. MK7 is generally made from Natto (fermented soy which is the only form of soy us Hypos should take) and stays in the body much longer and builds up.

You can actually get K Complex if you prefer. Here's a couple:

amazon.co.uk/Life-Extension... (also contains K1 so avoid of you take blood thinners)

lifestyle-labs.com/products... (also contains K1 and doesn't say which form of K2)

I can't find a supplement with MK4 and MK7 without K1.

If you are OK taking K1 (ie not on blood thinners) and would prefer a combo, then out of those two I would use the Life Extension. I did use this for some time, it's a nice little softgel and only contains extra virgin olive oil and no fillers like the tabletted form. And of course, being a fat soluble vitamin like D3, it already has some fat in the soft gel to help it be absorbed. Vits D and K should be taken with some form of fat, generally the fattiest meal of the day.

[eghjm100]

SeasideSusie Thanks for the info I was told to take extra calcium through my diet he only gave D vit so am increasing calcium in that way. So K2 is either from MK7 and MK4 both do the same thing direct the calcium to the bones have I got it right now ? I do find it so confusing but want to do the right thing thanks for being so helpful

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to eghjm100]

eghjm100 Yes, MK4 and MK7 both do the same job (directing calcium to bones and teeth) but it would seem that MK7 does it more efficiently as in it stays in your body longer and builds up.

Sometimes it takes reading something many times for it to sink in, hypo brain doesn't help so don't worry about it

PS When replying, if you click on the green Reply button in the message box that you're replying to then the member gets a notification, if you don't do that they won't know you've replied. You can also tag them by putting @ directly in front of their user name (no space) and clicking on their name from the list that comes up, if it highlights in blue they will get a notification. I thought I'd mention that as if replies are missed you might think you've been ignored, it's just that the member won't know

[eghjm100 in reply to SeasideSusie]

SeasideSusie Yey I think I've got it much appreciated info and directions your right hypo brain beaten!!