A major part of my practice has always been researching and publishing news of the latest health science discoveries in my newsletter and on my radio program. I believe health information is an essential component of personal health maintenance. The following story tells of recent scientific findings showing the remarkable capacity of vitamin K for heading off atherosclerosis.

Leon J. Schurgers PhD was a guest on my radio show in August. Dr. Schurgers is a renowned research scientist who specializes in the role of vitamin K in the field of bone health and cardiovascular health. He is one of the chief researchers for the Division on vitamin K Research at the Cardiovascular Research Institute CARIM, the largest research institute of the University of Maastricht in The Netherlands. He established his reputation by publishing research on the role of vitamins K1 and K2 in bone metabolism and cardiovascular disease. His most recent research is a study published in the April 1, 2007 issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology. It asserts that vitamin K provides significant benefits for promoting cardiovascular health. The study shows for the first time that a high intake of vitamin K is able to significantly reverse the arterial calcification that is evident in heart disease.

My professional dedication to cardiovascular health attracted me to the work of Dr. Schurgers. In my radio interview, I was particularly interested in learning from him directly about the value of vitamin K in therapies for heart disease prevention and treatment. To begin, he explained that there are two forms of vitamin K: K1 and K2. The difference is in their chemical structure. K1 is found mostly in green leafy vegetables—spinach, lettuce, parsley, for example; K2 is in fermented products, such as cheeses and in butter and eggs. K2 is also distinguished as MK4 and MK7, relative to their respective absorption times in the body.

Vitamin K has commonly been regarded as a chemical compound in the body that promotes blood coagulation. (It takes its name from the German word koagulation.) As such, there is an immediate question of its compatibility with blood-thinning drugs (e.g. Coumadin) given for many heart conditions. Dr. Schurgers explained that while a patient on blood thinners must always discuss taking K with his/her physician, some recent research has shown that low doses of vitamin K are beneficial in stabilizing the anti-coagulation effect of blood-thinning drugs. He points out that because the content of one's diet changes from day to day—causing the blood-thinner's effect to fluctuate—the steadying influence of low-dose K is beneficial.

The Rotterdam Study
"The Rotterdam findings are extremely important for cardiovascular disease," Dr. Schurgers said. In a study of 5000 healthy men and women over the age of 55 in the Netherlands, his research shows that, for those with the highest intake of vitamin K2 (menaquinone) in their diet, there was a 50% less chance of dying of cardiovascular disease. An amazing finding from the standpoint of treating heart disease!

However, I posed a question. While cheese may be the best source of K2, it is also a source of cholesterol, a harmful factor in heart disease: how is this conflict reconciled? The answer, though limiting, was easy: for persons for whom cheese presents a cholesterol problem, K2 can be taken in supplement form, thereby providing the cardiovascular benefits of the vitamin without the cholesterol risk.

The Calcification Paradox
How can K on the one hand promote strong bones and protect against calcium loss in osteoporosis, and also be said to reduce the build up of calcium deposits in the coronary arteries? That's the vitamin K calcification paradox. It is explained by theories describing the complex chemical activities of K in the body's metabolism. The fact is that protein elements in the bone increase their mineralization when activated by vitamin K, while similar proteins in blood vessel walls decrease vascular calcification. Both actions are healthy responses that maintain strong bone and supple blood vessels. Dr. Schurgers' research has verified this phenomenon. In lab experiments with animals, a diet rich in K2 not only prevented the build up of arterial calcium but it also reversed it. Dr. Schurger has plans for more clinical trials with humans, which he expects will revolutionize diagnostics and therapies for atherosclerosis - heart disease.

Summing Up
The presence of vitamin K in our bodies was only discovered in the 1930s, so there is much more to be learned about it, its importance and its potential benefits. The body gets its supply of K through a healthy diet that includes vegetables and protein foods. Vitamin K deficiency is caused by poor nutrition, when antibiotics are taken for infection, and also by certain intestinal diseases. It is at this point that supplements may be introduced, especially where there is the risk of osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease. It is no secret that many Americans have poor dietary habits, and therefore are at risk of missing essential nutrients and consequently of developing chronic health problems. Also, many adults take medications (e.g. antibiotics) that may be interfering with their body's normal production of vitamin K. Currently, there is enough positive research about vitamin K to lead practicing clinicians to assure patients that a healthy level of vitamin K be maintained. And that may call for supplementation.

I now recommend vitamin K2 to all my patients for its prophylactic benefits in preventing osteoporosis and artery disease. The usual recommended dosage is 45 micrograms per day. Also, K2, or menaquinone, will be added to my new Cardio Prevention Kit, together with resveratrol, vitamin D3, and nattokinase.

About Dr. Vagnini

Dr. Vagnini is ELDR's chief medical advisor. He is the coauthor, along with ELDR Editor-in-Chief Dave Bunnell, of the book Count Down Your Age (McGraw-Hill). To learn more about Dr. Vagnini, visit his website »

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posted at 10:22:36 AM