Michigan Foot Doctors - Why I Take Vitamin K2 & Vitamin D Every Day! [2024 Studies Update]

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Dr. Tom Biernacki takes vitamin K2 every day, paired with vitamin D, and suggests choosing an MK-7 (or MK-4 plus MK-7) supplement at roughly 90 to 360 micrograms per day, with diet as the first source. He says the evidence is strongest for bone and arterial calcium benefits, while claims about anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects are weaker.

Key Points

• Vitamin K has three types: K1 (linked to blood clotting), K2 (linked to bone, calcium, and artery effects), and K3 (which the speaker says is not really important).
• K2 comes in two forms: MK-4, which is shorter-acting but may absorb better, and MK-7, which lasts longer but may absorb less well; he prefers a product containing both.
• Vitamin D moves calcium into the bloodstream, and K2 moves it into bone and keeps it out of blood vessel walls, which is why he pairs them, with magnesium helping both.
• Calcium supplements may be a waste of money, according to the speaker, because the studies now point more to vitamin D and K2 as the key players.
• Evidence on arterial stiffness and heart valve and artery calcification is described as encouraging, though K2 is said to prevent further buildup rather than reverse existing arterial damage.
• Vitamin K2 is described as usually safe, but people on blood thinners should check with their prescribing doctor, since a blood test can show how thin their blood is.

Details Worth Noting

• Concrete instructions: Take a vitamin K2 supplement containing MK-7, ideally with MK-4 as well, at about 90 to 360 micrograms per day, and choose a combination product with vitamin D if convenient. Get K2 through foods such as natto, cheeses, goose liver, chicken liver, eggs, Gouda, and some deli meats and butter. If you take blood thinners, check with the prescribing doctor and have blood tests done, since dosage may need adjusting. Do not rely on calcium supplements to build bone; prioritize healthy food, sunlight, exercise (strength training and cardio), vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3, and K2.
• The speaker notes that official government guidance exists for K1 (about 90 to 120 micrograms per day) but not for K2; most cited studies used 120 to 200 micrograms, and studies have ranged from as low as 90 to as high as 360 micrograms on average.
• The World Health Organization and FAA are cited as saying most people get only 5 to 25% of their recommended daily K2 value.
• Foot-health checks the speaker mentions include palpating the posterior and anterior tibial artery pulses and checking capillary refill time (over 3 seconds may warrant further testing), with an ankle-brachial index and CT angiogram as possible next steps.
• Claims about anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits are described by the speaker as backed only by lower-level studies, so he does not recommend them.

Bottom Line

Vitamin K2, especially MK-7 combined with vitamin D, is presented as a reasonable daily supplement for bone and arterial health, mainly to prevent further calcium buildup rather than reverse it.