Vitamin K is well-known for its role in blood clotting. But you may not know that its name actually refers to a group of several vitamins that provide health benefits far beyond helping your blood clot.

Here is a review of the differences between the two main forms of vitamin K found in the human diet: vitamin K1 and vitamin K2.

Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Test

A CAC test, also called a heart scan, is a CT scan of your heart done with a multidetector CT (MDCT) that takes detailed images of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The images show calcium deposits you may have in your coronary arteries. Higher amounts of calcium are associated with more severe disease in the heart arteries.

Calcium  is a natural part of the human body, but it can sometimes appear in places where it is unwanted. For example, when a waxy substance called plaque builds up in the arteries, it can calcify over time. When it calcifies, the plaque hardens and begins to block the blood flow through a person’s arteries. This creates inflammation and can cause a heart attack. Other times, pieces of plaque can break off and cause a clot, which can result in blood flow stopping, leading to a heart attack.

Vitamin K2 & Arterial Calcification

Atherosclerosis is the thickening and hardening of arteries. As plaque accumulates inside arteries, blood flows to the heart, brain and other organs are diminished or blocked.

Occlusive atherosclerosis is an underlying cause of many heart attacks and strokes. An underlying factor is arterial calcification. It is a phenomenon tightly associated with cardiovascular events and overall mortality.

Magnesium Counteracts Vascular Calcification

Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies report a close relationship between serum magnesium concentration and cardiovascular disease risk in the general population. In end-stage renal disease, an association was found between serum magnesium and survival. Hypomagnesemia was identified as a strong predictor for cardiovascular disease in these patients. A substantial body of in vitro and in vivo studies has identified a protective role for magnesium in vascular calcification.

Vitamin K2 & Osteoporosis

Vitamin K2 secures bone integrity by turning off excess osteoclast activity, and by supporting the action of osteocalcin by drawing calcium from the blood and importing it into bone tissue.

Recent studies have identified the protective role of Vitamin K2 in bone and cardiac health, and how a deficiency of vitamin K2 can give rise to brittle bones, as well as to premature hardening of the arteries. 

Miso Protects Against Radiation, Cancer and Hypertension

Humble miso soup may have saved lives when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Science now confirms miso prevents radiation injury. It may also prevent cancer and hypertension. Here's why you need at least one cup a day.