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All Natural Vitamin K2: MK-7 compared to Synthetic Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2: MK-7 does not display toxicity, and does not concentrate in excess amounts in the liver, unlike other synthetic Vitamin K2. Simply put, MK-7 may help promote a healthy cardiovascular system and maintain healthy bones, joints and arteries through all-natural means.
MK-7 compared to MK-4
When comparing Vitamin K2: MK-4 versus MK-7, the currently accepted recommendation of daily intake requires a much lower intake of MK-7 compared to MK-4 for the same effects. Recommended dosage of MK-4 is ~45,000 micrograms/day whereas MK-7 is ~45 micrograms/day. That is a 1000 fold less requirement of MK-7 compared to MK-4! Not only is less more in the case of MK-7 compared to MK-4, but both MK-7 absorption and the lasting benefits in circulation are far superior to MK-4. Much of this reasoning has been attributed to MK-7’s proper carbon side chain length. The proper carbon length of MK-7 allows for longer lasting and more efficacious Vitamin K2 compared to MK-4. This makes MK-7 more bioavailable and appealing in supplementing our diets.
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MK-7 is another popular supplemental menaquinone, and is known to be pretty much unique to fermented soy products (also found in other fermented products, but to a much lower level. It has a molar mass of 649.0 and 100mcg of MK-7 is equivalent to 154nmol. MK-7 is not the only long-chain menaquinone (fermented foods also possess MK-8 and MK-9 but it is the most popular supplemental form of a long-chain menaquinone. Phylloquinone and MK-4 are thought to be more similar than MK-4 and MK-7 as the prolongation of the chain increases lipophilicity (fat solubility).
Supplemental MK-7 (90-360mcg) has been noted to increase plasma MK-7 concentrations without increasing phylloquinone concentrations, but is able to dose-dependently reduce levels of uncarboxylated proteins (ucOC and dephoshorylated ucMGP) with the reduction in dp-ucMGP being quantified at 31% (180μg) and 46% (360μg) and ucOC being reduced by 60% (180μg) and 74% (360μg), although not all MGP species are affected. MK-7 has also been noted to not affect thrombin status.
When comparing MK-7 against MK-4, the efficacy of long chain menaquinones such as MK-7 on blood clotting seem to exceed that of phylloquinone and MK-4, which is thought to be due to the prolonged half-life relative to other forms of Vitamin K.
MK-7 is similar to MK-4 in the sense that it does not increase phylloquinone concentrations, but can support the Vitamin K cycle and improve vitamin status in the body. Unlike MK-4, you can modify the diet to get sufficient MK-7 (albeit only natto, really) and for most instances MK-7 is more bioactive than MK-4 on a weight basis *
Note 2: You need both MK-4 and MK-7 (particularly MK-4)
Note 3: Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone-7) supplementation does not affect vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors activity in healthy individuals
Note 4: US Pharmacopeial Convention safety evaluation of menaquinone-7, a form of vitamin K
Note 7: Safety evaluation of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) via toxicological tests