Whitehaven…
Definitely, be aware that the challenge for maintaining a stable INR when taking Coumadin is consistency with intake of vitamin K 1 containing foods. In the old days when there was no other option, many people did very well controlling diet and stabilizing the INR... yet many did not. So, you'll have to see how it works for you.
Be aware that there is also the increased risk of soft tissue calcifications with long-term use of warfarin/Coumadin. There are numerous, previous posts here on the use of vitamin K2 in the specific form of menaquinone 7 or K2 MK7. Taking daily doses of K2 MK7 helps prevent the calcium deposition in arteries and other tissues.
Here’s a clip from a previous post on this topic from March 2017 discussing Vitamin D which included the MK7 info and several other links for your investigation. Hope all this isn’t overwhelming.
Jackie
[
www.afibbers.org]
Just to illustrate higher dosing is effective… A recently published study indicates 180 mcg (called low dose) of MK7 helps build bone in post menopausal women…and increased Vitamin K status.
Note this is how they evaluated vitamin K status:
Circulating uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) and carboxylated OC (cOC) were measured; the ucOC/cOC ratio served as marker of vitamin K status.
"Three-year low-dose menaquinone-7 supplementation helps decrease bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women," Knapen MH, Drummen NE, et al, Osteoporos Int, 2013 March 23; (Address: VitaK, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 70, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands).
In a placebo-controlled study involving 244 healthy, postmenopausal women, supplementation with vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7, MK-7, 180 microg/d) for a period of 3 years was found to be associated with significant improvements in vitamin K status, as well as decreases in the age-related declines in BMC and bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (and not the total hip), and significant decreases in the loss of vertebral height of the lower thoracic region at the mid-site of the vertebrae. These results suggest that supplementation with MK-7 was help reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women. [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
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Just to illustrate higher dosing is effective… A recently published study indicates 180 mcg (called low dose) of MK7 helps build bone in post menopausal women…and increased Vitamin K status.
Note this is how they evaluated vitamin K status:
Circulating uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) and carboxylated OC (cOC) were measured; the ucOC/cOC ratio served as marker of vitamin K status.
"Three-year low-dose menaquinone-7 supplementation helps decrease bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women," Knapen MH, Drummen NE, et al, Osteoporos Int, 2013 March 23; (Address: VitaK, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 70, 6229 EV, Maastricht, The Netherlands).
In a placebo-controlled study involving 244 healthy, postmenopausal women, supplementation with vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7, MK-7, 180 microg/d) for a period of 3 years was found to be associated with significant improvements in vitamin K status, as well as decreases in the age-related declines in BMC and bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (and not the total hip), and significant decreases in the loss of vertebral height of the lower thoracic region at the mid-site of the vertebrae. These results suggest that supplementation with MK-7 was help reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women. [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
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This is good timing. I was listening to Naturopathic Physician, Michael Murray, who hosted his online Natural Health Summit this week and one speaker talked about "The Surprising Secret to Stronger Bones and a Healthier Heart" which was on Vitamin K2. Speaker: Kate Rheaume-Bleue, ND - Authority on vitamin K2 and author of the best-selling book Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life. These are my notes… useful for us here in this thread and definitely for overall arterial and heart health.
As we know, the risks of soft tissue calcifications from circulating calcium (as in arteries and aorta )… esp. when taking Vitamin D.. which is why we use the K2 MK7 to help direct that calcium into bones where it belongs and keep it out of soft tissue. To answer the Xalerto question, “Dr. Kate” said, the only anticoagulant that would be a concern is warfarin since that functions through vitamin K pathways…and to use K2 MK7 with warfarin would not work because you’d have to adjust downward and wouldn’t get the benefits of vitamin K. Safe to use with all the new anticoags and also aspirin.
(Long ago, I have posted about people who were taking warfarin on a permanent basis and the long-term effects of severe aortic calcifications and osteoporosis. Now that the new anticoags are available, that should solve the problem.)
Dr. Kate said the more Vit. D you take, the more MK7 you need to take as well. Says a low dose (what I use now) is the 200 mcg and it can be safely doubled to 500 mcg and often more… except higher may cause stomach upset for some.
She emphasizes it’s smart to have the vitamin D test so you know how aggressive to be. You can get that through Life Extension yourself or through your doctor.
Her points:
• Vitamin K2 deficiency is wide spread
• K2 MK7 is very safe and is without toxic reactions – has a high safety profile
• If you have arterial or aortic calcifications its extremely important to take at higher doses, as it reverses the calcifications….min. would be the 500 mcg.
• As we age, most people have some evidence of arterial calcifications.
• MK7 not only directs circulating serum calcium into bones where it belongs, it is also important for activating the production of collagen in the Protein Matrix which is important for bone flexibility.. Bones need to be strong (ie calcium) , but also flexible so if you fall – they don’t break as readily as if they are brittle.
• Eventually we will have K2 testing just as we have Vitamin D testing now. It’s very important and long overdue.
• Dosing: Bare minimum is 180 – 200 mcg/day.
• Prevent and reverse arterial calcifications – minimum of 500 mcg/day
Bottom line… increasing MK7 will get faster decalcification results and help prevent extra calcium buildup from Vitamin D supplementation…and overall improve heart health significantly. The K2 deficiency is not gender specific; can happen in both women and men…as does osteoporosis and arterial calcifications.
Jackie
Here are a couple links of many that help explain this – Interview with one of the world’s top Vitamin K researchers, Leon Schurgers, PhD – University of Maastricht, Netherlands.
Part 1:
Vitamin K2 Puts Calcium in Bones and Removes Calcium From Arteries
An interview with Dr. Leon Schurgers
[
www.drpasswater.com]
Vitamin K2 Puts Calcium in Bones and Removes Calcium From Arteries.
Part 2: A look at the data: An interview with Leon Schurgers, PhD
By Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D.
[
www.drpasswater.com]
Integrative Cardiologist, Stephen Sinatra, MD… offers this
[
www.drsinatra.com]
Then, additionally and current news – another Passwater interview with
Dr. Schurgers from 2014…
Part 3 on more benefits of Vitamin K2 MK7
New Discoveries about the Role of Vitamin K in Health, Part 3: Brain and Nerve Function, Cognitive Function, Memory, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease
[
wholefoodsmagazine.com]
Summary Report on Benefits of K2 MK7
[
makebetterhabits.wordpress.com]