What Is Vitamin K?
Vitamin K is a pivotally essential vitamin obtained from dietary sources for blood coagulation factors and initiating the cascade of coagulation in the human body. There are two main forms of vitamin K- phylloquinone or vitamin K1, produced from plant and fiber sources, and menaquinone, or Vitamin K2, which is produced naturally in the gastrointestinal tract.
Vitamin K deficiency may be multifactorial in origin ranging from underlying genetic conditions and disorders to systemic chronic disease, smoking, chronic alcoholism, detrimental lifestyle, immunosuppression, and dietary deficiency of vitamin K source food, causing interference in the absorption of this vitamin or interference in the mechanism of action leading to a deficiency. Newborn infants are predisposed to a higher incidence of vitamin K deficiencies than adults, where this condition is usually reported mainly as a result of dietary lack of supplementation of vitamin K sources.
Vitamin K was originally discovered in the year 1929 as an essential vitamin important for the clotting mechanism in the body, while it was first initially reported as a "Koagulation vitamin '' in a German scientific journal. In the early 20th century, the famous dental surgeon Weston prince also studied and researched the mechanisms of action pertaining to the lack of dietary sources linking these vitamin K deficiencies in varying population groups. His particular dental research led him to conclude this hitherto unidentified nutrient is a source of defense mechanism and protection for combating chronic tooth decay and erosion.
What Are the Sources and Functions of Vitamin K2?
Phylloquinone or vitamin K1 is obtained by the intake of various plant sources, i.e., leafy greens like spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, blueberries, grapes, vegetable oils, turnips, collards, etc., whereas vitamin K2 though naturally produced in the GI tract can also be obtained through dietary sources of fatty fish, hard cheese and dairy products, soybeans, egg yolks, sauerkraut, etc.
Vitamin K1 deficiency is rather uncommon unless an individual has a dietary deficit in obtaining these sources, and vitamin K1 is essentially functioning as a blood-clotting agent. Vitamin K2, meanwhile, has the below-listed functions for these crucial metabolism and functioning pathways:
Vitamin K2 is responsible for protein activation and the deposition of calcium in the bones and teeth. It maintains the intact calcification of the bone and cartilages, preventing stunted growth and retardation, and maintains an anti-inflammatory effect on the blood vessels preventing plaque accumulation in the circulatory system. It is essential for myelin sheath formation of nerve cells, bone growth, and for facial and dental development. It is a fundamental vitamin that signals the protein pathways essential for the production of vitamins A and D.
What Is the Role of Vitamin K in Osteocalcin Metabolism?
As mentioned earlier, because of its role in producing vitamins A and D by protein pathway signaling, consequently a protein that is found abundantly in the human body other than collagen is called osteocalcin, which is a product of osteoblast secretion due to vitamin A and Vitamin D metabolism.
Osteocalcin plays multiple roles in bodily metabolism. Ranging from its effect on the insulin hormone pathway and stabilization to its effect on the sperm cells, which have high concentrations of osteocalcin dependent upon the K2 vitamin. Osteocalcin stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin hormone and has a 24-36% approximate lowering effect upon blood glucose concentration. Osteocalcin plays a pivotal part in maintaining male fertility as it boosts and regulates the production of testosterone in men and influences the survival capacity and production of sperm.
What Is the Systemic Model Theory About Vitamin K2 in Protecting Enamel And Dentin?
In the systemic-based model of dental caries induction, researchers have suggested the importance of multifactorial causes leading to dental decay and tooth erosion. The irreversible loss of enamel and dentin layers in tooth structure causing either caries or erosion is mainly attributed to the enhanced bacterial microflora in the oral cavity leading to inflammatory responses and metalloproteinase (MPA's) based dissolution of tooth structure.
Other systemic hypothesis theories focus on affected endocrine signaling from the parotid gland and hypothalamic oxidative stress that creates a negative impact upon the dentinal fluid of the second layer of the tooth, i.e., the dentin layer. Vitamin K2 has the main function of regulating calcium and inorganic phosphates. Hence it has a direct positive or synergistic impact on the oral cavity by this regulation and preserves enamel health and prevents dentin erosion. Also, dietary sugars cause dental caries to reduce or create an immune breach in oral defense mechanisms. Hence vitamin K2 works in contrast by enhancing antioxidant properties and improving the salivary buffering capacity indirectly, thus helping in the protection of tooth enamel and dentin.
How Does Vitamin K2 Help in Preventing Cardiovascular Disease?
Research studies and clinical trials data have shown to exhibit a significant reduction in vascular damage as well as slowing down the typical progression of atherosclerosis-related heart disease by high dietary intake of supplementation with vitamin K2. A higher intake of dietary vitamin K2, around 32 mcg per day without any additional vitamin K1 supplementation, has been associated with reduced arterial calcification, a 50% reduction in death occurring as a result of cardiovascular events, and a 25% reduction in all causative mortalities. Research has also shown that for every 10 mcg of dietary vitamin K2 in the forms of menaquinone 7,8,9 (MK-7, MK-8, MK-9), the risk of CHD or coronary heart disease can also be prevented or reduced by nearly 9%. This may be because the deficiency of vitamin K2 can lead to inadequate activation of MGP, increasing the risk for blood vessel walls calcification. MPG's role is to inhibit calcium from depositing on the blood vessel walls. Hence the risk for arterial calcification can be combated as well significantly reduced by vitamin K2.
Conclusion:
The benefits of moderate dietary or supplemental intake of vitamin K2 are synergistic upon cardiac, dental, pancreatic, and reproductive systems. Also, osteocalcin is majorly regulated by this vitamin. Hence it has a positive impact on the overall systemic health of an individual.
