Natural Factors Vitamin K2 features vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (MK-7), an advanced, fat-soluble form of vitamin K that serves multiple functions in the body. Vitamin K2 plays a critical role in protecting the heart, as well as in building strong bones. As a director of calcium, vitamin K2 guides the mineral toward tissues where it is needed, such as bones, and away from tissues where it could have a negative effect, such as arteries. Only K2 in the form of MK-7 has been shown to offer 24-hour protection in a single daily dose. Other commercially available subtypes of K2, such as MK-4, only last four to six hours in the body and are required in much larger dosages to be effective.

The K family consists of a trio of vitamins: K1 (phylloquinone), K2 (menaquinone), and K3, a synthetic form of the vitamin. K3 has been shown to have toxic effects on the liver. While vitamin K1 is easy to obtain from green leafy vegetables, the bacteria in our intestines do not convert enough to K2 to help with atherosclerosis and osteoporosis. K2 is found in the diet in natto, a fermented soybean food popular in Japan, as well as in butter, meat, egg yolks, and organ meats from animals that are grass-fed rather than grain-fed. As grass-fed animal products are rare nowadays and a taste for natto is difficult to acquire for most Westerners, a vitamin K2 supplement is the best way to ensure you are getting an optimal daily dose of this important nutrient.

Most people will have difficulty meeting their daily requirement of vitamin K2 through diet alone. Natural Factors Vitamin K2 provides highly bioavailable MK-7, naturally derived from natto beans, in 100 mcg and 120 mcg strengths, making it easy to get more of this important nutrient.