Vitamin K2 is the most effective vascular calcification inhibitor
Vitamin K2, also called Menatetrenone, plays an important role in blood clotting and tissue building. It activates matrix Gla protein (MGP) in the blood which inhibits calcification of arteries and other soft tissues. Vascular calcification reduces the elasticity of blood vessels, resulting in arterial stiffness. It can also lead to calcium plaque buildup further obstructing blood flow. Coronary artery calcification is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. But Vitamin K2 is the most effective vascular calcification inhibitor, its activated MGP helps prevent calcium from precipitating into calcium salts in your blood.
Recent papers published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease and Scientific Reports examined the effects of calcification on aortic hardening on dementia and retinal artery health. Both diseases are affected by the active matrix Gla protein (MGP), and the most effective vascular calcification inhibitor is vitamin K2 (MK-7).
Based on a study of randomly recruited Flemish populations, the researchers concluded that circulating inactive MGP (dp-ucMGP) is a long-term predictor of the diameter of the small retinal artery in the general population. Researchers observed that vitamin K supplementation can promote retinal health.
Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include age, high blood pressure and diabetes, which can lead to hardening of the aorta, subclinical cardiovascular and brain disease, and increase the risk of dementia, according to a study called Arteriosclerosis and Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s in the Elderly. The aortic stiffness measured by the cfPWV reduces the buffering of the pulsating blood flow and exposes the small cerebral artery to microvascular damage. The study then assessed the effects of interventions to reduce arteriosclerosis, such as vitamin K2 supplementation, on the risk of dementia.
At the same time, a paper called “inactive matrix Gla protein is a new type of circulating biomarker that predicts the narrowing of the human retinal artery” researched how active MGP (an effective major artery calcification inhibitor) prevents large blood vessel complications. This paper pointed out that active MGP helps maintain the integrity of the renal and myocardial microcirculation, but its role in maintaining retinal microcirculation is not yet clear.
So far, the MK-7 form of vitamin K2 is the only compound that affects arterial calcification by activating MGP. It is also being paid attention by the medical community as a potential treatment. There are 17 kinds of K-deperendent proteins in the human body, researchers already know a lot about some of these proteins, which contribute to blood clotting, bone health and cardiovascular health. These findings suggest that activating additional proteins may have important effects on the health of the global population.
