“CALCIUM PARADOX” - so many people are having harmful calcium deposits form in their arteries at the same time that calcium content of the bones is decreasing. This calcium paradox is not a result of too little calcium in the diet, but of too little vitamin K2 that largely controls where the calcium goes. The objective is to keep calcium in our bones, not in our arteries. This is the role of vitamin K—putting calcium in its place!
HEALTH BENEFITS
Vitamin K in Bone metabolism
Bone is a dynamic, living tissue in our body that is continuously remodeled by bone cells osteoclasts, responsible for bone resorption, and osteoblasts responsible for bone formation, which produce osteocalcin (OC), a protein that – if activated by vitamin K2 - can bind calcium. Calcium from all over the body is then transported from the bloodstream into the bone matrix. The balance between bone building and bone resorption is critical for healthy bones.
Over the last decade, randomized, controlled human, animal and in-vitro studies have consistently demonstrated that K2 supplementation protects bone health:
- Deposits calcium into the bone matrix
- Reduces osteoclast formation from stem cells (at the same time, not poisoning the osteoclasts)
- Promotes osteoblast maturation and activity through its effects on gene expression
- Vitamin K2 increases strength, improves the structure and boosts the mineral content in bones
It is very important not only to receive dietary calcium, but also to have normal calcium metabolism in the body, for which magnesium and vitamins D and K are very important.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed that calcium and vitamin K are needed to maintain normal bone health, while vitamin D is essential for normal calcium and phosphorus absorption and (or) assimilation.