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Vitamin K Genes: Bone strength, blood clots

Vitamin K is one of those vitamins that doesn’t get a lot of press. You may have heard of it in relation to preventing osteoporosis, but it turns out this little-known vitamin impacts overall health as we age.

In this article, I’ll explain what vitamin K does in the body and how your genes affect the conversion of vitamin K. If you are struggling with Warfarin dosing, your genes may hold the answers. Members will see their genotype report below, plus additional solutions in the Lifehacks section. Join today 

Vitamin K Genes: Bleeding and Bones

There are two different forms of Vitamin K:

  • Vitamin K1, is a fat-soluble vitamin needed by our bodies to synthesize the proteins responsible for blood coagulation. Without vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone, bleeding is hard to control.
  • Vitamin K2, also known as menaquinone, comes in several different forms (MK-4, MK-7, MK-8, MK-10). It helps maintain bone strength. Additionally, higher levels of K2 have been shown to reduce calcification in the arteries[ref], as well as possibly play a role in mitochondrial function.[ref]

Vitamin K levels have links to osteoporosis (low bone density). Lower vitamin K levels are associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis.[ref]

Beyond coagulation and bone health:

Recent studies show vitamin K plays an important role in preventing several age-related diseases.

Vitamin K interacts with vitamin D and calcium. It is vital in the interplay between calcification and inflammation.

Vitamin K is also an essential co-factor for reactions involving the enzyme vitamin K carboxylase. These enzyme-catalyzed reactions activate VKD (vitamin-K dependent) proteins.[ref]

While the most well-known VKD proteins are involved in blood clotting, recent research has shed a lot of light on VDK proteins that contribute to vascular calcification and apoptosis.[ref]

The role of K2 in mitochondrial function is still being determined, but more recent research shows some promising results. It acts as an intercellular antioxidant, and it also acts as an electron carrier in the mitochondria.[ref][ref]

What sources do we have for vitamin K?

We get vitamin K1 from eating green plants, as phylloquinone is a part of the photosynthesis process.

Pasture-raised eggs, dairy, organ meat, and fermented soy (natto) contain the highest amounts of vitaminK2. We can also convert K1 to K2 in some organs of our bodies, and certain residents of our gut microbiome (E. coli especially) convert K1 to K2 for us.


Vitamin K Genotype Report

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Lifehacks:

Dietary Sources:

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, and including fat while eating green veggies will increase your absorption. Most animal sources of vitamin K2 are naturally found with fat.

Conversion of vitamin K2 in the gut microbiome depends on having a good gut microbiome — so if you have been on a broad-spectrum antibiotic recently, your vitamin K conversion may be impaired.

Vitamin K Supplements:

If you aren’t getting enough vitamin K through food sources — specifically enough vitamin K2 through pastured eggs and dairy or from natto — you may want to look into a vitamin K supplement.

There are multiple types of vitamin K.  

Member Content:

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Why join Genetic Lifehacks?

~ Membership supports Genetic Lifehack's goal of explaining the latest health and genetics research.
~ It gives you access to the full article, including the Genotype and Lifehacks sections.
~ You'll see your genetic data in the articles and reports.

Join Here


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Originally published: June 2018. Revised and updated: Jan. 2021

References:

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Borgiani, Paola, et al. “CYP4F2 Genetic Variant (Rs2108622) Significantly Contributes to Warfarin Dosing Variability in the Italian Population.” Pharmacogenomics, vol. 10, no. 2, Feb. 2009, pp. 261–66. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.2217/14622416.10.2.261.

Chiba, Tsuyoshi, et al. “Trans-Resveratrol Enhances the Anticoagulant Activity of Warfarin in a Mouse Model.” Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, vol. 23, no. 9, Sept. 2016, pp. 1099–110. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.5551/jat.31765.

Danziger, John. “Vitamin K-Dependent Proteins, Warfarin, and Vascular Calcification.” Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN, vol. 3, no. 5, Sept. 2008, pp. 1504–10. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.00770208.

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Kaiser, Rachel, et al. “SNPs in VKORC1 Are Risk Factors for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Asians.” Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 65, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 211–15. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1002/art.37751.

Knapen, M. H. J., et al. “Vitamin K2 Supplementation Improves Hip Bone Geometry and Bone Strength Indices in Postmenopausal Women.” Osteoporosis International, vol. 18, no. 7, July 2007, pp. 963–72. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0337-9.

Kurnatowska, Ilona, et al. “Effect of Vitamin K2 on Progression of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Calcification in Nondialyzed Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 3-5.” Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnetrznej, vol. 125, no. 9, 2015, pp. 631–40. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.20452/pamw.3041.

Liao, Duanxiu, et al. “Interaction Between CYP4F2 Rs2108622 and CPY4A11 Rs9333025 Variants Is Significantly Correlated with Susceptibility to Ischemic Stroke and 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid Level.” Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers, vol. 20, no. 5, May 2016, pp. 223–28. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1089/gtmb.2015.0205.

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About the Author:
Debbie Moon is the founder of Genetic Lifehacks. Fascinated by the connections between genes, diet, and health, her goal is to help you understand how to apply genetics to your diet and lifestyle decisions. Debbie has a BS in engineering from Colorado School of Mines and an MSc in biological sciences from Clemson University. Debbie combines an engineering mindset with a biological systems approach to help you understand how genetic differences impact your optimal health.