Vitamin K Status in Healthy Volunteers (Theuwissen E et al.)

A study conducted by VitaK BV, the research Institute in Maastrict, Netherland, found that children and adults over age 40 have pronounced Vitamin K2 deficiencies and may benefit from menaquinone-7 (MK-7) supplementation.

Collecting 896 blood samples from 110 healthy volunteers, 42 children and 68 adults, researchers measured the samples for biomarkers reflecting the vitamin K2 status in healthy volunteers by measuring the both circulating dephospho-noncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP) and noncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC).

From the age of 40 years the dp-uc MGP levels at baseline – before any intake of vitamin K2 – gradually increased, pointing to an increased need for vitamin K2 supplement with increasing age. However, the study revealed that children had the highest levels of ucOC, also pointing to a vitamin K2 deficiency.

The children and adults with the most pronounced vitamin K2 deficiency gave the highest responses to supplementation with vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (MK-7).

“Children and adults above the age of 40 years showed the largest vitamin K2 deficiency, and accordingly may benefit from MK-7 supplementation to improve their vitamin K2 status, ” said Elke Theuwissen from VitaK, the principal investigator in the study.

Reference: Theuwissen E et al. Vitamin K status in healthy volunteers. Food & Function. 2014 Feb;5(2):229-34.

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