Vitamin K2 On A Raw Vegan Diet

Do you want to learn more about vitamin K2 on a raw vegan diet?

Vitamin K2 is a fairly recently discovered ‘form’ of vitamin K that is now known to be required to activate not only certain proteins in the body for cell growth, but also to make sure that the mineral calcium is transported to where it is actually required in the body, such as the bones and the teeth.

So what are the risks involved with having vitamin K2 deficiencies? Well, there is the potential for major diseases, such as osteoporosis and calcification of the arteries (cardiovascular disease).

Vitamin K1 (also known as Phylloquinone ) can easily be obtained on a raw vegan diet by eating green leafy vegetables including lettuce and spinach, but where exactly do you get you vitamin K2 from?

Well, vitamin K2 is found mainly in animal products and also in fermented products, like the Japanese natto, for example, which is actually made from fermented soybeans.

In the case of the fermented soybeans, vitamin K2 is actually by-product of the bacteria that are produced as the soybeans begin to decompose and ferment.

The fact that it is made from soy and it is fermented, do not lend it to the healthy eating category in our book as fermented foods are not healthy foods to consume.

Vitamin K2 on a raw vegan diet 

Like many other plant eating animals, we can obtain and utilize vitamin K2 from the symbiotic (friendly) bacteria that lives in our intestines (1).

However, with poor modern diets and the use of antibiotics, these friendly bacteria can be severely depleted and so cause a potential lack of vitamin K2 that our bodies require.

In fact, it has been shown that the use of antibiotics can have a very negative impact on these kinds of bacteria, and so their production of vitamin K2 (2).

Eating a healthy natural diet together with leading an overall healthy lifestyle should give those friendly bacteria ample opportunity to create the vitamin K2 that your body needs.

How do you know if you are deficient in vitamin K2 on a raw vegan diet?

The traditional test for possible vitamin K deficiency was specific to the form K1, and was done by noting how long it would take for your blood to clot.

At present, this rules out knowing exactly what your current vitamin K2 level is and if you are indeed deficient or not.
 
Conclusion.

Eating a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle are paramount if you want to give your body every chance of being vibrant and healthy and this certainly is the case when it comes to obtaining enough vitamin K2 for yourself.

However, if you are still concerned about the possibility of being deficient in this vitamin and the potential ramifications for your health then you can supplement vitamin K2 with a quality, vegan-friendly supplement, if you feel the need to.
 
Bibliography:
1) Conly JM, Stein K. Progres,s In Food and Nutrition Science 1992 Oct-Dec;16(4):307-43
The production of menaquinones (vitamin K2) by intestinal bacteria and their role in maintaining coagulation homeostasis.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1492156
 2) Conly J, Stein K. Clinical and Investigative Medicine 1994 Dec;17(6):531-9.
Reduction of vitamin K2 concentrations in human liver associated with the use of broad spectrum antimicrobials. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895417