Vitamin k1 and vitamin k2, the same

Maybe many already know and know vitamin K. What about vitamins K1 and K2? Yes, it turns out that vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 are other forms of this vitamin. Although the benefits are not much different, vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 also have several differences that you must know. Anything, huh? The following is the full explanation.

What are vitamin K1 and vitamin K2?

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin K consists of several types but the most commonly found in the human diet are vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. Although they come from the same form of vitamin, there are several differences between the two.

Vitamin K1

Vitamin K1 is another form of vitamin K known as phylloquinone. The main source of vitamin K1 is plant foods such as green vegetables. Of the total intake of vitamin K consumed by humans, there are at least 75 to 90 percent of vitamin K1 in it.

The following is the content of vitamin K1 in every 230 grams of cooked vegetables, including:

Kale: 1,062 mcg
Spinach: 889 mcg
Turnip greens: 529 mcg
Broccoli: 220 mcg
Cabbage: 218 mcg

Vitamin K2

Another name for vitamin K2 is menaquinones (MKs). Different from vitamin K1, sources of vitamin K2 are fermented foods and animal products. It is even known that this vitamin is produced by intestinal bacteria in your body.

Actually, food sources of vitamin K2 are quite varied, depending on the subtypes. Vitamin K2 subtype MK-4 is found in many animal products such as chicken, egg yolks and butter.

This subtype of vitamin K2 is not produced by bacteria at all. Meanwhile, vitamin K2 subtypes MK-5 to MK-15 are mostly produced by bacteria and can be found in fermented foods.

The following is the content of vitamin K2 in every 100 grams of food, including:

Hard cheese: 76 mcg
Chicken legs and thighs: 60 mcg
Soft cheese: 57 mcg
Egg yolk: 32 mcg

Vitamins K1 and K2 are absorbed in different ways

The main function of all types of vitamin K is to activate proteins that play a role in blood clotting, maintaining healthy bones, and preventing heart disease. However, if you dig deeper, each vitamin K has a different role in the body, including vitamins K1 and K2. So that, the absorption process will also be different.

The absorption of vitamin K1 is about 10 percent of the total amount of vitamins present in food. Meanwhile, the absorption of vitamin K2 itself is not known with certainty until now.

However, experts believe that vitamin K2 is better absorbed by the body because it is found in many foods that contain fat. The reason is, vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin so that its absorption will be better when consumed with fatty foods.

In addition, vitamin K2 has a longer side chain compared to vitamin K1. This is why vitamin K2 can flow longer in the blood for days, while Vitamin K1 is in the blood for only a few hours.

This longer circulation allows vitamin K2 to be used more by body tissues. Meanwhile, vitamin K1 is directly flowed and digested by the liver.

Benefits of vitamins K1 and K2

Basically, both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 provide the same benefits for body health. However, each vitamin has a more prominent benefit than the other vitamin.

1. Blood clots

The main benefit of vitamin K is that it speeds up the blood clotting process. Among the many types of vitamin K, vitamin K2 exerts a greater influence on blood clotting.

This is proven by a study which shows that consuming one serving of natto which is rich in vitamin K2 can accelerate blood clotting for up to four days. This effect is considered to be much greater than the intake of foods high in vitamin K1.

2. Maintain healthy bones

Vitamin K intake in the body can activate the protein needed for bone growth and development.

Reporting from Healthline, a study found that supplementation of vitamin K2 subtype MK-4 can effectively reduce the risk of fractures. However, further studies are still needed to find out which one is more potent between vitamins K1 and K2 for bone health.

3. Prevent heart disease

Apart from blood clotting and healthy bones, vitamin K also plays an important role in preventing heart disease. Vitamin K can activate a protein that helps prevent calcium buildup in the arteries.

The reason is, this calcium buildup can form plaque which then clogs blood vessels. As a result, this can increase the risk of heart disease.

Several studies have shown that vitamin K2 is a good vitamin in reducing calcium buildup and lowering the risk of heart disease. However, other higher quality studies have proven that both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 (especially MK-7) are equally beneficial for maintaining heart health. For this reason, further research is still needed to prove it.

What is the daily intake of vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 in the body?

Referring to the Nutrition Adequacy Rate (RDA) by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the recommended daily intake for vitamin K based solely on vitamin K1 is 55 micrograms per day for adult women and 65 micrograms for adult men.

You can meet these needs by eating one serving of spinach and omelette or half a serving of broccoli for dinner. Complete your diet with egg yolks or olive oil, because these two food ingredients can help speed up the absorption of vitamin K in the body.

Until now, there are no specific recommendations about how much vitamin K2 intake is needed by the body. The most important thing is to combine your diet with sources of vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 to balance your nutritional needs.